If you are interested in any of LCL Awards qualifications or courses, as a starting point, you need to talk to your local centre who will advise of the best path for your particular needs. The following provides an overview of the routes available for building services engineers.

Heating engineers:

If you are an existing heating engineer, who has completed their Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) in the past and you need to renew your qualifications in order to maintain your place on the Gas Safe Register, then ACS training and assessment is necessary. In some cases, assessment only will suffice.

If you are looking to join the Gas Safe Register but not yet completed your ACS, it may be that the LCL Awards Managed Learning Programme (MLP) for gas is suitable for you. This Managed Learning Programme is designed for new entrants and operatives with transferable skills - such as experience working alongside a Gas Safe Registered engineer - bringing them up to the standard necessary to take ACS. This is available for those looking to enter the Domestic, Commercial, LPG or Metering sectors and is recognised as a managed learning programme by IGEM. Upon successful completion of the relevant programme which includes both in centre and onsite training, the candidate can enter the ACS scheme as a category 1 candidate and undertake the require ACS assessments.

In addition to gas ACS (including LPG), LCL Awards also provides oil-fired heating training and assessment for candidates requiring registration with OFTEC, plus Underfloor Heating training.

For those responsible for gas safety and the oversite and day to day management of gas installations and systems, LCL Awards offers a number of Level 4 Gas Safety Managment Qualifications which cover all aspects of regulation, management and operative of gas systems for different sectors including Social Housing, Residential Dwellings, Commercial Heating Plant, Commercial Catering Plant and LPG Parks and Homes.

Electricians:

If your role involves the installation of electrical equipment or appliances in domestic dwellings, then you require the LCL Awards Domestic Electrical Installer course.

The course is for operatives who carry out work on domestic electrical installations as their primary role, or as a secondary task to their main role, or who wish to gain a better understanding of electrical installations in domestic properties. It may be used as a pathway to the Level 3 RQF Initial Inspection & Testing and Periodic Inspection, Testing & Reporting, qualifications offered by LCL Awards.

April 2013 saw the requirements for joining a Competent Persons Scheme for Part P change. New registrants must be able to demonstrate their knowledge of the 18^th Edition Wiring Regulations BS7671:2018. 

Maintenance personnel and managers tasked to look after building services in the public sector including the electrical safety of appliances (PAT Testing) should consider the In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment, this qualification have been developed in accordance the IET Code of Practice 4^th Edition.

For gas engineers who carry out gas meter installations and are required to alter or extend the protective bonding conductor, then the Protective Equipotential Bonding (PEB1) course is a simple upskilling course for this type of work.

Plumbers:            

For qualified or experienced plumbers, LCL Awards provides courses in Hot Water Systems and Safety, WRAS Water Regulations and Legionella Prevention and Water treatment.

There is also a Legionella course for managers who require an understanding of the subject but are not necessarily qualified or experienced plumbers.

Renewable installers:

If you wish to include renewable technology installation in your offering then our Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) recognised courses could be for you. These courses, in solar thermal hot water, solar photovoltaics and heat pumps, have been created for experienced operatives with a background in the appropriate building services discipline - plumbing for solar thermal and electrical for solar photovoltaics, for example.

To support the installation of heat producing appliances under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme LCL Awards offers the Level 2 Award in the Principles of Metering for Renewable Heat Installations which covers the design and installation of heat meters on systems. This is for specifiers, managers and installers.