21 st July 2016
Dear Prime Minister
Congratulations on your appointment.
A number of Members and Associates of Consumer Safety International (CSI) are deeply concerned regarding the lack of proper training described as Apprenticeships. Personally, I have taken note of Apprenticeships for carpenters, electricians, and most worrying of all, gas engineers.
A training centre located in Kent offers carpentry courses which cost about E4000 for 6 weeks. The training for electricians is about 5 weeks along with Gas training for around E5000. This is approximately 6 weeks inclusive of 4 weeks classroom tuition, 1 week on-site experience with a competent Gas Engineer with final assessment. If successful, the candidate can then register as a Gas Engineer with Gas Safe Register.
My understanding is that these training centres are unregulated.
How can any person be expected to practice on gas installations with only 5 or 6 weeks learning/training? Information I have received from Brussels says that professional education in Germany for gas is totally different from us in the UK. Gas installations and e.g. connecting a gas cooker to the gas supply can only be done by a specialist craftsman. Their education normally consists of a combined training at a specialised school and lasts 3 years. At the end they have to pass an exam at the Chamber of Crafts. In the past, training in the UK was for 3 years at least, so who decided that 5 or 6 weeks was now an adequate training period? In the very near future Mr. Harry Rogers, who is a CSI Gas Specialist and Expert Advisor, will be sending you some data on the above because he is so concerned about this issue. In particular, potential deaths and injuries from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning for both Consumers and Engineers.
Mr. Rogers brought this to the attention of many in the House of Lords on 1 1 m May 2011 within a Report. Very recently Mr. David Cameron spoke about the amount of Apprenticeships in this country but how on earth can Apprenticeships be referred to in such a short space of time. This information does really need to be properly considered and changed accordingly.
Thank you very much for your attention to this matter.
Yours sincerely Molly Maher President, Consumer Safety International (CSI)
Molly Maher, President of Consumer Safety International (CSI) – A charity committed to reducing accidents in domestic commercial and holiday accommodation, including their facilities, worldwide and provides advice and assistance to accident victims and their families. See: UNAWARENESS
Photo: Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP
