At the end of my rope! What should i do??

[AlanWirral]

Right guys...My current situation is getting worse and i'm not sure what i can do.

I'll explain as well as i can to give you a good background.

Ever since i was 18 i was a Lifting Gear Engineer. This invloved working in the entertainment industry on electric chain hoists and then onto building electrical control panels from scratch to operate them.For a few reasons i left this industry and got a temporary job working at a car dealership which with me loving cars was okay but it was really a stop gap until i found what i really wanted to do..this included retraining to be a spark.

At this point i'm 27. I met my old boss on the site as he did all the electrical work. We got talking and he said he needed somone and after looking at my old work and CV he managed to get me on a government scheme so i went to college one day a week(2330) and it was all paid for. He paid me £9 an hour which although was less than what i used to earn i was happy with (thinking qualified i'd be on £15+an hour)

So for the next 2 years we worked together on all sorts of domestic/commercial and some industrial work and my college going well with pretty much distinctions all the way. Then the day came he told me he'd been offered a job offshore for silly money and he just had to take it. With him having 3 kids i wouldn't stop him or make life difficult etc.

Over the next 2 months between myself/my employer and the government agency we tried to find me a new employer in order to finish my adult traineeship with. In June he finally had to let me go as he was knocking big jobs back as he would have to leave on a few days notice if he got the call.

Ever since then i've still been aloud to go to college and have been looking for a new employer. I finish my 2330 in June but haven't done anything towards the NQ3. I also have my 2392 Insoection & Testing Qual. We've used up all our savings..sold my car and are now in debt. And to cap it all off 2 days before i got made redundant we found out my wife is pregnant our girl is due on Valentines day.

I have been doing some temporary work for a couple of companys but getting closer to xmas this is drying up and we have no other money coming in apart from job seekers and my wifes small ish wages to pay the bills. It looks like i'm going to have to LEAVE college even though i'm only a few months from completing the course so i can get a 5 day a week job anywere i can it annoys me so much that cowboys out there are still working and getting paid and lads like me are left in the ####

Life really is crap sometimes!

 

[GrannySmiff]

Hmmm I know what your saying which is no help to you, very frustrating when you just want to work but can't find the work BS really. Can you survive on the job seekers until you finish the course?, that would really top it off if you have to leave the course with out finishing it.

 

[AlanWirral]

Tell me about it mate! Everyone keeps
Saying 'You can't leave college so close to finishing!!?' but it's not as easy as that

The job seekers is rubbish and although it's nowhere near enough to cover us it's better than nothing.

 

[telectrix]

have you tried phoning local sparkies see if they can give you casual work?

 

[AlanWirral]

I rekon every local firm is sick to death of me by now! Once a week i go through the list of every contractor within a 15 mile radius and send them my CV and a covering letter. So far only about 5 companys have even bothered to respond!

One of the companies i've been doing temp. work for actually took me on! I'd been doing Wed/Thurs/Fri with them for about 5 weeks then they had a few bigs jobs come off. On the Thursday they told me and even though the money wasn't good and they wouldn't pay me for my college the fact of just working again made me so happy. So i signed off the dole and cancelled my mortgage/credit card insurance. On the Tuesday (my signing on day) i turned up and he finished me up! Said that the 4 big contracts they had got have gone belly up back to square one! AND i was still working for them the next few weeks.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I rekon every local firm is sick to death of me by now! Once a week i go through the list of every contractor within a 15 mile radius and send them my CV and a covering letter. So far only about 5 companys have even bothered to respond!

One of the companies i've been doing temp. work for actually took me on! I'd been doing Wed/Thurs/Fri with them for about 5 weeks then they had a few bigs jobs come off. On the Thursday they told me and even though the money wasn't good and they wouldn't pay me for my college the fact of just working again made me so happy. So i signed off the dole and cancelled my mortgage/credit card insurance. On the Tuesday (my signing on day) i turned up and he finished me up! Said that the 4 big contracts they had got have gone belly up back to square one! AND i was still working for them the next few weeks.

Persevere mate. Keep knocking on their doors. apparently it takes 11 no's to get a yes, and if you keep banging on at them sooner or later you will get lucky, cos one day they will want someone, and by taking on you they will save a fortune in ad's and interviews. Also try ringing around various housing associations, hotel, etc to see if they are wanting anyone. Look on Gumtree as well, if you have 2391 there are a few jobs about. I sympathise with you, and if i could help i would, you seem to have all the qualities to make a good worker. Have you looked around locally for stuff like maintenance electricians jobs in factories etc? dont let the fact that you haven't completed your training put you off. and another thing with job hunting, just because you haven't got high enough quals, dont be put off from applying, they only ask for things like HND/HNC to stop bell ends applying, they will always listen to a bloke who is working hard to achieve, and is made of the right stuff.I am a prime example, RAF trained in avionics (thats fancy for aircraft electrician), did 2 years of my ONC electrical engineering and got fed up so packed it in. Several years later, well about 20 to be exact, walked into a £36000 a year maintenance electrical job, when they wanted HND Electrical engineering, with one of the worlds largest companies with the biggest and most famous brand name in the world. Its the real thing. Believe me Alan, if i can do it anyone can, because in no way do i stand out from the crowd.

Cheers..........Howard

 

[AlanWirral]

Thanks Howard that means a lot mate

As it happens i've JUST got an email back off a local firm that i heard was looking for somone! Apparently there a good firm too They said they have no full time posts but may have temp work..this to me just means they wanna see what i'm made of My speciality!

I have been applying for all sorts of jobs too like you say..maintenance/fitters etc etc and had some good responces, like they need somone with more experience with a particular type of equipment. I was hopefull of one that was about building and doing the electrics on life rafts! They did so much cool stuff like 'Cloaked' ones for the military etc and i showed loads of interest but alas no dice

 

[nickblake]

Just stick at it ,there more you pester the more they will realise that you are seriouse there are so many out thewre that dont want work just apply as a chore with the kevin and perrry attitude as well !!! but you sound keep and raring to go so some one will snap you up

 

[brucelee]

Good luck mate you deserve some soon for all your effort

 

[Benny2]

Humm sounds firmiliar too, i know its easy for us to say but something should come up soon law of averages? can you not dive back into the events industry again to get you past college atleast, i started in that industry myself working with a lighting company. all the local event contacts around cheshire and manchester are busy and i hav some contacts. What area are you from pal?

 

[AlanWirral]

Thanks for all the kind words guys! I'm the kind of person to just keep going till something comes up, although after all this time it's trying even my patience

Benny in regards to the last career I had there is that option but the likelihood of me having the Monday off is bleak as you will know it's a demanding industry to be in.

 

[AlanWirral]

On the plus side I've had a couple of emails back tonight from a couple of guys and they have been really positive! Fingers crossed hey :-D

 

[Benny2]

Yeah, i was thinkng more self employed subbing to be honest thats how try and sort my gaps out, pretty scary as work isnt garanteed but it better than none? no worries you no were i am if you need to get in touch with any of them. or just look in the phone book or net : vme,dbn,sterling group ect for manchester, or anything your way? they will be busy running up to and over xmas but probs quite for winter months could be a gamble worth going for whilst its there?


yeah fingers crossed pal.

 

[AlanWirral]

Yeah mate your right!

It usually did used to fo quiet at Xmas but there was always a concert etc in Dubai etc to sort out. I actually started a company with 5 other people from scratch and it was a 3 million pound turnover place after 3 years! Cost me a lot of my life though.

 

[Benny2]

What happened there then i know what i would be doing? but your bloody right it takes over ur life, i hav a small event lightin business too but only turned over bout 6-7k this yr but with all my other bits and jobs its not bad. I simaler to you realy 29 iv got 2 kids, shame in away i feel iv goto pick lighting or electrics at my age? shame realy i rekon give it 3yrs could hav 2 booming business's but its a gamble i dont want to risk as i dony want to end up with nothing.

 

[Wiredspark]

Alan, have you tried your local recruitment agencies, and not just for electrical work. Can you drive??? I know for a fact that coming up to xmas every transport company need people for saturdays anyway and sometimes sundays too. Time and a half and double time can make driving jobs worth doing.

 

[AlanWirral]

What happened there then i know what i would be doing? but your bloody right it takes over ur life, i hav a small event lightin business too but only turned over bout 6-7k this yr but with all my other bits and jobs its not bad. I simaler to you realy 29 iv got 2 kids, shame in away i feel iv goto pick lighting or electrics at my age? shame realy i rekon give it 3yrs could hav 2 booming business's but its a gamble i dont want to risk as i dony want to end up with nothing.

I can honestly say Benny with my last career i thought i'd got my niche! I was respected and listened to and worked SO hard to get it to that stage. There was a mix of problems though which i can't divulge inc my mother in law passing away with cancer that meant i had to leave.LONG story.

 

[AlanWirral]

Alan, have you tried your local recruitment agencies, and not just for electrical work. Can you drive??? I know for a fact that coming up to xmas every transport company need people for saturdays anyway and sometimes sundays too. Time and a half and double time can make driving jobs worth doing.

Funny enough mate my 'Fill in' job at the car delaer i worked for invloved driving all over the country etc. They have told me there might be a position for me after xmas full time if i needed it but of course this would mean me leaving college as i would be needed on the Mondays. Nice to know though! I might write a letter to the MD who i know personally and use my electrical knowledge as a way of getting back in..ie you give me Mondays off and in June you'll have a fully qualified Spark on your books

 

[brucelee]

Hi Alan,
You sound very determined mate so i am sure something will turn up soon and i hope whatever you are doing it doesnt stop you from finishing your quals

I am in a similar predicament I never completed my apprenticeship at 16 yr old to my regret
I have bee involved with electrical installation on and off for 24 yrs. I have tried many times over the years to either get back on a apprentice type course but have always been told that i was either to old or there was no training available
My partner was left disabled after a operation in 2005 so she had to give up work and i also had to, and then become her carer
I asked again many times at jobcentre was there anyway i could get training help finding work etc which there reply was as i am a carer i am no classed as unemployed and i am exempt from having to look for work, and as a result there is no help for me whatsoever
SO after looking around at what courses i could do the only route for me to get some electrical qualifications was to pay over £4000 to do a private trainig course
I did this course to enable me to set up self employed
and after completing it i again returned to jobcentre to try and get help with starting up and again the answer is no. I said surely its better to give a little help so i can work from home Instead of having to rely on benefits for the rest of our working lives ,I am 40 my partner is almost 39 and 2 kids. I want to go self employed so i can still be there if needed for my partner as my daughters are older and would be able to take over the carers role, I have contacted Business link for help who say see jobcentre i spent almost 6 months going from one to the other asked again about training,
It took them six months just to tell me what benefits i would lose if i set up but the work didnt come in because of economic situation
I contacted a firm called INBIZ who help with start up but again as i wasnt on JSA for six months i am not eligible for help but managed to get a half hour with the advisor who told me basicaly what was needed to go self employed
I then tried to seek employment but as i have limited qualifications not had any luck yet
so i paid again to go and do the 2391 even though i am not working so had to study a lot for this I got half paid by the college which was a relief
I then was told the 2330 was ending so i tried to get on the level 3 but all the colleges local to me are already full
so ive missed out or pay £6000 to do it private?
I was told of my tutor at bury colege all i needed was the NVQ 2356 but they are not taking new candidates because of the change also i have to be working to complete it tried various other colleges and private providers
I have contacted C&G but they are unhelpful and just say to contact a local centre which i already have
So now my only option is to register with elecsa do the jobs for the assessment notifying labc first and paying for pli, the registration fee and any other cost to set up with no help from any governing body
Hopefully pass the assessment and the set up self employed
Then try to register for the 2356 before the end date or I will have to do the full 2357 when it comes in
as i only have 2382-10, 2391-10, 2377, 2393 and a logic part p electrical full scope level A and defined scopes levels B,C
I have found not much help or much advice from anyone except off the forum The only organization i have found may help is a firm called Blue orchid who will help with start up and because we live in a former coalfield area i may get a grant. But this was before the Torys got in now I am not sure the help or Grants are still available so have to sort this out again to see
Keep your chin up mate i am sure it will work out for you
dont let the system beat you mate
I hope your luck changes for the better soon

 

[Benny2]

Oh right sorry to hear that pal.