I Need Work Can anyone share any advice when dealing with recruitment agencies?

[sloughrookie]

As per the title, I have not been in a position that I've needed to find work through an agency since the early 90's.

Anything tricks they may pull that I need to be aware of?

I have been advised to stay away from any agencies wanting to pay you under an umbrella scheme but that's about it.

I am looking for work in the South east area, maybe west London so If any of you fine folk can recommend which agencies to approach and which to advice that would be most welcome.

Cheers

SR

 

[telectrix]

they're all tarred with the same brush, they should also be feathered and run out of town.

 

[Tri1980]

Good luck finding work because there isn’t any agencies are well aware of this which is why round my way the rates are nearing if not the same as what a general labourer would earn on site. Also there are thousands of applicants applying for each vacancy and to top that off Boris Johnson has given the go ahead for a Billion plus to be put towards Vocational trades retraining for those that have been furloughed so expect a massive influx of 5 week wonders and obviously you’re going to get those that want to retrain and have the right mindset so even less work out there to come.

Good time to get out of the game rates are rubbish and there is no work zero work out there and as for your one man and a van brigade EICR’s and all that malarkey how low can you go very very low.

 

[telectrix]

Good luck finding work because there isn’t any agencies are well aware of this which is why round my way the rates are nearing if not the same as what a general labourer would earn on site. Also there are thousands of applicants applying for each vacancy and to top that off Boris Johnson has given the go ahead for a Billion plus to be put towards Vocational trades retraining for those that have been furloughed so expect a massive influx of 5 week wonders and obviously you’re going to get those that want to retrain and have the right mindset so even less work out there to come.

Good time to get out of the game rates are rubbish and there is no work zero work out there and as for your one man and a van brigade EICR’s and all that malarkey how low can you go very very low.

can you point me to that vocational trades retraining, or give me a link. my lad has a load of practical experience but no paper quals. and can't afford a course due to 3 months furlough and now his current employer has an overtime ban.

 

[Tri1980]

can you point me to that vocational trades retraining, or give me a link. my lad has a load of practical experience but no paper quals. and can't afford a course due to 3 months furlough and now his current employer has an overtime ban.

I think it’s the”Lifetime skills guarantee” ?

it’s being rolled out.

“Source: ONS, Annual Population Survey, 2019. Calculations are based on the assumption that all those who currently do not have a NVQ3+ qualifications could qualify for the scheme, including those in the ‘NVQ other’ category and those with ‘trade qualifications’.”

your lad is probably best signing on a lot of funds for retraining become available then I had £6500 of funding and did most of my tickets in 2012 but I had a lot of on-site experience from the age of 15 as my old man is a spark.

good luck
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I think it’s the”Lifetime skills guarantee” ?

it’s being rolled out.

“Source: ONS, Annual Population Survey, 2019. Calculations are based on the assumption that all those have a NVQ3+
qualifications could qualify for the scheme, including those in the ‘NVQ other’ category and those with ‘trade qualifications’.”

your lad is probably best signing on a lot of funds for retraining become available then I had £6500 of funding and did most of my tickets in 2012 but I had a lot of on-site experience from the age of 15 as my old man is a spark.

good luck

Government skills funding must ‘prioritise building trades’

Plans set out for a ‘Lifetime Skills Guarantee’ scheme to transform the training and skills system, aiming to help the country 'build back better'

www.pbctoday.co.uk

 

[sloughrookie]

Good luck finding work because there isn’t any

agencies are well aware of this which is why round my way the rates are nearing if not the same as what a general labourer would earn on site.

Good time to get out of the game rates are rubbish and there is no work zero work out there

While I'll agree the agency rates are not the best, I'm not so sure about your comments regarding there not being any work out there.

There is a thread on this forum where someone has asked how busy everyone is and the general consensus from the replies is that they all have plenty of work.

Every electrician I have spoken to and in turn who they know in the industry have said they have never been busier. I have been kept busy over the last few months getting day work just from contacts I know. All of the work I have been doing is domestic so I would like to get some experience on commercial work...hence me dipping my toe in the murky waters of dealing with recruitment agencies.

Thank you for your feedback though

 

[Tri1980]

While I'll agree the agency rates are not the best, I'm not so sure about your comments regarding there not being any work out there.

There is a thread on this forum where someone has asked how busy everyone is and the general consensus from the replies is that they all have plenty of work.

Every electrician I have spoken to and in turn who they know in the industry have said they have never been busier. I have been kept busy over the last few months getting day work just from contacts I know. All of the work I have been doing is domestic so I would like to get some experience on commercial work...hence me dipping my toe in the murky waters of dealing with recruitment agencies.

Thank you for your feedback though

I don’t know a single Electrician in work subcontracting for agencies and the agencies I know have no work I’ve done one days Electrical work in over 6 months for a guy off here.
There is work advertised but unless you’re quick and respond fast it’s gone as thousands of people are looking and the rates are pathetic now so I’m not doing any electrical work anymore this year as I get more money labouring or driving a cherry picker nether of which you need a brain or qualifications to do.

when you say people are busy do you mean the one man and a van brigade who don’t work on sites who are currently putting lockdown diy’er disasters right ?

 

[Padders01]

I spent all day Thursday ringing agencies, called 76 in total and felt rather disheartened by the end of the day. Then by Friday lunchtime I had 3 separate offers for a start on Monday. Went for the job with the easiest commute and most money.

I think it's just a matter of persistence and timing. The recruitment agencies have too many people on their books to really care who you are. When a job comes in they'll just call up the most recent name on their list as they know you're likely to be available.

https://gisajob.today/blog/london-based-agencies/

https://gisajob.today/blog/agency-list-sparks/

 

[sloughrookie]

I don’t know a single Electrician in work subcontracting for agencies and the agencies I know have no work I’ve done one days Electrical work in over 6 months for a guy off here.

I'm sorry to hear that, I hope you are able to find suitable work soon.

when you say people are busy do you mean the one man and a van brigade who don’t work on sites who are currently putting lockdown diy’er disasters right ?

Most of them are domestic only sparks but some are commercial & industrial too.

I am under no illusion that it will be a walk in the park so I will just have to have patience and persistence.
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I spent all day Thursday ringing agencies, called 76 in total and felt rather disheartened by the end of the day. Then by Friday lunchtime I had 3 separate offers for a start on Monday. Went for the job with the easiest commute and most money.

I think it's just a matter of persistence and timing. The recruitment agencies have too many people on their books to really care who you are. When a job comes in they'll just call up the most recent name on their list as they know you're likely to be available.

https://gisajob.today/blog/london-based-agencies/

https://gisajob.today/blog/agency-list-sparks/

I remember how soul crushing that can be having to contact that amount of agencies looking for work. I'll start with all the ones listed around my area and see where it goes from there.

Thanks for posting the lists of agencies, some useful info there.

 

[Tri1980]

Well Christmas is coming the last quarter of the year is here it’s going to be beyond dead out there on site Brexit uncertainty last year made Christmas dead and this year we have the combination of Brexit uncertainty as well as coronavirus.

Its the worst I’ve seen it in over 20 years of working on site I’m applying for funding and retraining in something else JIB gold card grading what I aspire to be just isn’t worth it there are a lot more better paid jobs out there now.

 

[sloughrookie]

Well Christmas is coming the last quarter of the year is here it’s going to be beyond dead out there on site Brexit uncertainty last year made Christmas dead and this year we have the combination of Brexit uncertainty as well as coronavirus.

Its the worst I’ve seen it in over 20 years of working on site I’m applying for funding and retraining in something else JIB gold card grading what I aspire to be just isn’t worth it there are a lot more better paid jobs out there now.

Yep, I know this certainly isn't the best time of the year to start looking but if I can't get any work through the agencies then I will have to stick with the domestic work I get for now.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you on the electrical ladder (training/quals wise) if you were working toward a JIB gold card?

 

[Tri1980]

Yep, I know this certainly isn't the best time of the year to start looking but if I can't get any work through the agencies then I will have to stick with the domestic work I get for now.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you on the electrical ladder (training/quals wise) if you were working toward a JIB gold card?

I have finished the portfolio I need to sit the AM2 and do the 18th. I don’t see the point investing my time and money finishing my training.

 

[telectrix]

I have finished the portfolio I need to sit the AM2 and do the 18th. I don’t see the point investing my time and money finishing my training.

you'd be daft not to complete traing as you have got this far. do your AM2 and 18th. by that time, hopefully work will have picked up and with a gold card, you'll have the advantage over lesser qualified sparks.

 

[Tri1980]

you'd be daft not to complete traing as you have got this far. do your AM2 and 18th. by that time, hopefully work will have picked up and with a gold card, you'll have the advantage over lesser qualified sparks.

I would not put a JIB gold spark in the top 5 highest earning on the tools trades on site I’ve been watching other trades rates come up while site based (Non house basher) Gold card sparks rates have stagnated over the last 15 years.

I’m retraining in something else not site based it’s not worth being in the Electrical game anymore there is no money in it. And employability is extremely low there is certainly no shortage of Electricians out there no matter what lies the government says.

I have friends who work for agencies and they tell me what’s going on “Thousands literally thousands of people ringing up for one vacancy” my mate said. So that’s thousands of surplus Electricians out there looking for work that isn’t there willing to work for less than the next geezer.

 

[Tri1980]

So contrary to the gloomy forecast about work being out there i wrote of earlier I landed a nice paying Electrical improver role which will see me over Christmas and into next year on a rate higher than I normally achieve.

* Booking my AM2 before the year is out will be my next step the place I’m doing it has to clear a back log we will see.

Cheers ~ Fellas and the original poster of this thread.