Hi Everyone....

[-Alex-]

I've just joined, so a lil' post to say "hello".

Some may ask why am I here? Well I'm considering a change in career direction at 44 !!!

I've had it with working in IT as a project manager for a major software corporation, and I need a change to remain sane.

After a lot of soul searching - my wife suggested that I should try to become an electrician (I spend a lot of time tinkering with my amateur radio projects etc and that I should apply myself to something more useful).

This forum has a lot of engaging/thought provoking threads and it just seemed rude to read them and not register.

So here I am - and I am now trying to save up all my pennies to retrain as an electrician.

That's basically it Cheers A

 

[IQ Electrical]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Sparky Ninja]

Welcome along

 

[Phil]

welcome along

 

[CRAGS]

Hi and welcome

 

[malcolmsanford]

You are more than welcome, but as my granny use to say out of the frying pan and into the fire ..............before you leave what seems to be a good job just check over a few threads here and see how many guys are offering to work for FREE just to get on the ladder.

Most like you either do a night course or a remote learning course, for quite a lot of money and when they get "qualified" they can neither get taken on as an electrician, or if it's a domestic installers course are trying to vie with many others in their area.

I wish you luck and again very welcome

 

[Guest123]

Welcome along.

 

[jpmiff]

Hi

Welcome on board

 

[madmac]

Welcome Alex, but to get straight to the point, you are wasting your time and hard earned cash!!! Read all the threads on this site regarding Domestic installer/agencies/Train4skills etc. They are all bogus and are simply making money off the backs of the vulnerable and ignorant. There is no quick and easy route to becoming a fully qualified electrician who will be taken serious enough to even be given an interview never mind a job!!!
There are some on this site who would normally be classed as electrical labourers but have fallen into the skills trap and forked out loads of dosh for nothing as they won't be taken seriously in the industry, also some of them are are thinking that they can become a domestic installer and that they are not planning on becoming an electrician.........Well if these guys attempt to wire a house under false pretence e.g. the householder thinking they are qualified electricians, then I can't see how the building control would allow this and can't see how this could be deemed legal or safe in any way!!! This then only leaves open the route to wire houses "on the side", which by the way is exactly why domestic installer courses were begun in the first place.....to stop cowboys!!! The training providers just saw £££££££'s and now there is a free for all in the industry and unfortunately it's decent guys like yourself Alex, who are trying to get on in life that get stung!!! And people on this site wonder why genuine sparks are fed up and against these courses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sintra]

Hi & welcome.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

 

[-Alex-]

Thanks for all the responses. I am now starting to question if I am 'over the hill' (thanks madmac and malcolmsanford for your candid comments, I knew this was the right forum ), does anyone think 44 is too old to re-trade? I know work is tight at the moment, but I was thinking that if I achieved the necessary qualifications and then contacted local electricians, they might take me on, on an add-hoc basis when they needed some additional assistance to get a job done (so I can build my practical skills and reputation). Maybe I'm just dreaming...... In which case, bugger - I'm doomed to work in IT until I croak.

 

[manda]

Hi and welcome

 

[brucelee]

Hi mate welcome and good luck to you

 

[malcolmsanford]

Thanks for all the responses. I am now starting to question if I am 'over the hill' (thanks madmac and malcolmsanford for your candid comments, I knew this was the right forum ), does anyone think 44 is too old to re-trade? I know work is tight at the moment, but I was thinking that if I achieved the necessary qualifications and then contacted local electricians, they might take me on, on an add-hoc basis when they needed some additional assistance to get a job done (so I can build my practical skills and reputation). Maybe I'm just dreaming...... In which case, bugger - I'm doomed to work in IT until I croak.

I'm glad you have taken the comments in a constructive way. As said in my OP just scroll through the threads and see how many people are offering their services free of charge to do what your hoping to do.

No I don't think 44 is too old to retrian at all ......after all your still a bairn but not sure at this moment in time the electrical industry is the right choice.

It is as it says your moneys so you take your choice, IMO if I had a good career like yours I would have a long hard look at the industry and see if it's worth spending money trying to get into it.

An exercise I often suggest is do some research and see how many Domestic Installers there are in your area, as with whatever course you decide it will be them you mostly will go up against.

 

[Kamikaze]

Welcome to the institude of electrical confusion.