Due to the global recession, banking crisis and credit crunch it seems like the perfect storm of doom has arrived and more and more people are facing the scary prospect of being made unemployed, and if you do find yourself in that undesirable situation you are going to be one of almost 3 million people unemployed in the UK at the time of writing this article, so competition for jobs is going to be tough.
Ok, you probably thinking “oh that’s just great”, but what’s the solution? In a word ‘Training’; more than ever before it is important to get yourself the skills and qualifications that will set you apart from everyone else who will be applying for the same job as you. So whatever career path you choose; get trained and qualified.
Why become an electrician?
There are lots of reasons why you would want to retrain as an electrician, for one there is a shortage of skilled electricians in the UK, so if you decide to train as an electrician your services should be in high demand. With this high demand comes financial reward, there no doubt that being an electrician pays well, very well. Another reason is that, if you want to you could become self-employed and be your own boss, and work hours that suit you and your family.
Maybe the most important reason to train as an electrician is job security. Once you’re trained and qualified you’re an electrician and nobody can take that away from you, it is one of the last job’s for life that are left these days.
How to get retrained as an electrician?
Okay, first off I’m assuming that if your reading my article entitled “how to retrain as an electrician” then you’ve been around the block a few times, or at least over 25?( The reason I ask is that if you’re under 25 you may want to choose an apprenticeship).
All the elderly people still with me, good! Fortunately due to the demand for trade skills in the UK there has now developed a number of excellent training centres all over the country that can get you trained as an electrician in a matter of weeks. They train you up fully to the current City & Guilds industry standards, you will be taught electrical theory and learn how to put this to practical use in real life mock ups at their purpose built centres.
The courses can last from 6 -12 weeks if you take an intensive full time course, or you may be able to spread it over a longer period of time if you want to take apart time route. The important thing is you will be able to enter work as a fully qualified electrician.
That’s right you can become an electrician in a matter of weeks! But this does have its cost, and that cost is money for these intensive courses are not cheap, you will be trained to industry standards by time served electricians in a top notch facility. The courses can cost anywhere from £4000 – £6000 but you should think of it as an investment in your future.
Anything else I should know?
Well, one thing is to make sure the course you take is accredited by the City & Guilds, that way you’ll know you’re getting the right training to gain your qualifications.
Another thing is that once you have completed these courses you’ll have various City & Guilds Certificates and all the technical & practical knowledge you need…
But there is another small hurdle to get “fully qualified”, this being a City & Guilds 2356 – Electrical NVQ level 3 which you get by being assessed on the job by a NVQ assessor.
Some training providers are now including this as part of their packages, so ask if they can help you gaining the NVQ.
Best of Luck!