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Gas engineer courses in Portsmouth
Routes into gas engineering in Portsmouth, from the college apprenticeship at North Harbour to ACS assessment for plumbers.
Over 65,000 Portsmouth households heat with mains gas only, and nearly 25,000 rent privately. Both mean steady demand for Gas Safe registered engineers, and the training to get there is available locally.
Portsmouth at a glance
- Renting
- 28.6% of households rented privately and 18.0% rented from the council or a housing association in 2021. Source
- How homes are heated
- 75.8% of households heat with mains gas only and 11.5% with electricity only. Oil-only heating was recorded in just 32 homes, and 2.4% (2,091) had no central heating. Source
- Gas apprenticeship
- City of Portsmouth College runs a Level 3 Gas Engineering Operative apprenticeship at its North Harbour Campus: 21 months, one day a week in college. Source
- Landlord gas checks
- Landlords must arrange a gas safety check on every appliance and flue every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Source
City of Portsmouth College apprenticeship
City of Portsmouth College runs a Level 3 Gas Engineering Operative apprenticeship at its North Harbour Campus. It lasts 21 months, with one day a week at college and the rest working for your employer.
Entry needs maths and English at grade 4 or above, or Functional Skills Level 2. You'll need an employer willing to take you on.
Other routes
Plumbers with experience often take a managed learning programme followed by ACS assessments. Steve Willis Training has a centre in Portchester offering gas courses.
Avoid courses promising quick registration without a portfolio of real work.
Local work
Landlord safety checks in Southsea's shared houses, combi swaps in terraces and repairs in social housing all need engineers. Housing providers sometimes take on their own apprentices.
With almost no oil in the city, nearly all heating work here is gas or electric. Engineers who add heat pump and F-Gas skills later have more to offer as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme brings in more installations.
Choosing a provider
Ask what qualification you leave with, how much time you spend on live appliances rather than training rigs, and whether the course leads directly to ACS assessment. If the provider says it will find you an employer, ask how many apprentices it placed last year.
Look on the GOV.UK Find an apprenticeship service for Portsmouth and Hampshire vacancies. Some employers advertise gas apprenticeships with the college already named.
Areas covered
Engineers who cover Portsmouth work across areas including Southsea, Fratton, North End, Copnor, Milton, Eastney, Hilsea, Cosham, Drayton and Farlington.
Questions people in Portsmouth ask
Can I train for heat pumps too?
Yes, but separately. Heat pump installs under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme need MCS certification, and refrigerant work needs F-Gas.
How much will I earn as an apprentice?
At least the apprentice minimum wage, often more. Check the vacancy, since employers set their own rates above the legal minimum.
Do I need to be Gas Safe registered to work as an apprentice?
No. You work under the supervision of a registered engineer until you qualify and register yourself.
Sources
- City of Portsmouth College: Level 3 Gas Engineering Operative Apprenticeship
- Steve Willis Training
- Gas Safe Register
- ONS Census 2021, TS046 central heating (Nomis)
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