At the end of my rope! What should i do??

[AlanWirral]

Right guys...My current situation is getting worse and i'm not sure what i can do.

I'll explain as well as i can to give you a good background.

Ever since i was 18 i was a Lifting Gear Engineer. This invloved working in the entertainment industry on electric chain hoists and then onto building electrical control panels from scratch to operate them.For a few reasons i left this industry and got a temporary job working at a car dealership which with me loving cars was okay but it was really a stop gap until i found what i really wanted to do..this included retraining to be a spark.

At this point i'm 27. I met my old boss on the site as he did all the electrical work. We got talking and he said he needed somone and after looking at my old work and CV he managed to get me on a government scheme so i went to college one day a week(2330) and it was all paid for. He paid me £9 an hour which although was less than what i used to earn i was happy with (thinking qualified i'd be on £15+an hour)

So for the next 2 years we worked together on all sorts of domestic/commercial and some industrial work and my college going well with pretty much distinctions all the way. Then the day came he told me he'd been offered a job offshore for silly money and he just had to take it. With him having 3 kids i wouldn't stop him or make life difficult etc.

Over the next 2 months between myself/my employer and the government agency we tried to find me a new employer in order to finish my adult traineeship with. In June he finally had to let me go as he was knocking big jobs back as he would have to leave on a few days notice if he got the call.

Ever since then i've still been aloud to go to college and have been looking for a new employer. I finish my 2330 in June but haven't done anything towards the NQ3. I also have my 2392 Insoection & Testing Qual. We've used up all our savings..sold my car and are now in debt. And to cap it all off 2 days before i got made redundant we found out my wife is pregnant our girl is due on Valentines day.

I have been doing some temporary work for a couple of companys but getting closer to xmas this is drying up and we have no other money coming in apart from job seekers and my wifes small ish wages to pay the bills. It looks like i'm going to have to LEAVE college even though i'm only a few months from completing the course so i can get a 5 day a week job anywere i can it annoys me so much that cowboys out there are still working and getting paid and lads like me are left in the ####

Life really is crap sometimes!

 

[Wiredspark]

Alan, have you tried your local recruitment agencies, and not just for electrical work. Can you drive??? I know for a fact that coming up to xmas every transport company need people for saturdays anyway and sometimes sundays too. Time and a half and double time can make driving jobs worth doing.

 

[AlanWirral]

What happened there then i know what i would be doing? but your bloody right it takes over ur life, i hav a small event lightin business too but only turned over bout 6-7k this yr but with all my other bits and jobs its not bad. I simaler to you realy 29 iv got 2 kids, shame in away i feel iv goto pick lighting or electrics at my age? shame realy i rekon give it 3yrs could hav 2 booming business's but its a gamble i dont want to risk as i dony want to end up with nothing.

I can honestly say Benny with my last career i thought i'd got my niche! I was respected and listened to and worked SO hard to get it to that stage. There was a mix of problems though which i can't divulge inc my mother in law passing away with cancer that meant i had to leave.LONG story.

 

[AlanWirral]

Alan, have you tried your local recruitment agencies, and not just for electrical work. Can you drive??? I know for a fact that coming up to xmas every transport company need people for saturdays anyway and sometimes sundays too. Time and a half and double time can make driving jobs worth doing.

Funny enough mate my 'Fill in' job at the car delaer i worked for invloved driving all over the country etc. They have told me there might be a position for me after xmas full time if i needed it but of course this would mean me leaving college as i would be needed on the Mondays. Nice to know though! I might write a letter to the MD who i know personally and use my electrical knowledge as a way of getting back in..ie you give me Mondays off and in June you'll have a fully qualified Spark on your books

 

[brucelee]

Hi Alan,
You sound very determined mate so i am sure something will turn up soon and i hope whatever you are doing it doesnt stop you from finishing your quals

I am in a similar predicament I never completed my apprenticeship at 16 yr old to my regret
I have bee involved with electrical installation on and off for 24 yrs. I have tried many times over the years to either get back on a apprentice type course but have always been told that i was either to old or there was no training available
My partner was left disabled after a operation in 2005 so she had to give up work and i also had to, and then become her carer
I asked again many times at jobcentre was there anyway i could get training help finding work etc which there reply was as i am a carer i am no classed as unemployed and i am exempt from having to look for work, and as a result there is no help for me whatsoever
SO after looking around at what courses i could do the only route for me to get some electrical qualifications was to pay over £4000 to do a private trainig course
I did this course to enable me to set up self employed
and after completing it i again returned to jobcentre to try and get help with starting up and again the answer is no. I said surely its better to give a little help so i can work from home Instead of having to rely on benefits for the rest of our working lives ,I am 40 my partner is almost 39 and 2 kids. I want to go self employed so i can still be there if needed for my partner as my daughters are older and would be able to take over the carers role, I have contacted Business link for help who say see jobcentre i spent almost 6 months going from one to the other asked again about training,
It took them six months just to tell me what benefits i would lose if i set up but the work didnt come in because of economic situation
I contacted a firm called INBIZ who help with start up but again as i wasnt on JSA for six months i am not eligible for help but managed to get a half hour with the advisor who told me basicaly what was needed to go self employed
I then tried to seek employment but as i have limited qualifications not had any luck yet
so i paid again to go and do the 2391 even though i am not working so had to study a lot for this I got half paid by the college which was a relief
I then was told the 2330 was ending so i tried to get on the level 3 but all the colleges local to me are already full
so ive missed out or pay £6000 to do it private?
I was told of my tutor at bury colege all i needed was the NVQ 2356 but they are not taking new candidates because of the change also i have to be working to complete it tried various other colleges and private providers
I have contacted C&G but they are unhelpful and just say to contact a local centre which i already have
So now my only option is to register with elecsa do the jobs for the assessment notifying labc first and paying for pli, the registration fee and any other cost to set up with no help from any governing body
Hopefully pass the assessment and the set up self employed
Then try to register for the 2356 before the end date or I will have to do the full 2357 when it comes in
as i only have 2382-10, 2391-10, 2377, 2393 and a logic part p electrical full scope level A and defined scopes levels B,C
I have found not much help or much advice from anyone except off the forum The only organization i have found may help is a firm called Blue orchid who will help with start up and because we live in a former coalfield area i may get a grant. But this was before the Torys got in now I am not sure the help or Grants are still available so have to sort this out again to see
Keep your chin up mate i am sure it will work out for you
dont let the system beat you mate
I hope your luck changes for the better soon

 

[Benny2]

Oh right sorry to hear that pal.

 

[AlanWirral]

It's okay mate...such is life!

 

[ehs284]

Not an electrician, but have been course tutor and admissions tutor at a university for many years - most important to tell your tutor what is happening. Apart from references, there are various bits of information s/he will get which you need. Keep at it ; you'll be OK. Best of luck.

 

[Guest123]

Alan....by your username I'm guessing you live on the Wirral???

How far is that from Ormskirk???

 

[AlanWirral]

Not an electrician, but have been course tutor and admissions tutor at a university for many years - most important to tell your tutor what is happening. Apart from references, there are various bits of information s/he will get which you need. Keep at it ; you'll be OK. Best of luck.

Hi mate, the tutors are great at my college and are being really supportive

 

[AlanWirral]

Alan....by your username I'm guessing you live on the Wirral???

How far is that from Ormskirk???

Hey Lenny, it's not to far away mate..about an hour ish

 

[brucelee]

RE AlanWirral,listen to me carefully, DO NOT GIVE THIS COURSE UP! stick it out at all costs and try and get your 2382 17th edition then you can go on a self cert scheme such as napit, elecsa etc. I dont know if you have been looking at whats goin on but there changing stuff and not all for the better i`m afraid for the more mature students like us. Get signed up for the nvq NOW........dont leave it! It all comes to an end on.....
2330 level 3 enrolment end date:31.3 2011 but funding stops end 2010
award end date:31.12.2013
NVQ 2356 level 3 enrolment end date:31.3.2011
award end date:31.3.2015

hi mate
i found this out recently and i am also a mature student
ad hope to sign up for the end date as like you say this will be CHANGE FOR THE WORSE and will stop adult learners progressing

 

[AlanWirral]

Hi Glen, thanks for that info mate. I'll be doing everything in my power to stay on the course don't you worry! It's all financial though so if I get enough work it will all be fine. It just so happens one of my tutors at college is a Napit area inspector and the other runs the 2382 etc etc courses! The only reason I haven't done the 17th is because money is so tight. Can do it for £150

 

[AlanWirral]

hi mate
i found this out recently and i am also a mature student
ad hope to sign up for the end date as like you say this will be CHANGE FOR THE WORSE and will stop adult learners progressing

Good luck Bruce I hope you get on mate

 

[brucelee]

cheers alan and good luck to you mate
150 is good i paid alot more for this and and few other quals such as 2393 building regs,2377, partp logic full and defined scopes as part of a 6 week rip off
and then i paid 140 for 2391 at bury college got half funded by college and a quarter 150 by leigh skills shop as part of redundancy funding should have cost 455 for 8 week eve and extra 85 for optional day practical
they do 17th also as well as 2377 and have a special price on all there short courses at the minute#
try to get Jobcentre pay for it if you on jsa as they will give upto 300 to help you back into work
and if you push them they will cough up tell them you need it to get work

cheers glennspark
i hope i can get on nvq before the end date or with the new 2357 it will be almost impossible for adult learners

i tried to get on 2330 lv3 but its full and to late
and same with nvq
the only place i know who is left is delta training and its gong to cost over 900 beacause i havent got a apprenticeship or 2330
so i will have to do a knowledge assesment
they dont half make it hard work to get on the courses needed or get any advice on what to do

i am going to try to register with elecsa and set up
but if i could get work free/part time/temp/permanent i would do this to gain more experience and knowledge and also to use as evidence for nvq

 

[brucelee]

hi mate
yes mate got all the necessarry books, megger, fluke voltage tester etc
just need a proving unit,R2 test lead and i am going to have to get a calibration checkbox as my house is all rcd so i have no socketnot rcd protected that i could use for the carrying out a check of earth fault loop set impedence when set to high
I am waiting fpr labc to advise wether i can just carry out the work needed and cert it or if they want to see it for a rip off fee and if they will want to inspect it and test it and them sign for testing
cheers mate