Plumbing Studies NVQ Level 1

Plumbing Studies NVQ Level 1

About the course:
This is a full time course that is ideal for school leavers who are considering plumbing as a career. It is studied over nearly one year for approximately 15 hours a week in college. It is also a course for those who want a 'practical' career and want to work with their hands but it will also involve 50% of the time studying the theory of plumbing too.

It is essential for plumbers to know the technical matters relating to all plumbing installations and the course helps students fully understand such aspects as environmental issues, the related sciences, laws and regulations and above all health and safety. You will study in the class rooms and learning centres but you will also work in the workshop to learn the basic hand skills that are required to carry out basic plumbing activities such as measuring and cutting of various type of pipework, copper pipe bending, fixing plastic pipe fittings and fitting of sanitary components and appliances.

Completion of this course does not enable you to practice as a qualified plumber in the construction industry and is only a basic foundation course.

Success Story:
Sam had really wanted to be plumber since leaving school but had been pressurised by family and his school to follow the academic route for other careers. He did not succeed at A level and had not really done too well in his GCSE's achieving D grades and some C's. After dropping out of Sixth Form college in the first term, really knowing that it was not for him, and then working in retail and bars, he decided that he wanted to really do something with his life and called in to the college to find out about a course in plumbing.

He was advised to enrol on the level 1 plumbing course as he did not have all the grades for the level 2 courses and had been out of school for nearly two years and passed this course last year with flying colours. He was so enthusiastic about the new skills that he was learning that he managed to get some work experience in plumbing and also progressed to the level 2 course. He is now finishing the first year of his level 2 course and looking forward to completing the whole course next year.

He knows that he still needs an NVQ in plumbing, which he would have to gain in the workplace in order to become a fully qualified plumber but he also knows that he will soon have all the skills to take with him to the work place when the construction industry recession is over and employers will be looking for young people like him.

Course Content:
The exact course content is currently under review but study will cover such aspects as:

• Heath, Safety and Welfare
• Basic plumbing principles and processes
• Cold and hot water supplies
• Above ground drainage
• Customer relations
• Environmental considerations
• Copper and plastic pipe bending and jointing techniques
• Basic drawing techniques
• Use of basic hand and power tools

Learning Style:
You will learn and be taught the skills you need for this course in a variety of ways:

• In the workshop with guided training from lecturers
• In the class room with technical delivery from lecturers using a variety of resources such as hand outs, presentations on a Smart Board and working in pairs and teams
• Watching and listening to videos
• Carrying out site surveys on the college campus
• Taking part in off site trips and technical events

Via the college student intranet CityBit2

Equipment Requirements:
To study and be successful on this course you will need to bring some of your own resources:

For the workshop you will need:

• A well fitting pair of safety boots
• A well fitting overall with room for growth over the 2 years.

All tools and other personal and protective equipment will be provided fro your use in the workshop by the college.

For the theory side of the course you will need the following equipment, as a minimum:

• pens and pencils for writing
• a ruler / scale rule (helpful)
• a calculator
• eraser
• a file to keep work organised
• a suitable bag to carry all equipment

Failure to continually bring all the equipment to college for use in classes on a daily basis may mean that you will not be able to study and will be sent away.

Assessment:
You will be assessed on the course in several different ways:

• After training in the workshop you will be set a number of physical tasks to be achieved in a given time, to set standards which will be assessed by your lecturer and signed off. You will then have to write about the task in a work book which will be marked by your lecturer.
• In the classroom you will undertake lots of small or short tests to check what you have learned such as filling in gaps in hand outs crosswords and answering questions asked by your lecturer
• You may also have to take some exams or build a portfolio / work book to show what you have learned.

Progression:
If you are successful in completing this Level 1 course you may be able to progress to the next Level 2 course in plumbing. To be successful you will need to have met the college target of 90% + attendance on the course, have had good punctuality and a proactive attitude. Progression to the next Level 2 course is not just dependant on 'passing' the course technically. You will need to pass at a high level as the City and Guilds Level 2 course is where all the hard work to become a plumber really starts! You may be required to do some keyskills in numeracy and literacy in order to bring you up to a level to be able to study at level 2 as the course is very demanding.

Reviews with teaching staff throughout the year and towards the end of the year will indicate whether you have the ability and right attributes to progress to the next level of course.

Additional Information:
If you are on a qualifying means tested benefit the tuition fees for some courses can be reduced, however you will still need to pay for Exams and College costs. You must claim tuition fee remission by providing evidence before enrolment

Enrolment Instructions:
After making your enquiry to the college to come on the course you will be invited in for interview with the tuors where the career as a plumber will be discussed and your aspriations to become one will be considered.

If successful at the interview you will be offered a provisional place on the course and will be invited to attend the Welcome taster day in June. If you are successful in meeting all our criteria on that day you will be told to come and start with us in September when you will be enrolled, after presentation of your confirmed GCSE results.


Requirement
All students accepted on this Level 1 course will require Maths, English and a Science at Grade D or above.
Selection of students will also be based upon initial assessments, basic general knowledge tests, a good attitude, punctuality and good behaviour on the Welcome Taster Day in June.
Enrolment will not take place on predicted grades and only until original GCSE certificates have been presented to the college.