ACS Gas Safe Courses - A Cautionary Tale!

So you're keen to get qualified as a Gas Safe Engineer are you? Well here are a few words of very good advice.

If you are entering the Domestic Gas arena for the first time you will be regarded as a 'Category 3' entrant and therefore you will need to spend a minimum of 140 days working in the field with a Registered Gas Safe Engineer on gas related work i.e. not just any old work!

During your field work you need to build your 'Portfolio of Evidence' which is a log book of the field based work you have completed under the direct supervision of a Gas Safe Registered engineer. He will need to sign off the work you have logged within your Portfolio quoting his Gas Safe Registration number to verify that he himself is actually qualified to sign it off.

Your Portfolio of Evidence is basically your 'entry ticket' to the ACS Gas Safe Registration course of assessments that will enable you to gain your ACS Gas Safe Accreditations. Our industry standard 'Core + Five' ACS Gas Safe Register Courses will require different amounts of time in the ACS Gas Safe training Centre depending upon your previous experience and what additional qualifications you need. 

If you personally hold a related NVQ2 or NVQ3 you will only need to spend 70 days in the field. However, it is unlikely that you will hold an NVQ because you will almost certainly be a mature career changer from an entirely different background.

So far so good but here begins the cautionary tale!

There are Training Providers who offer Gas Safe Training courses but some fail to properly draw your attention to the absolute requirement that you must gain your field based experience before you can take your ACS Gas Safe emaninations. There may be for example a small footnote at the bottom of their prospectus that simply says 'It is your responsibility to gain field based experience before attending the Training Centre'.

Well guess what? Getting your field based experience is without doubt the most difficult part of the whole process of getting qualified. Doing the actual ACS Gas Safe course is by far the easiest bit!

Unless you are fortunate enough to have a friend or relative who is already an ACS Registered Gas Safe Engineer, finding someone qualified to work with can be at best a difficult task or at worst a task that is nigh on impossible unless you are realistic and make it easy for yourself.

Why? Just read on and consider the following three scenarios.....

Scenario One
You have just spotted a Registered Gas Safe Engineer advertising his services in your local paper and you think 'MMmmm I think I'll give him a ring and ask him if I can come and work with him while I build my ACS Gas Safe Registration Portfolio of Evidence'......

RING RING 'Hello, is that Domestic Global Gas Services Ltd? My name is Harry Hopeful and I wondered if I could come and work with you so that I can build my Portfolio of Evidence before I take my ACS Gas Safe Register examinations; do you know what I mean?'

'Well of course I know what you mean Harry, just like everyone else I had to do the same thing myself before I could take my own ACS Gas exams for CORGI Registration. As it happens, I'm really pushed at the moment and it would be really useful to have someone working with me; what qualifications or experience have you got'?

'Errrmm... qualifications? Well none actually, I'm just starting out into this industry'.

'You're havin' a laugh Harry, I want someone to help me, not someone I have to wet nurse. I'm afraid I can't help you but good luck finding someone else because you're definitely going to need it!

Just think about this Harry, if you have no plumbing qualifications and for example you went to have a look at a boiler that had just packed in; how would you know that the real problem was not actually the boiler itself but that the Central Heating circulating pump was faulty and that's what caused the boiler to shut down? Enough said I think Harry, sorry.'

Harry replaces the receiver and sobs uncontrollably into his hanky.

Scenario Two
You have just spotted a Registered Gas Safe Engineer advertising his services in your local paper and you think 'MMmmm I think I'll give him a ring and ask him if I can come and work with him while I build my ACS Gas Safe Portfolio of Evidence'......

RING RING 'Hello, is that Domestic Global Gas Services Ltd? My name is Harry Hopeful and I wondered if I could come and work with you so that I can build my Portfolio of Evidence before I take my ACS Gas Safe Register examinations. Do you know what I mean?'

'Well of course I know what you mean Harry, just like everyone else I had to do the same thing myself before I could take my own ACS Gas exams for CORGI Registration. As it happens, I'm really pushed at the moment and it would be really useful to have someone working with me; what qualifications or experience have you got?'

'Well actually, I've just completed the Plumbing for Professionals PPC2 Course with Trade Qualified.

I've got the City and Guilds Level two Technical Certificate in Plumbing 6129-02, the City and Guilds Copper Tubing Installation 6022, the City & Guilds Sanitary Accommodation Installation and Maintenance 6032, the CITB Unvented Hot Water Storage Systems qualification, the Water Supply Regulations 1999 qualification, the BPEC Domestic Installer Part P Electrician's Certificate, a First Aid Certificate, my CSCS Site Card and....' - 'WHOA THERE Harry, I get it! You're a superstar and you're just what I'm looking for to help me out. Wait right there and I'll send a taxi for you, you can start this afternoon'.

Harry replaces the receiver and 'high fives' everyone within a two mile radius.

Scenario Three
You have just spotted a Registered Gas Safe Engineer advertising his services in your local paper and you think 'MMmmm I think I'll give him a ring and ask him if I can come and work with him while I build my ACS Gas Safe Portfolio of Evidence'......

RING RING 'Hello, is that Domestic Global Gas Services Ltd? My name is Harry Hopeful and I wondered if I could come and work with you so that I can build my Portfolio of Evidence before I take my ACS Gas Safe Register examinations. Do you know what I mean?'

'Well of course I know what you mean Harry, just like everyone else I had to do the same thing myself before I could take my own ACS Gas exams for CORGI Registration. As it happens, I'm really pushed at the moment and it would be really useful to have someone working with me; what qualifications or experience have you got?'

'Well actually, I'm just working through the Domestic Gas Engineer DGE2 course with Trade Qualified.

I've already covered gas safety, combustion, meters, pipwork, tightness testing, ventilation and gas appliance training on the installation and maintenance of gas fires, heaters, cookers and hobs etc and I've just received my Electrians Part P Defined Scope Certificate so I can wire up boilers, boiler controls and spur boxes and next I'm doing the C&G 6084 Energy Efficie...' 'WHOA THERE Harry! You'd better pause for breath or you'll suffocate.  You sound really keen and you're just what I'm looking for to help me out. Wait right there and I'll come and get you in my van in a few minutes, you can start immediately'.

Harry hangs up the phone then calls his wife to tell her to cancel the caravan in Barry Island because Barbados is definitely on for next year!

The moral of this cautionary tale is quite simple; you have almost no chance of finding someone to work with to build the Portfolio of Evidence you will need for your ACS Gas Safe Registration course of assessments if you have no qualifications or experience. So do it right and help someone to help you; get some qualifications or experience so that someone will be happy for you to work with them. Then it will be a breeze to complete your Portfolio and get Gas Safe Registered!