Offered E-On apprenticeship

The_One

The_One

The_One

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Ive been offered a 3 year E-on apprenticeship as a Gas Installation Engineer.

Im really in a pickle over whether to accept it or not. Basically i currently work in an office and have done since leaving school 8 years ago. I was recently made redundant from my job but moved to another department in a new role to continue employment with my local council.

I applied ot the apprenticeship because it looked like a good oppurtunity and im led to believe gas and heating installion/repair is very well paid?

If i accepted it would mean my wages dropping by a third. It does go up after each year but only by about £1200 each year until fully qualified after 3 years.

Its working towards an NVQ Level 3 and after qualification E-on will obviously get me corgi registered.

Unlike other gas apprentices with other companies such as British Gas an E-on engineer is trained to do everything from a brand new installation to repair to fitting a new gas meter (E-on only company that can do this) Whereas with british gas you are trained to do either installations or repairs.


The training is 6 weeks on site with an engineer followed by 6 weeks at E-ons dedicated training centre IDSL (Industry Development Services Ltd) who recently won a prestigious gas award for best training supplier

E.ON'S ENERGY SERVICES TIPTON-BASED BUSINESS SCOOPS MAJOR GAS INDUSTRY AWARD
building
E.ON UK plc
04/06/2008

Industry Development Services Ltd (IDSL), part of E.ON's Energy Services business, has been named as one of the best in its field at the 2008 Gas Industry Awards.

IDSL was awarded the 2008 Energy and Utility Skills Business Skills Awards for training Young Apprentices at NVQ Level 2.

The award was made in recognition of IDSL's innovative programme in training and supporting apprentices - with an industry-leading success and retention rate of over 93%.

IDSL, based in Tipton, delivers NVQ Level 2 in Gas Installation & Maintenance, Plumbing Framework at Levels 2 and 3 also Key Skills, Train to Gain initiative, as well as many other industry related courses.
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http://www.wnibonline.co.uk/Building/Articles.aspx/22276


Really not sure what to do :confused:


Out of interest has anyone on here done a similar apprenticeship or does anyone on here work for E-on out in the field :)
 
My dad works for Central Networks, which is part on E-on. Although he's not a Gas Installation Engineer, if you do have questions about the company itself, I'm pretty sure he won't mind answering them :)
 
I work for a meter operator..

From what I can tell, metering engineers get paid a nice amount :)

It's it sounds like a job you'd enjoy, take it :)
 
The_One said:
The training is 6 weeks on site with an engineer followed by 6 weeks at E-ons dedicated training centre IDSL
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How does 12 weeks training turn in to a 3 year apprenticeship?

Do you want to spend most of your working life (presumably after 3 years training you'd stick at it) fitting gas meters?
 
fini said:
How does 12 weeks training turn in to a 3 year apprenticeship?

Do you want to spend most of your working life (presumably after 3 years training you'd stick at it) fitting gas meters?
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Its 6 weeks with an engineer followed by 6 weeks in the training centre then 6 weeks with an engineer and so on

Just rotates


The apprenticeship is working on the home installation side, the training on how to install a gas meter is just a side note incase it was ever needed.
 
hamesy said:
My dad works for Central Networks, which is part on E-on. Although he's not a Gas Installation Engineer, if you do have questions about the company itself, I'm pretty sure he won't mind answering them :)
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Could you ask him if he knows much about the apprenticeship scheme eon are running and what his general views are on it.

Thanks for the help :)
 
I think if you're looking for an apprenticeship you'd be silly not to take it :)
 
I'm 6 weeks away from finishing my British Gas apprenticeship.

Some differences to E-On:

-Apprenticeship is 1 year
-Pay-rises much quicker if what you said is correct about E-On
-You are specialised in either installation or repairs but you are still trained in both
-It's usually 3 weeks with engineer then 4 weeks in training centre in a similar fashion

As a company:

-Way more customers
-Better links with manufacturers
-More engineers
-Better parts availability

E-On have been offering jobs to current BG engineers with a tempting higher basic wage. Many come back almost straight away when they find out how disorganised they are in comparison. Incorrect tools, jobs that are hours of travelling time away from each other, etc. This may vary between different areas however.

That said, it is a good industry to be in. If I were in your situation with an offer from both British Gas and E-On, I would say choose BG; but with an offer from E-On and having not even an application to BG, you'd be silly to turn it down and try for a job which you might not get at BG.

Out of interest, what wage would you be on as an apprentice? I'm currently on £13,430 PA, but this will be backdated with a payrise from April when the Union sorts out what % rise it will be. Was given my Van in the second week and all fuel is paid for (business use only) so they are used to get to/from the training centre and when out with other engineers sometimes.
 
What qualifications do you get at the end because imo 1 year sounds far too short for an apprenticeship. There is no way they can train you to nvq level 3 in installation and repair in one year.

Are you capable of going to a domestic property and installing a central heating system on your own from scratch?

If the answer is no then the training is nothing like e-ons


As far as im aware from what ive been told and experienced.

Scenario............

You have a new boiler fitted by british gas and 3 months down the line you have problems with it.......

British gas send a repair engineer to come fix the boiler


E-on fit a boiler for you, 3 months down the line it breaks down. E-on send the original engineer to fix the boiler.

Thats the difference as far as im led to believe?
 
Recently stopped my IT apprenteship halfway through after a year because i found it boring and was not what i expected and i will be starting an electrical installation course in 2 weeks for 3 years. Been helping my granddad over the summer as he is an electrician and i have to say compared to IT its great fun!

Also means having a trade which means you should never be out of work, sounds as if you landed on a great opportunity i would leap all over it, If you have any financial commitments though you would need to think about it.

But i would be all over it!
 
The thing is im still living at home and doing the apprenticeship would mean there is no way i would be able to leave home for at least the next 3 years arghhh
 
The_One said:
The thing is im still living at home and doing the apprenticeship would mean there is no way i would be able to leave home for at least the next 3 years arghhh
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If you think you would enjoy the job more then go for it. After all its something you are going to have to do for 37 hours a week. I chose to avoid glaring at a screen full of helpdesk tickets and talking on the phone all day, not my cuppa tbh :\.

That is do you enjoy your job at the moment?
 
hamesy said:
My dad works for Central Networks, which is part on E-on. Although he's not a Gas Installation Engineer, if you do have questions about the company itself, I'm pretty sure he won't mind answering them :)
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Dont spose you've been able to ask your dad have you mate? :)
 
E-On are apparently struggling with their Heating Services due to "quality issues". It's a damned good job, pays well etc. but we're all trained to fit meters, it's not exactly a difficult task so don't be fooled by them telling you it's some kind of massive bonus :p

Personally I'd never, ever go back to E-On. As an apprentice they paid me less than half of what BG did when I started. And there's just some kind of atmosphere at the company that I didn't get on with.
 
No expirinece whatsoever in the gas installation engineer field, but from what you have posted, I would hazard a guess that your mind is pretty much made up but you're looking for someone to talk you out of it. I think it would be a good career move, you're obviously interested or you wouldn't have gone so far with the application process.

Could you handle living at home for the next 3 years? my guess would be yes you could. You've managed til you're 24, another three years may seem like along time but before you know it you'll have qualified and got your corgi cert, be working full time for E-on and doing fiddle jobs on the weekend.

I'd take the hit in the short term, for something that is going to pay off nicely in the future.

good luck in whatever you decide :)
 
I'd jump at the chance even just to get CORGI registered, the world is yours then, get yourself your own business and reap the rewards, worth 3 years of living at home? Hell yes, i'd do it myself but i fear i'm too old now :( (31)
 
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