Now what????

[Roberts7286]

Hi all, just on here looking for some guidance/advice. I posted on here a while ago regarding adult apprenticeships and received some sound advice. Having applied for many apprenticeships and contacted many companies (about 100) I haven't had much luck. I got one interview and although I thought I was a very good candidate I was unsuccessful. I can only put this down to my age (27) and the lack of funding companies would receive because of this. Anyway with September fast approaching it appears the apprenticeship route is closing and this is where I need advice. I am just about to enrol onto a one day a week course at college to do the technical certificates required to be an electrician which is a 3 - 4 year course. My question is how do you gain experience/complete the NVQ part if like me you cannot just work for free and will only be available 4 days a week. Some people have suggested labouring on site to gain contacts etc but surely no one is going to employ me if I can only do 4 days a week. Others have suggested going alone and working for agencies and just taking whatever they can offer but again surely I would be no use to them 4 days a week. Also at what point can I start to take on small jobs privately or is this an absolute no-no?? I know these might be difficult questions to answer but any advice would be greatly appreciated. Regards Tom

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Hi all, just on here looking for some guidance/advice. I posted on here a while ago regarding adult apprenticeships and received some sound advice. Having applied for many apprenticeships and contacted many companies (about 100) I haven't had much luck. I got one interview and although I thought I was a very good candidate I was unsuccessful. I can only put this down to my age (27) and the lack of funding companies would receive because of this. Anyway with September fast approaching it appears the apprenticeship route is closing and this is where I need advice. I am just about to enrol onto a one day a week course at college to do the technical certificates required to be an electrician which is a 3 - 4 year course. My question is how do you gain experience/complete the NVQ part if like me you cannot just work for free and will only be available 4 days a week. Some people have suggested labouring on site to gain contacts etc but surely no one is going to employ me if I can only do 4 days a week. Others have suggested going alone and working for agencies and just taking whatever they can offer but again surely I would be no use to them 4 days a week. Also at what point can I start to take on small jobs privately or is this an absolute no-no?? I know these might be difficult questions to answer but any advice would be greatly appreciated. Regards Tom

your best bet would be to do as you are going to do....
start the course...and complete regardless...
whilst doing that you keep on at companies....(you may find a couple of days a week with sole trader outfits)...think about it like this:

why do supermarkets employ so many old men to stack shelves, offer advice to customers etc?
simple...caus they get their arse to work on time...do more than what is expected out a sense of duty & loyalty, are generally good with customers, are open to advice & taking stuff in.....
so, compare yourself to 17 year old Dean....who just wants to text and pis about at work....
would you trust him near anything live?
no, me neither....
so , there are advantages to your age....

 

[Jay Sparks]

As above, start your course and keep looking. I was lucky enough to find a company that took me on 3 days a week when I was at college 2 days a week. This was not an apprenticeship though...i was also to old but it gave me the practical skills that I needed. I did the nvq last year, working as a subby, luckily enough, the work I was doing covered 90% of the nvq.

Don't be put off though, even if you finish college before you get a job, you will look a better prospect to employers having completed 3/4 years at college, than a Electrical Trainee. It is hard but worth it.

Good luck

 

[dan86]

just saw you're an aircraft fitter. sounds like a pretty cool job..?

 

[jimmymac]

why do supermarkets employ so many old men to stack shelves, offer advice to customers etc?
simple...caus they get their arse to work on time...do more than what is expected out a sense of duty & loyalty, are generally good with customers, are open to advice & taking stuff in.....
so, compare yourself to 17 year old Dean....who just wants to text and pis about at work....
would you trust him near anything live?
no, me neither....
so , there are advantages to your age....[/QUOTE]

That's how Glen got that job answering phones in the fast food outlet (see his profile pic), they new he'd turn up on time!

 

[Roberts7286]

Cheers guys some sound advice as always in here. yeah it sounds like a cool job but trust me once you've taken one aircraft apart and put it back together they are all the same and its never been what I wanted to do.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

why do supermarkets employ so many old men to stack shelves, offer advice to customers etc?
simple...caus they get their arse to work on time...do more than what is expected out a sense of duty & loyalty, are generally good with customers, are open to advice & taking stuff in.....
so, compare yourself to 17 year old Dean....who just wants to text and pis about at work....
would you trust him near anything live?
no, me neither....
so , there are advantages to your age....

That's how Glen got that job answering phones in the fast food outlet (see his profile pic), they new he'd turn up on time![/QUOTE]well, someones got to tell auld wetpants he cant come in....

 

[robsparky1975]

Have you contacted clarkson evans,they are based in eastleigh,not everyone on the forum myself included had a full apprenticeship,thanks to lack of funds in this generation and throwing our money at brussels i cant see this changing anytime soon.If you start your course you are on the 1st step and with your attitude i cant see you waiting forever,employers will see how focused you are and take you on.I myself got a job as an improver in my 3rd year of college and had 6 months shadowing a proper sparks,that was back in 2004,keep going with it,good luck

 

[Baker1988]

Keep trying mate im sure you will find some thing.

But definatly start college and keep applying to employers, i myself am now going into my 3rd year at college going one day a week and it was impossible for me to get a job even with agencys when they found out i could not work on thursdays they just fob you off, but now i work with a spark doing mainly domestic and commercial its not full time just as and when he has work and now i have loads of experiance doing many differen thing and would say i am fairly compitent now but just keep at it it took me over a year to get some work it will come.

DONT GIVE UP!!!!!!

 

[Roberts7286]

Hi guys just want to say thanks for the advice and encouragement, I certainly won't be giving up and have just enrolled at college due to start on 9th September.