KS3 / KS4 Business: apprentice plumber for a day

NARRATOR:'High-tech engineer, dental nurse, hairdresser. An apprenticeship can be a great way to get yourself skilled up without going to uni, and earn some hard cash while you're training. There are currently over 1,500 types of job you can do as an apprentice.

NARRATOR:'To find out more, we got together six school students. Each will discover what it's like to be an apprentice for a day.'

NARRATOR:'Here's Courtney's story.'

COURTNEY:Hi, I'm Courtney. I'm 15 years old, I'm doing seven GCSEs, but what I really love doing is playing with Buster.

COURTNEY:'He's seven years old, nearly eight. He's really big, but he's just a really big softie.'

COURTNEY:'I like drawing. It's really creative. It's just a nice way of relaxing.'

COURTNEY:'I think I'm good at fixing things and just putting things together, practical work.'

COURTNEY:I think I need to get some good qualifications and training behind me so I can get my own business. I don't actually know much about apprenticeships, but I'd really like find out more.

NARRATOR:'Courtney, and the other would-be apprentices, meet someone who knows plenty about jobs and how to choose the right one.'

AIMEE:Most apprenticeships last between one and four years. So the benefit for the employer is that they're getting somebody that is going to commit to them throughout that time, and they're getting staff that are skilled as well, because you're not just going in to do a job, you're being upskilled as well, okay?

AIMEE:So you want to find the employers that genuinely understand the benefits, and want to add value to you.

AIMEE:Before even thinking about what apprenticeship you should take, I think it's really important that you guys start thinking about what you're good at, and what's most important is that you enjoy what you do. Because if you're happy then you'll be successful.

NARRATOR:'Courtney has an in-depth session with careers mentor, Aimee.'

AIMEE:So, Courtney, have you any ideas of what it is that you might like to do?

COURTNEY:Yeah, I was thinking I might want to do a plumbing apprenticeship.

AIMEE:Okay.

AIMEE:What's made you think down that route?

COURTNEY:I've always wanted to do something not so expected.

AIMEE:Something different that, I suppose, girls wouldn't necessarily be thought of in that industry. OK. What about fixing things and being practical, because plumbing is all about that, isn't it?

COURTNEY:Yeah. When I was a child, I always used to break my sister's toys just to fix them.

AIMEE:Did you really?

COURTNEY:Yeah.

AIMEE:OK. So this does sound like the type of job that you'd be very good at.

COURTNEY:Yeah.

AIMEE:OK. So as part of that, do you think that this is something you'd like to do long-term? What does the end goal look like?

COURTNEY:I'd really like to get my own business.

AIMEE:Okay.

COURTNEY:I've always pictured myself having my own little white van with my name on it.

AIMEE:OK. Well, let's make it happen.

AIMEE:Definitely, let's make it happen, alright? So as part of that route then, let's look at apprenticeships. How about we arrange for you to go and spend the day with one of the most high-profile plumbing businesses in the UK, how about that? Does that sound OK?

COURTNEY:Yeah, that sounds good.

AIMEE:Ok, let's do that.

NARRATOR:'Courtney is going to shadow 22-year-old Billy. He's recently completed a three-year apprenticeship here at Pimlico Plumbers, in Central London, and today, he's going to show Courtney some basic skills.'

NARRATOR:'Many companies, like this one, team up with a local college to offer both on-the-job training, and a day a week spent in the classroom as part of the apprenticeship.'

BILLY:I got my Level 2 NVQ, and then that allowed me to work on… plumbing, and toilets and bathrooms and stuff, and then after that, went on to do my Level 3, which then goes into a bit more depth, and I was able to do my gas. So I can work on boilers and heating and stuff. There you go, your very first soldered joint. Not bad.

BILLY:Not bad at all.

COURTNEY:That felt so natural.

BILLY:Yeah?

COURTNEY:Yeah.

BILLY:That was good. That was a very good joint.

NARRATOR:'Billy's now most of the way through a two-year extended training program, which will allow him to go out on jobs, without being supervised by a senior plumber.'

COURTNEY:Where do you see yourself in a couple of years' time?

BILLY:I'm now 22.

BILLY:I'd like to, by the time I'm 23, is to go out there and hopefully earn £60,000 to £70,000 a year and then, by the time I'm 30, hopefully, is to own my own house. That's my goal.

COURTNEY:So, what did you take from school that's helpful for you working as a plumber?

BILLY:When you are working with pipes and stuff, you need to know sizes and different equations. Obviously, maths always helps. English is always a good one. Obviously you need to have clear handwriting when you're writing stuff for customers, they need to be able to understand it as well as you.

BILLY:So, Courtney, what we've got here is a blocked toilet. So, I'm going to show you how to unblock one.

COURTNEY:Is plumbing a good job and would you recommend it?

BILLY:Plumbing is a good job. I would recommend it. You can't be too fussed about your nails, or your hair. You're going to get dirty. Sometimes you can't always use these, so you've just got to go bare-handed. and just pull out… Oh, there's something here. Hold up. Oh, there it is.

NARRATOR:'Thankfully, today, for demonstration purposes, it's nothing worse than a chocolate bar.'

BILLY:It's a good job, it's enjoyable, and from helping a customer, you get a lot of satisfaction.

NARRATOR:'Courtney meets the boss to find out more.'

COURTNEY:So you're actually in charge of employing apprentices here, what do you look for?

DOMINIC:I think what I look for most in a young person is determination and drive when they come in. You've got to have a passion for it. It's something that takes three to five years to do as an apprentice, and then you actually become a plumber at the end of that, you know.

COURTNEY:It feels like it's going to break! So how much do you earn when you are an apprentice plumber, and how much can you earn when you are fully qualified?

DOMINIC:I would say that apprentices aren't paid the greatest, whichever company they work for, however, it's not a short-term thing, and at the end of it, the earning potential is great, it's fantastic, it's huge. Our plumbers in London, can earn, on average, about £50,000 a year.

DOMINIC:But if they put more work in and more hours in, they can earn anything up to £100,000 a year and some even slightly more than that. But they are working hard for that. But we always say, you know, the money that you can earn has to be honest and it has to be for a quality service that you deliver, and that's something that all tradespeople should aspire to.

COURTNEY:Do you think it's a good job for a woman to get into?

DOMINIC:I think plumbing or any of the trades are an excellent trade for women to get into. I think that people, although may think it's a bit unusual seeing a girl turn up in a plumber's van and toolbox, they do like it, and the girls who work for us, they remain extremely busy, they have great clientele and they are really highly thought of.

DOMINIC:I'd recommend it.

COURTNEY:It's been a great day. I've had lots of fun. I've learnt a lot and now I know that I want to be a plumber.