T
Tanya
Hi,
My name's Tanya, I've joined the forum because I'm thinking of retraining as an electrician. I'm currently employed as a support analyst for IT systems that are specific to the company I work for. I received on-the-job training and therefore have no official qualifications and the experience I've gained is of no real use in any other company, as nobody else uses these systems. I therefore find myself with no real prospects or opportunities for development, something that became frighteningly apparent last year when our company was put up for sale. At the moment my current job is safe, but I'm determined to change my situation.
I am good at problem solving, fault finding and analysis. I also have excellent maths skills and am a hands-on, practical person. I feel that I would both enjoy and be well suited to a career in electrics, and I think it would offer me the sense of control over my life that I'm looking for. I know it's difficult to get a job in any discipline these days, so I'm under no illusion that this would guarantee me work forever, but it would certainly give me a better chance than I currently have.
So, having said all that... I've had an interview this week with a company called Trades Gateway who seem to be offering an excellent course. Their scheme seems sensibly structured, with online courses for the theory side of things and residential courses for honing practical skills and building a portfolio. At the end, I would be awarded City & Guilds 2357 Level 3 NVQ Diploma. It would also include the C&G 2391 and 2392 (what I understand used to be called AM1 & 2).
I've also been looking at local colleges, however as I'd prefer not to have to give up work and study full time I like the flexibility offered by Trades Gateway's distance learning model. Does anyone have any experience with this training provider, or have any other suggestions?
Thanks!
Tanya
My name's Tanya, I've joined the forum because I'm thinking of retraining as an electrician. I'm currently employed as a support analyst for IT systems that are specific to the company I work for. I received on-the-job training and therefore have no official qualifications and the experience I've gained is of no real use in any other company, as nobody else uses these systems. I therefore find myself with no real prospects or opportunities for development, something that became frighteningly apparent last year when our company was put up for sale. At the moment my current job is safe, but I'm determined to change my situation.
I am good at problem solving, fault finding and analysis. I also have excellent maths skills and am a hands-on, practical person. I feel that I would both enjoy and be well suited to a career in electrics, and I think it would offer me the sense of control over my life that I'm looking for. I know it's difficult to get a job in any discipline these days, so I'm under no illusion that this would guarantee me work forever, but it would certainly give me a better chance than I currently have.
So, having said all that... I've had an interview this week with a company called Trades Gateway who seem to be offering an excellent course. Their scheme seems sensibly structured, with online courses for the theory side of things and residential courses for honing practical skills and building a portfolio. At the end, I would be awarded City & Guilds 2357 Level 3 NVQ Diploma. It would also include the C&G 2391 and 2392 (what I understand used to be called AM1 & 2).
I've also been looking at local colleges, however as I'd prefer not to have to give up work and study full time I like the flexibility offered by Trades Gateway's distance learning model. Does anyone have any experience with this training provider, or have any other suggestions?
Thanks!
Tanya
The colleges near me only seem to offer evening classes on fixed nights, and as I currently work variable shifts I wouldn't be able to commit to that.
