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Gas engineer courses near Southampton
Where to train for gas work around Southampton, and what the local work looks like.
Around 68,000 Southampton households heat with mains gas only. Add nearly 30,000 privately rented homes and a large council housing stock, all needing annual gas checks, and there's steady work for Gas Safe registered engineers.
You can't register without recognised training and assessment, and the nearest college provision is just outside the city.
Southampton at a glance
- Electric heating
- 21.0% of Southampton households (21,438) heated with electricity only in 2021, and 66.2% with mains gas only. Heat networks served 1.5% and oil-only heating just 64 homes. Source
- Renting
- 29.2% of households rented privately and 21.9% socially, including 14.6% from Southampton City Council. Source
- Gas training
- Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group, is a BPEC Registered Gas Assessment Centre and lists a Level 3 gas engineering apprenticeship. Source
Eastleigh College
Eastleigh College, part of South Hampshire College Group, is a BPEC Registered Gas Assessment Centre and lists a Level 3 gas engineering apprenticeship. It's a short trip from Swaythling and Bassett.
The apprenticeship listing has shown as full at times, so contact the college early about the next intake.
As an assessment centre, Eastleigh also handles ACS reassessments, which registered engineers must renew every five years.
Other options in the area
For Southampton learners, City of Portsmouth College offers a Level 3 Gas Engineering Operative apprenticeship at its North Harbour Campus. For apprenticeships of any kind, you also need an employer; search the GOV.UK Find an apprenticeship service for Southampton vacancies.
Plumbers moving into gas
Experienced plumbers usually take a managed learning programme, build a portfolio of supervised gas work, then pass ACS assessments, which lead to Gas Safe registration. Avoid fast-track courses that skip the portfolio.
Work you'd do here
Landlord checks in student lets, repairs in council homes and combi swaps in semis are the bread and butter. With a fifth of homes on electric heating, engineers who add heat pump skills have a growing market.
Flats on communal or district heating in the city centre still need plant rooms maintained, so gas training can lead to work on larger commercial systems as well as domestic boilers once you add the relevant ACS categories.
Areas covered
Engineers who cover Southampton work across areas including Shirley, Portswood, Bitterne, Woolston, Highfield, Bassett, Sholing, Swaythling, Hedge End and Totton.
Questions people in Southampton ask
Do heat pumps need a different qualification?
Yes. MCS certification is needed for Boiler Upgrade Scheme installs, and F-Gas for refrigerant work.
How long does training take?
An apprenticeship usually takes around two years. ACS routes for plumbers vary with how quickly you complete the portfolio.
Can I start at college without an employer?
For an apprenticeship, no: you need an employer. Some colleges run full-time plumbing courses you can take first, which can help you find a gas apprenticeship later.
Sources
- South Hampshire College Group: Eastleigh College
- Eastleigh College: Level 3 gas engineering apprenticeship
- City of Portsmouth College: Level 3 Gas Engineering Operative Apprenticeship
- Gas Safe Register
- ONS Census 2021, TS046 central heating (Nomis)
Also nearby: Gas engineer courses in Portsmouth, Gas engineer courses in Bournemouth, Gas engineer courses in Reading