Retrain to be a sparkie at 44
Discussion
Am I mental for considering it?
Bit of background about me. Basically left school with only GCSEs at grade C or above and never really knew what I wanted to do with my life so just did a few random jobs until I fell into the print trade. I am currently working as a packaging creative artworker but the arse is falling out of the industry as more and more of the work is being shipped to India.
I always told myself I'd retrain as an electrician but as life carried on, kids came along and I was earning decent money it never really happened.
The past 5 or so years have been tough with multiple rounds of people being made redundant has made me rethink the idea as I just can't see me having a long term future in this anymore and really want to sort something before it's too late.
I have seen a course local to me that I am interested in and wanted to sound out from electricians or anyone else who has done similar if the course is viable, if there is work out there if I do go ahead and am I mad for considering it at all?
https://traininginelectrical.co.uk/course/beginner-courses/city-and-guilds-2365-diploma-in-electrical-installations-level-2-buildings-and-structures
I know this course is only level 2 but all being well I'd do my level 3 and other courses as necessary - I hopefully have a few good years left in me and just don't want to take dead end jobs once the inevitable happens and all the work I currently do just sods off to India leaving me high and dry.
Thanks for reading this and hopefully I haven't bored you to sleep 😂
Bit of background about me. Basically left school with only GCSEs at grade C or above and never really knew what I wanted to do with my life so just did a few random jobs until I fell into the print trade. I am currently working as a packaging creative artworker but the arse is falling out of the industry as more and more of the work is being shipped to India.
I always told myself I'd retrain as an electrician but as life carried on, kids came along and I was earning decent money it never really happened.
The past 5 or so years have been tough with multiple rounds of people being made redundant has made me rethink the idea as I just can't see me having a long term future in this anymore and really want to sort something before it's too late.
I have seen a course local to me that I am interested in and wanted to sound out from electricians or anyone else who has done similar if the course is viable, if there is work out there if I do go ahead and am I mad for considering it at all?
https://traininginelectrical.co.uk/course/beginner-courses/city-and-guilds-2365-diploma-in-electrical-installations-level-2-buildings-and-structures
I know this course is only level 2 but all being well I'd do my level 3 and other courses as necessary - I hopefully have a few good years left in me and just don't want to take dead end jobs once the inevitable happens and all the work I currently do just sods off to India leaving me high and dry.
Thanks for reading this and hopefully I haven't bored you to sleep 😂
Did the same at 34 part time in the evenings, level 2 and then on to level 3 and regs exam.
The guys on my course that got jobs early in the trade did best in progressing and passing it all.
I fell into an employed role once qualified at a large pump manufacturer and barely use any of it now.
Do often think about doing what the previous poster said and working for free for a few months to get get properly up to speed with the hands on stuff and venture out on my own but have a nice number where I am now.
The guys on my course that got jobs early in the trade did best in progressing and passing it all.
I fell into an employed role once qualified at a large pump manufacturer and barely use any of it now.
Do often think about doing what the previous poster said and working for free for a few months to get get properly up to speed with the hands on stuff and venture out on my own but have a nice number where I am now.
I've posted on similar threads before try and find a company that will take you on doing security/CCTV. The money is similar once you're trained and you don't need all the qualifications. I also think the work is more interesting. Most security stuff is low voltage hence the lack of regulation but there's more to it than a basic spark will ever see day to day. Gate installation and fault finding is pretty easy and very well paid.
bristolracer said:
Think about the type of sparking you wish to do
House bashing can be very physically hard on your body.Working on your knees for long periods, crawling through dirty and dusty fibre glass filled loft spaces can be very rough on you as you age.
Maybe consider commercial work?
Yup. House bashing can be very physically hard on your body.Working on your knees for long periods, crawling through dirty and dusty fibre glass filled loft spaces can be very rough on you as you age.
Maybe consider commercial work?
When renovating my house had all the trades about.
At mid 40s some are looking physically battered.
Mind you, they all said the sparks is the easiest
K-risN54 said:
Am I mental for considering it?
Bit of background about me. Basically left school with only GCSEs at grade C or above and never really knew what I wanted to do with my life so just did a few random jobs until I fell into the print trade. I am currently working as a packaging creative artworker but the arse is falling out of the industry as more and more of the work is being shipped to India.
Your background sounds similar to mine, I am currently in the print packaging trade at the moment and I would change career if I could find a similar or better salary, but I have 2 boys both under 6 years old.Bit of background about me. Basically left school with only GCSEs at grade C or above and never really knew what I wanted to do with my life so just did a few random jobs until I fell into the print trade. I am currently working as a packaging creative artworker but the arse is falling out of the industry as more and more of the work is being shipped to India.
I think one repro house I used to work for have opened a site in Mauritius recently and I bet some of the work has gone over there now, also the standard of files we get supplied as a Trade printer are shocking and not fit for print, customers think low res PDFs are good enough nowadays.
I would go and learn a new trade, keep the thread updated if you go for it.
Thanks for all the replies people, really appreciate the insight.
It's definitely something I am going to do I think. I'd rather regret something I had tried than something I hadn't and if you don't try you'd never know.
I'm luckily still working so can do it part time whilst still earning a decent wage and see where it takes me.
It's definitely something I am going to do I think. I'd rather regret something I had tried than something I hadn't and if you don't try you'd never know.
I'm luckily still working so can do it part time whilst still earning a decent wage and see where it takes me.
Edited by K-risN54 on Tuesday 27th September 06:55
SteRB5138 said:
Your background sounds similar to mine, I am currently in the print packaging trade at the moment and I would change career if I could find a similar or better salary, but I have 2 boys both under 6 years old.
I think one repro house I used to work for have opened a site in Mauritius recently and I bet some of the work has gone over there now, also the standard of files we get supplied as a Trade printer are shocking and not fit for print, customers think low res PDFs are good enough nowadays.
I would go and learn a new trade, keep the thread updated if you go for it.
I have a 9 year old and a 7 year old and the recent round of redundancy has made me realise if it was me I'd struggle to find another job with no qualifications for the money I am on. I need to do something sooner rather than later for my sake and their sake really. I'm not ready for the scrap heap just yet. I think one repro house I used to work for have opened a site in Mauritius recently and I bet some of the work has gone over there now, also the standard of files we get supplied as a Trade printer are shocking and not fit for print, customers think low res PDFs are good enough nowadays.
I would go and learn a new trade, keep the thread updated if you go for it.
I have worked for some of the big boys in the industry and noticed more and more of it is being shipped abroad. Like you I have I seen what gets sent back and it really is awful quality and not fit for purpose. I think some of the operators must use their feet when putting it all together and don't have a clue about smart guides as very rarely is anything lined up correctly.
It boils my pi#s that all the decent people I knew in the trade are struggling whilst the work gets shipped out. We can't compete though as I was told the average wage for the people who it is shipped out to is £6 a week.
Career changes are much more common than they used to be and because all the young ones want to go to uni to come out to a crap office job on 25k there's a big shortage of people in the trades.
I was working on an office and just wrote letters to local installers asking if they would take an older trainee ended up with a couple of options I think the companies really were impressed by the initiative. I went on to work at the company for 11 years before doing another career change.
A lot of the younger apprentices won't make it the attrition rate was 80% upwards where I worked so getting someone older who really wants to be there could be a huge bonus for an employer.
Absolutely go for it I don't know what salary level you're on at the moment but 40 to 50k should be attainable when trained and with a lot of experience much more. A couple of the lads I used to work with pull in over 100k subbying doing CCTV and fire alarms. You don't need a day in college to do either!
I was working on an office and just wrote letters to local installers asking if they would take an older trainee ended up with a couple of options I think the companies really were impressed by the initiative. I went on to work at the company for 11 years before doing another career change.
A lot of the younger apprentices won't make it the attrition rate was 80% upwards where I worked so getting someone older who really wants to be there could be a huge bonus for an employer.
Absolutely go for it I don't know what salary level you're on at the moment but 40 to 50k should be attainable when trained and with a lot of experience much more. A couple of the lads I used to work with pull in over 100k subbying doing CCTV and fire alarms. You don't need a day in college to do either!
As an owner of electrical contracting businesses, I'd say that most employers are reluctant to take on older "adult trainees" from outside the industry. The reason for this is that the SJIB/JIB rate of pay for this position is not a kick in the pants off where a qualified electricians rate sits, and the return on investment is poor, in that in our experience of the 10+ or so that we have trained over the last 20 plus years the retention rate is very poor. Most adult trainees that we have brought on have been either labourers or electricans mates from inside the business that have shown an aptitude for working on the tools, and that is what the adult trainee grade was developed to accommodate. Pre training they will have been with us for at least 4yrs.
The other route of just going to college and gaining qualification is something which most employers generally disregard unless they have a considerable number of years experience under their belt, otherwise what you get is an employee with limited skills and limited understanding of process, so you pay full rate for somebody that is substandard, and these individuals tend to drift into the labour agency pool, drift in and out of jobs and rarely progress.
I'd reiterate what has been said before, don't underestimate the physical toll that working in the trades takes on your body, this is why historically electricians of 55+ dropped out of the commercial industrial sector and moved into maintenance. Its not all walking around connecting panels with a pincer in your top pocket, that's the last 5% of the job, the 95% is generally hard graft often in poor conditions. When all is said and done, I've worked in the industry for over 40yrs and if i was starting out now I'd most likely do it all again. So if you can find a route in, then go for it and best of luck.
The other route of just going to college and gaining qualification is something which most employers generally disregard unless they have a considerable number of years experience under their belt, otherwise what you get is an employee with limited skills and limited understanding of process, so you pay full rate for somebody that is substandard, and these individuals tend to drift into the labour agency pool, drift in and out of jobs and rarely progress.
I'd reiterate what has been said before, don't underestimate the physical toll that working in the trades takes on your body, this is why historically electricians of 55+ dropped out of the commercial industrial sector and moved into maintenance. Its not all walking around connecting panels with a pincer in your top pocket, that's the last 5% of the job, the 95% is generally hard graft often in poor conditions. When all is said and done, I've worked in the industry for over 40yrs and if i was starting out now I'd most likely do it all again. So if you can find a route in, then go for it and best of luck.
Edited by dlks151 on Tuesday 27th September 14:53
OP do you have an aptitude for this type of work? Are you a practical person? Do you DIY? Do you know the basics now? Can you wire a 3 pin plug?
As said it's no walk in the park, you'll be working on on crapy sites or crawling around in dusty, dirty houses. Craping in dirty toilets, freezing your nuts off in winter and roasting in summer, early starts and late finishes.
As said it's no walk in the park, you'll be working on on crapy sites or crawling around in dusty, dirty houses. Craping in dirty toilets, freezing your nuts off in winter and roasting in summer, early starts and late finishes.
Thanks for all the replies. All points raised are valid so I'm taking them all on board.
With regards to aptitude I think I am fairly mechanically minded and pretty sure I'd have no problems getting dirty or working on dirty sights if an opportunity did come my way. I can wire a plug and have replaced plug sockets at home and do enjoy DIY.
I try to keep myself fit and active and look after myself so the physical side although I'm not getting any younger isn't something I'm dreading.
At this point I feel I need to at least try and see where it takes me as life is too short for regrets. If I try and nothing comes of it it won't be through lack of trying. I'm under no illusion that I'll walk straight into a job and have absolutely no issue shadowing someone for extra experience of that is what it takes.
With regards to aptitude I think I am fairly mechanically minded and pretty sure I'd have no problems getting dirty or working on dirty sights if an opportunity did come my way. I can wire a plug and have replaced plug sockets at home and do enjoy DIY.
I try to keep myself fit and active and look after myself so the physical side although I'm not getting any younger isn't something I'm dreading.
At this point I feel I need to at least try and see where it takes me as life is too short for regrets. If I try and nothing comes of it it won't be through lack of trying. I'm under no illusion that I'll walk straight into a job and have absolutely no issue shadowing someone for extra experience of that is what it takes.
Edited by K-risN54 on Tuesday 27th September 18:49
Thanks for the insight and information everyone, it really is appreciated.
I am absolutely aware that just going to college isn't enough and I'm going to need real world experience as well.
In the trade I am in now we get people in from Uni who have design degrees but they don't really know enough to be productive. With a couple of years experience it really alters what they are capable of so completely get why lack of experience would really limit my chances.
I have signed up for my level 2 course and will be contacting as many places as I can offering myself as free labour to actually get some real world exposure once I have a handle on the course and decide it's a viable path I want to pursue.
I am absolutely aware that just going to college isn't enough and I'm going to need real world experience as well.
In the trade I am in now we get people in from Uni who have design degrees but they don't really know enough to be productive. With a couple of years experience it really alters what they are capable of so completely get why lack of experience would really limit my chances.
I have signed up for my level 2 course and will be contacting as many places as I can offering myself as free labour to actually get some real world exposure once I have a handle on the course and decide it's a viable path I want to pursue.
Sparkying I think is pretty boring having spent 11 years doing electronic security and gates. I think I had a really varied career. As previously mentioned no need for the time consuming courses and get equal pay. Gate engineers get more than sparks although some spark training is useful there so you can do all the 240 connections.
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