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Plumbers install and repair water and heating systems in residential households and commercial properties.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; as customers demand
As a plumber, you'll:
We've identified this as a potential green job
For a plumber to be a green job, you could:
Find out more about green careers
You could work at a client's home, at a client's business or on a construction site.
Your working environment may be cramped, at height and outdoors some of the time.
You can get into this job through:
You could complete a college course which may help you to find a trainee position with a plumbing company.
Courses include:
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
You can apply to do a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship to learn the skills needed to become a plumber. Apprenticeships include:
You could also do a Low Carbon Heating Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, if you want to become a heat pump engineer.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to start as a plumber's assistant or 'mate' and train on the job to qualify.
You'll usually need some GCSEs, including English and maths, along with good practical skills.
You could apply directly for jobs if you've got qualifications and several years' experience from related industries, like building services or heating and ventilation engineering.
You'll need to:
You can join the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering for professional development training and industry news.
You can find out more about becoming a plumber from the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering and Go Construct.
With experience, you could:do further training to become a heat pump engineer; work with ventilation and air-conditioning systems, or renewable energy technologies like solar powered heating; get certified with the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC); become a master plumber or move into building services engineering; teach and assess trainee plumbers in a further education (FE) college or training centre.
Find out more about working in FE from Teach in further education.
Go Construct has more information about careers and qualifications in plumbing.