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Domestic natural gas apprenticeship
Becoming qualified as a Gas Engineer could give you in excess of £25,000 a year and a career for life. All of this in only 2 years!
Course structure
| Course length | 2 years |
| College time | 1 week in every 4, Mon – Fri 8:45am to 4:30pm |
| College venues | Southampton |
| Intakes start | September, January and April |
| Outcomes | C&G 6132 Technical Certificate level 2 C&G 6012 NVQ level 2 in Domestic Natural Gas Installation and Maintenance Certificate in First Aid CSCS Site Safety card CITB certificated Unvented Domestic Hot Water Systems (optional) C&G 6084 certificate in Energy Efficiency (optional) |
Fees
None (as long as you are between 16 and 18 years old and qualify within 3 years). If you are over 18 your employer may need to make some contribution towards your training. Please contact the college for more information. If your employer doesn’t provide them, you will need to buy yourself classroom study tools, suitable work-wear, tools to use on-site and codes of practice.
Entry requirements
- Three GCSEs at grade C or better in three subjects, including Maths and English.
- Must have a registered gas engineer or gas contracting company willing to employ you.
- Pass a selection test and interview.
Course overview
The domestic natural gas NVQ is designed and developed by close cooperation between the Gas industry, City and Guilds, Energy & Utility Skills and the Health and Safety Executive. These groups get together and agree what new entrants need to learn and to what standard. What you will study and the standard you have to reach has been prescribed by these groups. The domestic natural gas NVQ is divided into ‘units’ of competence, which cover all aspects of work required by a natural gas installer.
To achieve your NVQ you will follow a prescribed course of study, which consists of classroom-based activities (theory sessions plus written tests and assessments), workshop activities (practical exercises and assessments) and on-the-job training and assessment. At the outset of the course you will be provided with a scheme of work which gives you a complete breakdown of what you will study in each lesson for the whole of your course. It covers the following broad areas:
- Gas core safety
- Working at heights
- Lifting and handling
- Installing central heating, domestic pipework and controls
- Commissioning gas meters, cooking appliances
- Servicing space and water heaters
- Decommissioning units
- Fault finding and rectification
During year 1 and 2 you will complete the City and Guilds NVQ 6012 and 6132 Technical Certificate in natural gas installation and maintenance work. Over these two years you will attend the college for 24 one-week blocks of 34 hours a week and the rest of the time you will work with your employer on site. While at college you will cover a range of practical and theory sessions according to the course syllabus. While at work you will receive on-the-job training, gaining valuable experience which will help you build a portfolio of your work and attain your NVQ.
During years 1 and 2 you may also study key skills which include communication skills, application of number and ICT. These are assessed through a portfolio of your work, which is assessed internally by the college and by an external test, which is marked by an awarding body. In addition to this you will achieve your CSCS safety card. When you have gained your NVQ Level 2 you can apply to become a registered gas engineer.
Progression and more Information
Upon completion of the second year you can apply for an additional third year, which encompasses the NVQ level 3 with more complex units such as:
- Installing and commissioning gas meters
- Installing and commissioning gas appliances
- Servicing central heating systems and components
- Installing domestic and non-domestic pipework and controls
More information
For more information about what plumbers do and progression routes click here
