Intro

Surreysteve · Sep 4, 2013

Hi just an intro.

im 49 so when the company I worked for got bought up I decided to take the plunge and retrain up to do a domestic installers course which is something I had been looking at for a while as I did the whole rebuild from scrap house thing a few years back and got very involved in all the rebuild jobs.

i know that it's about as useful in some traditionally trained sparks eyes as a VCR manual written in Swahili but fact is at 49 looking for a new trade your options are limited in this world.

i looked at it this way i have a mortgage to pay and apprenticeships are pretty rare at my age, some people may look down on me for it but that's there problem not mine. I'm wise enough in the worlds ways to know I'm nowhere near a qualified electrician but, I'm at the beginning of the ride and everyone starts somewhere.

tips, sage advice and winning lottery tickets gratefully accepted.

Octopus · Sep 4, 2013

Done to death on here, take note there are many tales of woe.

Do a search.

AND don't believe the claims of incomes by the fast track providers.

Surreysteve · Sep 5, 2013

I didn't even believe there claims they could give me anything more than a DIY guide to plug refitting but I'm not looking to buy my first Maserati in 4 months I'm just looking to get a trade so I'm taking the only viable option..
would try plumbing but round here the lack of polish language is a real drawback to a plumber

NJG28 · Sep 5, 2013

Good luck to you mate. I retrained to DI nearly 3yrs ago for similar reasons. Over that time 2 things are apparent to me.
1 - not ALL DIs are numpties
2 - not ALL time-served sparks are the bees-knees.
Good , indifferent & bad exist in all walks of life.
I have worked on dreadful installs done by well established sparks companies. You're only as good as your last job!
Its hard work at times but I enjoy it & get some repeat work.
If you haven't yet retrained, be careful of the training companies outrageous claims & prices. Shop around , visit & haggle.
Best wishes

Surreysteve · Sep 5, 2013

Thanks for the advice, just doing the basic part p and 2382-12 (17th edition) at moment the cost was pretty reasonable and contrary to popular opinion there not really making outrageous income claims and the cost is resonable enough , highly resonable compared to the bricky course I did a few years back so I could do work on the house.

Plan to move up and on in the training as time progresses, just taking jobs I can handle until my confidence and experience builds, my whole streets full of builders who do there own work then look for someone to approve it so there's an avenue for regular work once qualified further in inspection and testing.
Being a Microsoft certified systems engineer might prove usefull as well , that would be a first if nothing else since its been no use whatsoever for the past 13 except to install a cat 6 network in my house ( a selling point I guess to someone)

i could always do pat testing and melt my few remaining synapses on testing the same kettle day in day out before the Alzheimer's kicks in I guess lol