F gas cand g 2079 course advice

[hoorain]

hello all can some one give advice if a 5day intensive course is good enough to get in the industry as a first job thanks

[The Viking]

Quick answer,

No, sorry.



Slightly longer answer,

That course should be seen as a (small) step, within an apprenticeship, to become an engineer.


If you don't mind me asking,
You are 48, what line of work have you got experience of so far?
Why would you want to retrain to become a fridge/aircon engineer?


Sorry to disillusion you but the cruel facts are that as a newcomer to any trade you will earn little more than minimum wage, after you completed some form of apprenticeship you would earn the same as if you were a checkout person at Tesco or Sainsburys. Only after time served (say 5 years) could you expect to be on decent money.

This is especially true nowadays when so many experienced engineers have been made redundant and are looking for jobs.

But hey, don't let me discourage you.
Good luck whichever way you decide to go.

[hoorain]

Quick answer,

No, sorry.



Slightly longer answer,

That course should be seen as a (small) step, within an apprenticeship, to become an engineer.


If you don't mind me asking,
You are 48, what line of work have you got experience of so far?
Why would you want to retrain to become a fridge/aircon engineer?


Sorry to disillusion you but the cruel facts are that as a newcomer to any trade you will earn little more than minimum wage, after you completed some form of apprenticeship you would earn the same as if you were a checkout person at Tesco or Sainsburys. Only after time served (say 5 years) could you expect to be on decent money.

This is especially true nowadays when so many experienced engineers have been made redundant and are looking for jobs.

But hey, don't let me discourage you.
Good luck whichever way you decide to go.
thanks for your kind reply im 48 and yes im looking for a new career because my x after divorse left me with nothing but i re married and have a 3 and a 2 year old and i want to do some thing for them b4 im too old i have worked as an electricians mate,split unit installation helper, fruit machine engineer,plumbers mate,washing machine repais zanussi brands only,assembled pcbs,been a handy man,bike engine fitter,cab driver, list can go on and on problem is now thatim old and want to progress every line of work i have done in the past i get asked for qualifications to prove i can do the job where as i can i have been a technical person all my life its built into me so thats the reason i want to do c and g 2079 but please advise me will it help towards securing a job.thanks

[taz24]

to progress every line of work i have done in the past i get asked for qualifications to prove i can do the job where as i can i have been a technical person all my life its built into me so thats the reason i want to do c and g 2079 but please advise me will it help towards securing a job.thanks




Fridge and Air Conditioning can be hard trades to get into and it is a catch 22 with experience / qualifications.
Qualifications will only get you so far but most employers want experience and you can't get the experience somtimes without the quals.

The 2079 is a must qualification as all engineers who want to work with refrigerants will need to have it.
But the course is very, very basic fridge and is aimed at refrigerant handling and environmental issues.

If you have it, it will not hurt you but I can't see it getting you the job alone.

As for quals you need the Technical certificate and NVQ. But that is 2 years at college and work placements, job in the trade.

You could always start as a mate and then progress from there. With electrical experience you have an advantage on some.

All the best taz.

.

[hoorain]

Fridge and Air Conditioning can be hard trades to get into and it is a catch 22 with experience / qualifications.
Qualifications will only get you so far but most employers want experience and you can't get the experience somtimes without the quals.

The 2079 is a must qualification as all engineers who want to work with refrigerants will need to have it.
But the course is very, very basic fridge and is aimed at refrigerant handling and environmental issues.

If you have it, it will not hurt you but I can't see it getting you the job alone.

As for quals you need the Technical certificate and NVQ. But that is 2 years at college and work placements, job in the trade.

You could always start as a mate and then progress from there. With electrical experience you have an advantage on some.

All the best taz.

.
thanks TAZ thats what im looking for to become a mate and then prove my abbilities any tips on how to become a mate i have been ages and ages on jobsites spending hours to look for ACR mates jobs but none seem to exist i suppose or am i looking at wrong job sites

[taz24]

thanks TAZ thats what im looking for to become a mate and then prove my abbilities any tips on how to become a mate i have been ages and ages on jobsites spending hours to look for ACR mates jobs but none seem to exist i suppose or am i looking at wrong job sites


Companies like GSH take mates on.
Do a search for Facilities management.

All the best taz

.

[hoorain]

thanks Taz alot i shall give it a go 2day i have been reading many posts asking help and advice on how to enter the industry and there were some who had done nvqs and fgas etc. and seem to b struggling to find a place as a new entrant to gain practical experience after reading there accounts believe me im so dishearted bcause i just know the theory at the moment and have not oassed any exams yet so it seems to me i stand no chance plus the added disadvantage of my age 48 years nevertheless i still believe from my heart that omce im in it wont take me long to prove my self specially after reading some of the posts by existing engineers who have passed or yet to pass c&g 2079 and it seems as if they regard theory as less important than practical experience which in a sence doesnt work out if you consider some of the tasks which definately require deep theoretical knowledge to be performed according to the guidelines but im soory to say that some of the posts i have read involve engineers who have been in the trade long enough and seem to ask questions that show lack of theoretical knowlrdge e.g. one engineer wanted to know how he could increase the ammount of liquid in the evaporator i suppose for the added efficiency another didnt know after leaving the expansion valve how some of the liquid emerges as vapour which i understand from my book is called flash gas another engineer didnt know why his unit had reduced efficiency by charging with i think it was R407 instead of the original refrigerant R22 so there you go im sure you must have come accross these posts aswell and it makes you wonder if theory is important or one can survive in ACR as a cowboy technician atleast thats the impression im getting bieng a novice.

[Andy W]

I'm 47 years old an no longer enjoy all the aggravation, hassle and pressure the trade brings, I am still mauling equipment about and balancing installations with service work, I should of strarted an installation this morning but had 7 service calls in, I am dreading tomorrow now as my equipment is going to site as well as hired lifting gear and I hope the phone stays quite for the next 2 days now.

Are you sure you want to come in to the trade at 48 years old? there has got to be an easier way to make a living.

[hoorain]

I'm 47 years old an no longer enjoy all the aggravation, hassle and pressure the trade brings, I am still mauling equipment about and balancing installations with service work, I should of strarted an installation this morning but had 7 service calls in, I am dreading tomorrow now as my equipment is going to site as well as hired lifting gear and I hope the phone stays quite for the next 2 days now.

Are you sure you want to come in to the trade at 48 years old? there has got to be an easier way to make a living.
yes sir very much so as i have been a technical person who loves all kinds of jobs i know i havnt got many working years ahead of me but at the same time im not asking to be a guru of any sort in ACR but just to have a modest ACR job such as installation helper and i dont expect or go for high salaries just enough to do what i would love to be in the field and im sure i can prove to be more reliable and trustworthy in a sense that i would do it with my heart and not just a job imposed thanks for your reply

[Voyager]

Have you considered the vehicle side of A/C ?

I have C&G 6048 Automotive A/C Service and Repair,
plus C&G 2078 Safe Handling (which MIGHT become C&G 2079 if I am forced to).

All my work is direct to end-users, IE self-employed, and is enough to pay the bills with some spare cash.

Age and previous/existing skills are no barrier in my line of work. I'm 53 (why does that look ancient when written down?), and started out as a HGV II driver (army and civvy).
I have done factory/warehouse work, electronic assembly, car repair, plumbing, central heating installation, and even spent 5 years as a m/cycle courier (and survived in one piece !).

Car A/C is a growing field, enough work to go self-employed and can be challenging on the trouble-shooting side. Everything you have/will learn can be of use in the domestic A/C field.

An added bonus is that you can easily teach your kids to do what you do.