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Plumbing Level 1/2

Learn the trade of plumbing and work towards a career in this high-demand sector. You will learn the key skills needed to begin a career as a plumber.

The Plumbing Studies Diploma course consists of two, one-year qualifications. The Level 1 Diploma will provide the basic skills and knowledge necessary to prepare you for the to the latest City & Guilds qualification which will be completed in the first year. The Plumbing Level 2 Technical Certificate is an intensive course designed to provide the skills and knowledge for the understanding of the installation of domestic plumbing systems.

Training within our industry standard workshops, you will work with real-life materials and complete a number of practical projects as part of the overall qualification. Practical and theory sessions are combined to provide you with an understanding of basic and more advanced plumbing systems.

You will complete both practical tasks and written assessments leading to the completion of the Plumbing Diploma Level 2 Technical Certificate (this can be converted to the full NVQ diploma after gaining employment in the industry). Delivery includes a mixture of lectures, traditional class tuition, practical work, assignments and personal study.

Full-time students will also engage in activities to develop your English, maths and employability skills. A work skills qualification will also be undertaken.

Course Info
Do I have to pay a fee?
How to make an Application
Other courses in this area
Course Content

Plumbing Studies Diploma Level 1:

  • Copper Pipe Work Installations
  • Steel Pipe Work Installations
  • Various Jointing Methods
  • Group and Individual Tutorials
  • Functional Skills (Full-time only)

Level 2:

  • Health and Safety
  • Plumbing Processes
  • Domestic Hot and Cold Water Supplies
  • Central Heating Systems
  • Above Ground Drainage Theory
  • Basic Electrical Theory
  • Group and Individual Tutorials
  • Functional Skills (Full-time only)

Please note: This programme is subject to change.

Entry Requirements

Level 1: 3 GCSEs (9-1) which must include both English and Maths at 9-3, and an interview.

Progression to Level 2 –  Successful completion of the City & Guilds Level 1 Diploma in Plumbing.

Students must also obtain a Grade 4 in GCSE English and/or Maths whilst completing Level 1 if they have not previously achieved this.

Progression from level 1 to 2 is subject to a satisfactory report from the progression board which will include good attendance, punctuality, attitude and suitability for a higher-level programme.

What Can I Do Next?

Students may find employment within the mechanical services industry as a plumber. Once employed within the mechanical services industry progression onto Diploma NVQ Level 2 and industry standard short courses such as Water Regulations and Domestic Unvented Hot Water Storage Systems.

Course Progression

Level 1 – Progression to Level 2 study or an advanced apprenticeship
Level 2 – Progression to a higher level Plumbing programme or an advanced apprenticeship

All students aged 16-18 on the first day of their course will have their course fully-funded by the government.

Costs of studying

If you are/will be aged 16, 17 or 18 on the 31st August in the calendar year when you begin a programme of study, you DO NOT pay tuition fees, College registration fees or examination/board registration fees. However, there are some courses which have additional costs which could include:

  • equipment costs – such as uniforms, kits, boots, etc.
  • trips and enrichment activities
  • DBS checks (formerly CRB checks)

For students with an identified low household income, there may be financial support available. Bursary awards can help with your course related costs such as travel, books and equipment and much more.

Aged 19+ - Fees and Funding

If you are aged 19 and over, in certain circumstances you may be eligible for a fee waiver and therefore you will not have to pay for this course. 

Eligibility for a fee waiver will depend your age at the start of the course, your previous qualifications, your employment status and whether you claim certain benefits.

If you do not meet the criteria for a fee waiver, you may be eligible for some assistance from the College’s Bursary Funds, depending on the household financial circumstances.

If you do not meet the criteria for a fee waiver, and are not eligible for assistance from the Bursary Fund, you will have to pay for this course.

Published course fees for this course are located further down this course information page.

Level 1 - Do I have to pay a fee?

The information in this section applies to this course, and may not apply to other courses with different funding criteria.

You will not pay tuition fees if you are:
aged 19-24 on the 31st August 2023 and have an active Education, Health and Care Plan
aged 19-23 and are required to undertake this level 1 qualification in order to progress onto level 2, provided you have not previously achieved a level 2 qualification in any other subject (or 5 GCSEs grades 9-4) by the start of the course
over 19, unemployed and in receipt of benefits
over 19, employed and have a gross annual salary under £20,319 per annum
If you are aged 19-23 and have previously achieved a Level 2 qualification, if you do not meet the low income or unemployment criteria you will not be eligible for a fee waiver
You will not meet the low income or unemployment criteria if you:
are aged over 19 at the start of the course, unemployed and are not in receipt of benefits
are aged over 19 at the start of the course, employed and have a gross annual salary over £20,319 per annum
Therefore you will pay tuition fees

In certain circumstances, the College’s discretionary bursary fund maybe able to assist with a contribution towards tuition fees. Eligibility to the fund depends on the household’s financial circumstances.  Further information regarding the discretionary bursary fund can be found further down this page.

Level 2 - Do I have to pay a fee?

The information in this section applies to this course, and may not apply to other courses with different funding criteria.

You will not pay tuition fees if you are:
aged 19-24 at the 31st August 2023 and have an active Education, Health and Care Plan
aged 19-23 and have not achieved a level 2 qualification in any other subject (or 5 GCSEs grades 9-4)
over 19 at the start of the course, unemployed and in receipt of benefits
over 19 at the start of the course, employed and have a gross annual salary under £20,319 per annum
If you are aged 19-23 and have previously achieved a Level 2 qualification, if you do not meet the low income or unemployment criteria you will not be eligible for a fee waiver
You will not meet the low income or unemployment criteria if you:
are aged over 19 at the start of the course, unemployed and are not in receipt of benefits
are aged over 19 at the start of the course, employed and have a gross annual salary over £20,319 per annum
Therefore you will pay tuition fees

In certain circumstances, the College’s discretionary bursary fund maybe able to assist with a contribution towards tuition fees. Eligibility to the fund depends on the household’s financial circumstances.  Further information regarding the discretionary bursary fund can be found further down this page.

Am I eligible for a bursary?

If you are aged 19 at the start of the course, unemployed and not in receipt of benefits, or employed and earning over £20,319, you may be eligible for assistance with your tuition fees from the College Bursary fund. 

Bursary funds are targeted at households with a net income of under £25,000.

If you are assessed as being eligible for a bursary award to assist with your tuition fees, the award will not exceed 75% of the fee payable and you will be responsible for paying the balance of the fee.

Students of all ages can apply for assistance from the bursary fund for other course related costs, such as transport, meals, books and equipment.

The bursary fund cannot assist with any general living costs nor can it be used as an attendance incentive.

Applications to the fund are not normally considered if the household income exceeds £25,000 but may be considered in some instances if the household is experiencing severe financial hardship.

When can I apply?

******Applications for student funding for learners starting in September 2023 are now open. Applications can be made from this page using the button below.*****

For courses starting in September 2023, applications should be made by 1st November 2023. If you find yourself in financial hardship after this date it is important that you still contact Student Services. Applications received after 1st November will be considered on a pro-rata basis subject to need and the availability of funds.

Full details of the bursary funds can be found here:

16-18 Bursary Information
19+ Bursary Information

Payment Options

Payment should be made in full at the time of enrolment. Acceptable payment methods include Debit Card and Credit Card (excluding American Express). Please note that we are no longer able to accept cash or cheque payments.

Can I pay in instalments?

Yes, you can spread the cost of fees. Any student of the College who pays his/her own programme costs is entitled to do so on a monthly payment plan basis, providing the total course fees exceed £200 and the student is aged 19 years, or over, on 31st August in the current academic year.

Where total course fees exceed £200 you (or your employer, if they are paying your course fees) can choose to pay your fees in instalments through a monthly payment plan and 40% of the fee or £500 (whichever is lower) will be payable at enrolment.

The balance must be paid within 6 months or by the end date if the course is less than 6 months in duration.

The monthly instalment payments will also be set up at the point of enrolment, or if you are enrolling using our online enrolment process, a member of our Finance team will contact you to set up the instalment plan after you have submitted your online enrolment.

In order to pay through monthly instalments, students must sign the Colchester Institute Instalment Payment Plan terms and conditions!

If a student fails to sign up to an instalment plan at enrolment all fees will become due for payment within 30 days.

Failure to fulfil any terms and conditions of an instalment agreement will result in you becoming immediately liable for the full outstanding balance and you may not be entitled to pay any future fees by instalments.

Please download and save the form below, then fill it in and sign it. These forms can either be emailed to registry@colchester.ac.uk prior to enrolment, or if you are completing an online enrolment you can upload these documents during the enrolment process.

Further Education Fee Instalment Student Terms and Conditions

Employers who are funding a student’s fees must complete and sign an authorisation form which must be submitted either prior to or at enrolment together with an advance payment of 40% of the course fee or £500, whichever is lower. This can be paid via the online store prior to or at the point of Enrolment.

If the advance payment is not made prior to or at Enrolment the student will not be eligible to attend college.

Further Education Employer Authorisation Form, Instalment Plan, Terms and Conditions

How to make an Application – Watch our video guide!

****Applications for courses starting in September 2023 are now closed****

Advice sessions for courses starting in September 2023 have now finished.

Whilst term has started, there may still be places remaining on some of our course areas, however many of our courses are now full, and there is no guarantee of a space on any course.

Please email admissions@colchester.ac.uk with your full name and contact details, including telephone number, subject area(s) of interest and GCSE grades, so that we can arrange for someone to contact you and discuss your options.

The application window for full-time courses and joint apprenticeship applications starting in September 2024 opens on Monday 2nd October at 12pm.

Before submitting your online application, make sure you have got an email address which you will check frequently and which is professional and appropriate for this purpose, and use this when you create your account. Submit the application as early as possible and remember to make a note of your USERNAME and PASSWORD details! You will need these later.

We have prepared a step-by-step video guide below – please view this video which will guide you through the application process.

Application Do's and Don'ts

Application Tips

If you have chosen the study programme you would like to apply for then you are almost there. We recommend that you read our handy application tips, watch our video and then make your application.

You can only apply for one full-time programme and one apprenticeship. You can do this together within the same application form, in what is known as a joint application.

Remember, you cannot study more than one core subject.  For example, you would not be able to study two full-time programmes in different subjects simultaneously. You would take Plumbing or Music, not Plumbing and Music.

Your subject will be your primary qualification and forms the bulk of your programme of study.

Application Dos

  • Apply as early as possible. We start accepting applications from 2nd October 2023 and have set an initial deadline of 31st January 2024 for a priority application on your chosen programme (subject to you satisfying the entry requirements), although we still accept applications after this date but may not be able to guarantee you a place on your chosen programme.
  • Think carefully about your course choice before you apply. Talk to your head of year or careers adviser at school to make sure you have explored all your options and have found a course that suits you best. You may wish to attend one of our open days to find out more before applying.
  • Make sure you attend any interviews or assessments we invite you to. These are a mandatory part of our process. They give you the opportunity to find out more about our courses, as well as allowing us to make sure you are on the most appropriate course for you. Some courses may invite you to attend a second interview or audition to demonstrate your skills and to ensure you are on the most appropriate level for you.
  • Please let us know if your contact details or address change. We will use a variety of letters, emails and texts to communicate with you throughout the process, and the information we provide is both confidential and vital to your application. If you move home or change your phone number and don’t inform us of any changes, you could miss some vital information.

Application Don’ts

  • Do not make multiple applications. If you are unsure, for example, of which construction/trade subject you would like to study, please only make an application for one of them. Likewise, if you later wish you had applied for a different course, please don’t worry – we can change your application. Whatever the reason for wanting to change, there is no need to make another application.
  • Do not use a school email address when you create your account. Remember, you will need to access this account later in the summer after you have left school.
  • Do not create another account if you have previously applied. If you have applied in previous years, please do not create a new account. If you are unsure, contact us to check which username and password to use.

Just call us on 01206 712777

Plumbing Level 1/2
Course Outline: The Plumbing Studies Diploma course consists of two, one year qualifications
LevelLevel 1
Level 2
LocationColchester
Braintree
DurationTwo Years:
Year 1: Level 1
Year 2: Level 2
Study ModeFull-Time
Campus / Adult Skills CentreColchester Campus
Braintree Campus
Start DateSeptember 2023
Fee(s)16-18 year olds: Free
19+ Year 1: £1,738
19+ Year 2: £1,410
Course and Application EnquiriesCourse Enquiry Line: 01206 712 777Open Event UpdatesReceive Updates For Parents & GuardiansFee Exemptions Apply

Disclaimer

All fees, prices and funding information shown on this page are for courses starting in the 2023-24 academic year unless stated otherwise, and are correct at the time of entering/printing information, however these may be subject to change due to factors outside of our control. The College cannot accept legal or financial liability as a result of any such changes.

Courses fees are generally not confirmed for September until June / July due to the above factors.

The course information describes programmes offered by Colchester Institute. The College takes all reasonable steps to provide courses as described, but cannot guarantee provision. The information is for guidance and does not form any part of a contract.

The College reserves the right to update and amend information as and when necessary. Colchester Institute will do its best to provide the courses shown, but may have to modify or withdraw a course depending on customer demand and other factors.

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