GTA – your first choice for gas training courses in Essex

Are you thinking of becoming a gas engineer? Looking into gas training courses in your area? Are you already a plumber but looking to enhance your skills through gas training?

Located in Basildon, Gas Training & Assessment (GTA) has been delivering first class, fully accredited gas and heating courses for the past twenty years. Our professional trainers and assessors are fully qualified gas engineers, with a wealth of hands-on experience in the industry.

Here is all the information you need to know about the gas training courses available from Gas Training & Assessment:

A new entrant is classed as anyone who is not qualified or registered to work on gas in the UK. Within the ‘New Entrants’ classification, there are two levels of entry available for people who would like to gain the relevant expertise and accreditations to work legally in the UK gas industry – Category 2 and Category 3.

Category 2 is aimed at those who have a formal qualification, minimum NVQ2, in an allied trade such as plumbing, heating or ventilation.

Category 3 is for those with no industry qualification. You may have worked in an allied trade for years without any formal qualifications, or you might be completely new to the industry.

Irrespective of what category you fall into, you will need to gain on-site experience and off-site training to be eligible for any assessments. On-site experience comprises a portfolio that is required to be completed under the supervision of a Gas Safe registered engineer. The portfolio is a series of job sheets that cover every area of the gas work you want to undertake. Please note that you will need to arrange for an engineer to oversee and sign off your work yourself – GTA does not organise this.

When it comes to off-site gas training, you can rely on Gas Training & Assessment. We provide a 14 week, one day per week programme of managed learning that covers all the background knowledge you need. In addition to theory subjects, GTA organises hands-on activities that are designed to support your learning. You will also be given a study pack to complete in your own time.

At the end of the 14 weeks, you will undertake a multi-choice theory test, plus practical tests in order to ensure that you have gained the relevant knowledge to move onto your assessment.

You can usually record on-site experience at the same time as your Category 2 off-site training and assessments because the minimum duration of the course is three months. Once you have completed your on-site experience and pass your end of course tests, you will be eligible for Category 2 Assessments as soon as the course ends.

These Assessments consist of practical tasks and multi-choice written papers, designed to demonstrate competence when working on gas. Assessments take up to one week and once completed, you will be qualified in Core Safety (CCN1), Combustions Performance Analyser (CPA1) and Central Heating Boilers and Water Heaters (CENWAT).

If you have no experience or formal qualifications in gas or any allied industry, your on-site experience will take considerably longer than your Category 2 counterparts. Usually, on-site experience will take a minimum of 26 weeks, after which you will then be able to take your Assessments. At the end of your off-site training, Category 3 candidates will continue working on-site to build their portfolios.

Once you have passed your off-site gas training and completed your portfolio, you will then be able to book your Assessment. Please note that as you will have had a sizeable break between the end of your theory course and the Assessment, Gas Training & Assessment will provide you with two days of ‘Top-up Training’.

Major changes are expected to be made to the New Entrants courses in October 2018. Dates are not available at the moment but the course is expected to be longer in duration due to the addition of extra subjects in the theory training. As soon as we have the relevant details, we will pass on the information.