retrain as electrician

Afternoon all,

Thought i'd ask on here if anyone else has recently (or not) retrained as an electrician. I'm currently doing IT and have been for a few years now. Its boring me to death and i'd much rather have a job i can enjoy. I've done research into courses and the sorts of options i've got and i can see two so far:

1. take college course and train for a few years to get my quals to become an electrician while also getting some work experience

2. pay for one of these 6 week accelerated courses, get my quals and then try to either get a job with a firm or start up on my own

now i'm ok with diy and stuff like that, learn quick, etc. But i would just welcome advice from anyone thats done similar so i know the pitfalls. Plus i cannot really afford to quit work and just go and do the courses etc, so ideally need to fit this all in around my existing work.

Thanks in advance

Dan

[jambo]

Your employability is going to be dependant on whether you're self employed, or an employee of a company, as well as your experience and qualifications. If I was you I'd try and find out if anyone would give you a job if you did have the qualification right now. If there's no market for you at present then the 6 week course is not going to help you out.

Jambo

whats the money like where you are?

as my mates a lecky. and is struggerling to get work.

personaly, if your job is safe i would not be in a rush to leave

a;lso, i cant imagine you learning that much in 6 weeks,

true. Was going to start ringing around local companies next to check that out. Its a gamble with the 6 weeks course cause i'd have to quit my job here - do the training and then hopefully get the new job. Pretty desperate at the mo though so seriously considering it.

yer - i did wonder what you could learn practically in 6 weeks. Interesting to know that other people that are already qualified are having problems getting work. I'm not surprised cause of the situation as it is at the mo but i'm gambling on things improving within the next few months.

As for where i am now the money is good. But that doesn't fix a thing. I'd actually rather take a pay cut and be happier than put up with the way things are.

I've considered doing the same, I already know my way around some of the theory and basics of it. Not sure what sort of money it would bring in though, and I would have to be self employed too.

[timwilky]

The major contracting companies would not touch you without a full apprenticeship and training/qualificiations etc.

They would expect to be able to deploy you on any job and that could be from a simple socket/lighting type install to installing machine tools and plant with complex start and cabling requirements.

Then depending on your tickets they could also expect you to work on high voltage switchgear etc.

A quick course may get you a cheap labour job with a domestic jobbing spark. but good luck, there are plenty of well qualified guys desperate for work out there

A close mate is a sparky, he used to earn a fortune! not anymore though he's just started the ball rolling for becoming a fire fighter.

Its a dead trade at the moment mate, he doesnt earn enough to survive and there are so many of them currently in training everywhere you'll end up working for pennies just tryin to get a good name for yourself.

[anna]

I had considered additional training to help my freelance book when I was in london however I came to these conclusions..

1. The best courses out there are CG and the best way to obtain them is to be in full time employment and get an employer to pay for them.

This wouldnt have been too much of a problem for me but, to be honest it wouldnt have earned me any more money then I was currently getting being a freelancer theater LX.

If I had wanted to apply for the job of a chief LX then sure it would have been a necessity, and annoying to say none of my previous degree modules would have counted towards the qualification

I would say that if you have a full time job, now is not the time to take a gamble into another industry that to be honest isn´t lacking in qualified people who are also struggling in this economic environment.

Don't train to become a solicitor either