Career Change - What would you do in my shoes...

[Frank_620]

Hi Guys,

I've done a lot of reading here and elsewhere and am 90% sure of what i am going to do but would like some options from people in the know/that have done it.

Background: I have been a physics teacher for 9 years but have always wanted a practical trade based job. I am quite confident with most diy things and have decided i really want a change and electrician is the way i want to go.

At the age of 30, my options are limited. My current thinking is to do the NVQ level 3 course with Option Skills. It is expensive at 6.5k but it can be done over 8 weeks. I then figured i could get a job as an electricians mate and slowly gain experience etc and be given more responsibility.

I get paid full time from teaching in August so that would cover 4 of my 8 weeks on the course.

The other option is trying to get a job as an electricians mate straight away and work up to doing a course but i have a family and so weekends/evenings are precious.

I guess my main question is it it difficult to get a job working with another electrician once i have my qualifications and is this the route you would take?

Thanks in advance,
Frank

 

[derek]

Become a gas fitter, you earn more on average and generally work four hours less per day than sparkies, and even then most of their time is spent drinking tea!

 

[Adam W]

Unsure if you are being sarcastic but being from an education background i can answer that one a bit:

Even now the general line from schools is if you can, go to uni. If your not good enough, get an apprenticeship. It's so backward but is slowly changing.

I wish i'd have known my options and appreciated my choices but i didn't and now is my chance to change before it's too late. I have friends from various backgrounds/jobs etc and it's very interesting comparing those that have spent 25k on uni fees and those that didnt. I'd say only about 20% of the uni goers earn substantially more than the others.

Yes but what makes you think you can do a 3-4 year apprenticeship in 8 weeks? Can you do the same with a degree? Being from an education background could you get pupils through their GCSEs in 6 weeks if someone threw money at you?

I suggest that you still think that trades are for "thickies" which is why it usually takes 3-4 years, and you assume that you can do it in a matter of weeks because you've got something between your ears, maybe even a bit of common sense.
This is where fly-by-night training centres are cashing in on people like you who reckon you're thinking outside the box and playing the system, when in reality there are loads of people trying to do it but failing miserably; you don't often hear of these because it's an admission of failure to play the system - the emperor admitting he walked down the street naked.

The regular members on this forum regularly hear of people failing to play the system, almost always in the form of complaints of mis-selling against the training centres. The internet (us) is left to pick up the pieces.

If a training centre is getting a class of students through their qualifications every half term, that's 6 classes a year compared with a local further education college's class every 3 years. This would mean that the vast majority of professional electricians should now be trained via intensive courses, but if you ask around this forum that simply is not the case. Why do you think this might be?

 

[Martyn Fletcher]

i had the chance to train as a teacher way back. if i'd gone for it, I'd now be drawing in a £1500+/month pension instead of the pittance I get from state pension, having been self-employed for 40 years, paying tax on everything. now 71 and have to keep working to survive.

Respect. /bow
I did not know that buddy.
I kinda thought I was one of the oldest farts on here.

 

[Frank_620]

Yes but what makes you think you can do a 3-4 year apprenticeship in 8 weeks? Can you do the same with a degree? Being from an education background could you get pupils through their GCSEs in 6 weeks if someone threw money at you?

I suggest that you still think that trades are for "thickies" which is why it usually takes 3-4 years, and you assume that you can do it in a matter of weeks because you've got something between your ears, maybe even a bit of common sense.
This is where fly-by-night training centres are cashing in on people like you who reckon you're thinking outside the box and playing the system, when in reality there are loads of people trying to do it but failing miserably; you don't often hear of these because it's an admission of failure to play the system - the emperor admitting he walked down the street naked.

The regular members on this forum regularly hear of people failing to play the system, almost always in the form of complaints of mis-selling against the training centres. The internet (us) is left to pick up the pieces.

If a training centre is getting a class of students through their qualifications every half term, that's 6 classes a year compared with a local further education college's class every 3 years. This would mean that the vast majority of professional electricians should now be trained via intensive courses, but if you ask around this forum that simply is not the case. Why do you think this might be?

Fair enough and I completely hear you. My thoughts is to have some sort of training/qualifications and then work with an experienced sparky. Sounds like it might not happen like that.

I guess what I'm getting increasingly concerned about then if that's not a good route, is there any way of getting into it once you are above the age of 21 and realistically can't get an apprenticeship?

 

[Martyn Fletcher]

I would strongly suggest you try to get some work experience.
Find a local spark looking for help or put yourself out there a s a willing pair of hands.
Your likely first forray into the Electrical industry would be domestic so if you can tag along with a house rewire (The lifting of floorboards without damaging them, the groping around under them for that cable that won't appear, the drilling behind valued skirting boards to get your feed in, the despair when you see how many holes the plumber drilled in the joist, the complete and utter hatred for all plasters when you tap lightly on a wall and half of it ends up in your lap). It all becomes rather tedious after a while, but despite friday night elations.... Monday always looms.

An electricians job is one of ups and downs and it takes a sort of person to find the joy in it. But once you do. You really do.

 

[Deleted account]

Agreed. But do you think it's an advantage to have passed the qualifications and then work as an electricians mate and gain experience that way around?

As opposed to working for an electrician and then eventually doing the course once i have hands on experience.

working for an electrician as a mate while doing your courses is a brilliant idea, but I really advise against doing the 8 week course your suggesting. There is no way you can learn all you need to know in 8 weeks.

 

[Frank_620]

working for an electrician as a mate while doing your courses is a brilliant idea, but I really advise against doing the 8 week course your suggesting. There is no way you can learn all you need to know in 8 weeks.

Thanks guys I'm getting a good sense of how to go about this.

Sounds like i need to try and sort an electricians mate job first and then find the right course. My issue is going to be finding the time for the course whilst balancing family commitments!

 

[Adam W]

I did it when I was 25 so it's definitely possible. I started the college course then managed to find work after the first year.

 

[haptism]

My advice would be to do a 1 year HNC in engineering (mechanical or electrical), this coupled with a physics degree would give you a good chance of applying for some interesting hands on engineering jobs which are advertised fairly regularly which require an HNC as minimum. You would also sail through an HNC if you know physics !

Or how about setting up a calibration workshop/company.

 

[littlespark]

Why does my post #4 get a "bad spelling" rating?

I know my "there" from my "they're" from my "their", so where's the issue?



(I know the answer. Replying on smartphone with fat fingers)

 

[Pete999]

Raf Cardington.. showing your age there @Pete999. place hasnt been used by RAF since the 70's. been used by allsorts of government agencies since for various things where space and safety are required they filmed some starwars films in the monster sized sheds/hangers. its now used for airships and some new outfit are trying to make a large airship for cross channel travel.

I did about 10 courses there, I loved the place, good food and accomodation, was Sad when the PSA went ----- up and folded, hence my transfer to the FCO Services.

 

[Hoon]

Yes but what makes you think you can do a 3-4 year apprenticeship in 8 weeks? Can you do the same with a degree? Being from an education background could you get pupils through their GCSEs in 6 weeks if someone threw money at you?

I suggest that you still think that trades are for "thickies" which is why it usually takes 3-4 years, and you assume that you can do it in a matter of weeks because you've got something between your ears, maybe even a bit of common sense.
This is where fly-by-night training centres are cashing in on people like you who reckon you're thinking outside the box and playing the system, when in reality there are loads of people trying to do it but failing miserably; you don't often hear of these because it's an admission of failure to play the system - the emperor admitting he walked down the street naked.

The regular members on this forum regularly hear of people failing to play the system, almost always in the form of complaints of mis-selling against the training centres. The internet (us) is left to pick up the pieces.

If a training centre is getting a class of students through their qualifications every half term, that's 6 classes a year compared with a local further education college's class every 3 years. This would mean that the vast majority of professional electricians should now be trained via intensive courses, but if you ask around this forum that simply is not the case. Why do you think this might be?

Right there!! Have it, Put that In your pipe and smoke it. Absolutely priceless!
When you think of it we’re all losers , the real electricians and those helmets who think they can do a skilled trade after 20 days.

We’re all now in wage compression.
Soon we’re be lucky to hit 25k a year let alone the £60 000 they advertise on the training websites.

The only winners are the scam providers and the owners of the training centres , who are greasing each other’s love poles on the golf course.

You got to admire legal criminality really , Well done Emma Clancy what good girl

 

[sparksfly]

Hi Frank...I'd say go for it but... like others said, it will not be easy. Life does not always work the way you want to plan it. Why not try 2x evenings per week course over 2-3 years, after 1- 2 years you may possibly jump into agency work as an electricians mate. Could you teach part time while learning the ropes? Problem is you need to be available to gain experience and usually electricians are wanted at a click of a finger. If you are interested & enthusiastic enough you can do it, good luck.