Joining The Industry
There are no recognised training schemes or taught courses available as such for instruction in caravan service and repair. The majority of engineers are trained by their employers within the individual caravan dealerships. However CITO are able to provide and recommend the following:
City & Guilds Caravan Service Engineer Exam
Accredited by City & Guilds, the exam in Caravan Service Engineering, which is now becoming a mandatory requirement for workshops belonging to the Approved Workshop Scheme, is the only qualification available to assess and recognise the competence and ability of those working on a caravan or motorhome.
To gain the qualification, the engineer must successfully pass a practical and short written exam. The exam consists of an observed service carried out in a caravan workshop, and a multiple choice exam to make sure that candidates understand some of the theory behind European standards, gas, ventilation, health & safety and other issues. There is no formal training course for the engineer to attend as the practical service they will have learnt in their own workshop, however to aid the engineer in the written element, they will be provided with the CITO Engineers Handbook which contains all the relevant information they will need. There is also a recommended one day Pre-Exam Seminar day available.
CITO rely upon the goodwill of dealers and workshops in allowing us to use their facilities as an exam centre. Exam centres will be chosen in the early autumn in response to the locations of engineers who have registered to take the exam.
We welcome all engineers, whether you are currently working as a caravan service engineer or are looking to join the industry. However, as there is no formal training available for the service and repair of caravans, we do recommend that you study the exam syllabus to ensure you are able to confidently carry out the practical work required to pass the exam. If you are joining the industry with no previous experience, we also suggest that you attend a Gas Competence course to help you through the aspects of gas work in the practical exam.
Gas Competence Training
If you will only be working on tourers and motorhomes, and they are not hired out in the course of business, then the work is outside of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations and you do not need to be CORGI Registered. However, you should be able to prove that you are competent, and this requires external assessment. If you cannot prove that you are competent to carry out gas work, you are very exposed should any related problem occur on caravans you have worked with.
Our ‘gas competence’ courses are run in dealerships, and last five working days. They are based on the Approved Code of Practice which was recognised by CORGI until recently when the whole assessment system was made considerably more rigorous. (The new system is called ACS, and is now the only standard approved by CORGI.) The centres that run gas competence training for CITO are the same ones that run ACS, and the Certificate issued on successful completion is from the same Certification Body (UK Certification).
Gas Training to CORGI standard
If you intend to do any gas work on caravan holiday-homes or park homes, then you will need to be CORGI Registered. To do such work without being previously registered with CORGI will make you liable to prosecution and should not be contemplated.
CORGI Registration requires assessment under the ACS scheme. Courses for ACS training and assessment usually last two weeks, but they do require prior gas experience and qualification, otherwise additional training will be required in advance of ACS. The Competence course below can provide you with the necessary entry qualification.
Gaining Experience
At the moment the only way for new engineers to actually gain specific experience in serving a caravan is within an established workshop. Some Workshops have shown an interest in expanding their existing business with the use of contracted mobile service engineers in return for training to their standards. It may be worth considering contacting a local dealer principle and exploring the possibilities with them. Suppliers of appliances such as fridges, ovens, toilets etc. also provide specific training of their own products and should be contacted directly for further information.
Useful CITO Links
Useful External Links
Other Useful Publications
- Caravan Industry Supplies & Services Directory
To Order Call: 01372 741411
28th February 2008
