YTA Training

Liz Spider

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We can set you well on your way to becoming a successful kitchen fitter

While the job of a kitchen fitter may seem self-evident – to install kitchens – there are many complexities around this. If you are thinking of entering the profession, it is therefore important to consider whether you are a suitable person for this kind of role, as well as what is involved in training to become a kitchen fitter and the rewards that you can expect.

What can you expect to do in a kitchen fitting career?  

Kitchen fitters do their work mainly in private homes, but also in any other location where a kitchen may be needed, such as an office or other workplace.

The process of installing a kitchen tends to include the dismantling and removal of the old kitchen, followed by the installation of the new units, worktops and sink. On any one day, your duties as a kitchen fitter are likely to include the use of a range of hand and power tools, as well as measuring out work areas, marking the location of pipes and cables and – of course – the actual fitting of units and appliances.

Is it a lucrative profession?

A salary of between £13,500 and £16,000 is typical for someone just starting out as a professional kitchen fitter. This can rise to between £17,000 and £24,000 for those of an intermediate level of experience, while the most seasoned fitters can typically command as high as £35,000 a year.

You need certain characteristics to excel as a kitchen fitter

While this profession isn’t associated with any set route to employment, with many people simply taking on small jobs first and gradually expanding their skills from there, it is nonetheless crucial to think carefully about whether this is the right line of work for you.

There is no denying, for example, the highly physical nature of the work, so being strong and able to cope with it all is vital. It’s also essential to have a good problem-solving head and a calm temperament, as it’s not very often that a kitchen is fitted with no issues at all. For instance, it might be the case that a given design doesn’t fit into the space where it needs to fit, with situations like this requiring you to come up with solutions ‘on the hoof’.

Enrol on our kitchen fitting courses today

With our present kitchen fitting courses here at YTA including a five-day introductory course and two-day and three-day workshop fitting courses, our training could provide invaluable assistance in your pursuit of a rewarding career as a kitchen fitter.

We are the company to have faith in when you are seeking high-quality kitchen fitting courses – so why not browse our current range of such courses online now, or call 01274 682199 or 07400 922788 for further guidance on the next best step for you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Is tiling the right choice of career for you?

Even among the trades, tiling is a career option that can be frequently overlooked, given that it entails providing the finishing touches to rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms, albeit also in shops and as part of other major construction projects.

Nonetheless, this ‘overlooked’ nature of the role can also mean that many fail to realise the variety one can encounter in their projects as a tiler, including when a need exists for more specialised work such as the tiling of swimming pools, outdoor tiling in gardens or the restoration of mosaics.

It can also lead many prospective tilers to assume that the job poses less of a challenge than it really does – which, as you might imagine, is something we would like to avoid with those who sign up for our tiling NVQ Level 2 courses here at YTA!

Tiling isn’t easy, or for everyone

You shouldn’t be fooled by the lack of any set requirements to pursue a tiling career – in truth, this is a profession that calls for a wide range of skills, including good practical skills, the ability to follow design plans, and impeccable accuracy and attention to detail.

Creative flair and a good eye for design are also needed to ensure the right aesthetic result, as are maths skills so that the costs and quantities of materials can be calculated.

You will also need to possess good customer service skills, while self-employed tilers must be able to keep paperwork and accounts up to date.

With a tiler’s typical day-to-day duties including everything from marking out areas – known as ‘setting out’ – and cutting tiles into the required shape and size to levelling off surfaces with plaster, sand or cement and working with a range of building materials, the various demands placed on a tiler should not be underestimated.

Tilers typically work between 37 and 45 hours a week, Monday to Friday, and can expect to start on a salary of between £17,000 and £20,000, which can rise to between £30,000 and £38,000 at the highest levels of experience.

Enquire now about our tiling NVQ Level 2 courses – and more

If you feel that a tiling career could be the right route for you, our team here at YTA would be happy to talk to you about your requirements from a tiling course. We offer a broad assortment of such courses, from one-day ‘taster’ experiences and NVQ Level 2 courses to intensive, floor and bathroom tiling courses to equip you with the skills you may need in various areas of specialism.

Find out more today by emailing info@ytatraining.com or calling 01274 682199 or 07400922788.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Should You Seriously Become a Plumber? If You’re Curious, Sign Up for Our Taster Course

It seems that almost anyone who has ever been disgruntled with their career situation has asked themselves at some point whether they “should’ve just become a plumber”, and there are sound reasons for that. After all, there’s hardly anyone who won’t need a plumber’s services at some point during their lifetime, whether it’s for unblocking a drain, connecting pipes or fixing a leak.

This helps to make plumbing one of the most secure professions that anyone could enter. Indeed, it appears that the UK’s longstanding and well-publicised shortage of plumbers is set to become an even more pronounced problem in the years to come, Ranstad having said that the country faces a shortfall of 3.1 million workers by 2050 due to a lack of the skills that employers need.

All of this makes now an especially good time to try your hand at such a potentially rewarding vocation for yourself, by registering for one of our plumbing taster courses here at YTA.

What else do you need to know about getting into plumbing?

Plumbing doesn’t just offer you job security and the opportunity to be a hero for people around your local area who find themselves in emergencies where water gushes all over their kitchen floor.

That’s because no two days are the same as a plumber, as you are likely to find yourself working with all manner of co-workers and clients. Nor is the salary to be sniffed at, starting at about £15,000 a year and continuing up to £40,000 or more once you gain a high level of experience. Don’t forget that if you are a self-employed plumber, you will also be able to set your own rates, or even work longer hours if you wish.

But of course, you will also need to have certain characteristics and personality traits if you are to ‘make it’ as a plumber. Those who are colour blind are unable to enter this profession, and you must also be friendly, approachable, calm and patient, so that you can deal diplomatically with a wide range of situations involving many different people. The right practical skills will also obviously be needed, together with an ability to follow safe working practices.

If you think you have what it takes… join us!

While we offer an assortment of intensive and advanced courses for prospective plumbers here at YTA, if you have only just begun to consider entering this profession, we would advise you to first look into our one-day plumbing taster courses. This part of our course provision enables you to learn basic pipefitting skills and plumb in a small project such as a kitchen sink or radiator.

We can tailor our plumbing taster courses to the specific requirements of those enquiring to us – as you can do by calling us on 01274682199 or emailing info@ytatraining.com.

We hold our courses right through the week, from Monday to Friday, so we’re confident that we will be able to put together the taster course experience that will perfectly match your needs, at a time convenient for you. Who knows – it could be the start of what turns out to be a very lucrative lifelong vocation!

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What Does It Take To Be A Successful Bricklayer?

There are a lot of reasons to consider enrolling on one of our bricklaying courses here at YTA with a view to pursuing a career in this field – not least the potentially rich financial rewards. Indeed, according to recent research by the Federation of Master Builders, the average bricklayer and roofer in the UK commands a £42,000 salary, compared to a mere £32,000 for the typical university graduate in England.

However, you won’t succeed as a bricklayer unless you possess a thorough understanding of what the job entails, as well as the qualities to fulfil those duties to the highest standards.

What do bricklayers spend their days doing?

There are various day-to-day tasks involved in bricklaying. These range from the measurement of work areas and the setting out of the first rows of bricks or blocks, to the mixing of mortar by hand or with a mechanical mixer, and the application of mortar with a trowel as part of the process of laying bricks on top of each other.

What personal traits and skills do good bricklayers possess?

It may seem self-evident to you that a bricklayer performs these activities, but it is important to have the personal qualities required to do them well, including excellent attention to detail and a responsible attitude to safety, as well as patience due to the high level of repetition involved. Good physical strength, stamina and hand-eye coordination are similarly vital.

Prospective bricklayers must also be good at mathematics so that they can measure and mix materials correctly, in addition to being well-organised and proficient with both hand and power tools.

Take the first step to a fulfilling new life as a ‘brickie’

While no specific qualifications are required to become a bricklayer, you’ll have a distinct advantage when pursuing jobs with construction companies if you have a certain level of on-site experience and training.

This is where our own bricklaying courses here at YTA may play an instrumental role. We presently offer courses ranging from a ‘hands-on’ one-day taster course in bricklaying, right up to a 10-day course that presents you with the opportunity to obtain a full qualification, the CITB Cskills Level 1 Certificate in Bricklaying.

Whatever your current level of experience and skill in bricklaying, we can provide you with the training here at YTA that will enable you to start or progress your journey into this profession that is so rewarding in more ways than one.

You can discuss any of our bricklaying courses in more detail by giving our team a call today on 01274 682199 or emailing info@ytatraining.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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If you would love to work with wood, you might be interested in our joinery courses

The vital role that high-quality joinery plays in our day-to-day lives must not be underestimated. You may not have a joiner in your house on a daily basis, but we all have wooden doors, chests of drawers and shelving units that would not exist without a joiner’s skills.

Could it therefore be a good idea for you to enrol on one of our joinery courses to commence what could be a highly rewarding joinery career? Let’s take a look at the basics that you need to know.

What is a joiner?

A common area of confusion about joinery concerns what exactly it is, especially in relation to carpentry.

The short answer is that joinery involves creating various fixtures, fittings and constructions out of wood. As a joiner, you can expect to cut, fit and construct a range of wooden objects, without the use of metal fasteners like pins or screws.

One way to distinguish a joiner from a carpenter is to think of joiners as the people who make wooden items, such as doors or window frames, which carpenters then install on a construction site, such as in a house or office in the process of being built.

Joiners can also be characterised as solely working with wood, usually on more ornamental pieces such as doors, furniture or bookcases, whereas a carpenter will also often work with metal or on less intricate projects, such as floors and roofs.

In short, joinery is a skilled trade in its own right that is not completely synonymous with carpentry.

Is a joinery career the right path for you?

While there are no specific qualifications that one needs to possess for joinery work, employers will often expect you to at least have some on-site or construction experience, as can be provided on the job or, of course, on our joinery courses here at YTA.

You will also need to be a practical person to succeed in a joinery career – if you consider yourself to be more of a ‘thinker’ than a ‘doer’, you may not be greatly suited to this line of work. Other key skills required to thrive as a joiner include the ability to follow technical plans accurately, an analytical approach to one’s work, numerical ability and manual dexterity.

Obtaining a formal qualification in joinery could be invaluable for attracting the attention and respect of potential employers, so that you can get your career in this skilled trade off to a flying start.

You can browse our currently available joinery courses on the YTA website now, or if you wish to get in touch with us directly to discuss your training needs, you are welcome to do so by calling 07400922788 or emailing info@ytatraining.com.