Hi all,
Just joined the forum to read up about peoples experiences of changing career at later life. I'm 47 and have been working on the rigs for the past 25 years, in a position that I would say is 50% technical and 50% physical, but just been made redundant recently. I've been toying with the idea of becoming an electrician for many years now, and maybe this is the push I need, although I feel I may have left it a bit late.
From the rigs I've got some experience of connecting up 3-phase 480 volt step down transformers, wiring up 110 and 220v offshore units, rigging up and trouble shooting sensor and communications cables on rigs. I've rewired my previous house, and for years have ran my own self employed handyman gig on my days off from the rigs, doing everything from plumbing (the wet stuff only), to plastering, patio laying, roofing and joinery. Yes, very wide range, but I did it all for the purpose of learning skills, finding out my limits, seeing what I like to do, seeing what pays better for effort put in, and planning for future redundancy - which is where I am now.
I've handled physical work (sweating my nads off in the tropics pulling cables through ceiling spaces, installing sensors up 200ft derricks, and shimmying along cable trays high above the sea), and feel that I've still got plenty of productive years ahead, physical work doesn't put me off. In fact, I usually out pace and out last the guys half my age out there.
My personal circumstances are that I'm fortunate enough to have growing and low maintenance kids, house is paid off, wife is doing OK, and I feel as fit as I was at 20!
So, that brings me to here, and I've been reading with great interest other peoples questions on the forum about training to be an electrician at 47, and at 50 etc, so I won't be asking the same question. Thanks to all the replies to those fellas who asked before, and special thanks to those of you who have done the change later in life and advised the other oldies. I learned from reading those posts that re-training isn't impossible, but an apprenticeship is out of the question, getting a job to gain experience will also be hard, and the way forward for someone like me might be to set up as self employed and do domestic installations and modifications and try to work with a builder... Have I got that right?
Cheers.
Just joined the forum to read up about peoples experiences of changing career at later life. I'm 47 and have been working on the rigs for the past 25 years, in a position that I would say is 50% technical and 50% physical, but just been made redundant recently. I've been toying with the idea of becoming an electrician for many years now, and maybe this is the push I need, although I feel I may have left it a bit late.
From the rigs I've got some experience of connecting up 3-phase 480 volt step down transformers, wiring up 110 and 220v offshore units, rigging up and trouble shooting sensor and communications cables on rigs. I've rewired my previous house, and for years have ran my own self employed handyman gig on my days off from the rigs, doing everything from plumbing (the wet stuff only), to plastering, patio laying, roofing and joinery. Yes, very wide range, but I did it all for the purpose of learning skills, finding out my limits, seeing what I like to do, seeing what pays better for effort put in, and planning for future redundancy - which is where I am now.
I've handled physical work (sweating my nads off in the tropics pulling cables through ceiling spaces, installing sensors up 200ft derricks, and shimmying along cable trays high above the sea), and feel that I've still got plenty of productive years ahead, physical work doesn't put me off. In fact, I usually out pace and out last the guys half my age out there.
My personal circumstances are that I'm fortunate enough to have growing and low maintenance kids, house is paid off, wife is doing OK, and I feel as fit as I was at 20!
So, that brings me to here, and I've been reading with great interest other peoples questions on the forum about training to be an electrician at 47, and at 50 etc, so I won't be asking the same question. Thanks to all the replies to those fellas who asked before, and special thanks to those of you who have done the change later in life and advised the other oldies. I learned from reading those posts that re-training isn't impossible, but an apprenticeship is out of the question, getting a job to gain experience will also be hard, and the way forward for someone like me might be to set up as self employed and do domestic installations and modifications and try to work with a builder... Have I got that right?
Cheers.
