Powered By Blogger

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Starting Out On The Road Of Plumbing

I started out in the Plumbing industry in September 1980 as a 16 year old apprentice with I.C.I. I am the handsome one in the bottom right hand corner! The bulk of the apprentices were Fitters, Instrument Articifers, Boiler Makers or Electricians. I was one of two Plumbers. It was a four year apprenticeship but with five years at day release college and night school. This was acheived by doing two years at college during the first year. Our time at I.C.I was split between their apprentice training school in Widnes and the site I was assigned to which was Castner Kellner Works in Runcorn. It was a good apprenticeship because as well as the factory / industrial work we maintained the I.C.I housing estate too where I learnt domestic work. After four years I was 'released' into the big wide world as a fully qualified Plumber.