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Hello everyone,

I have just signed up to the forum so that I can get some advice off of someone.
I am due to leave the military in a couple of months and I have decided that I would like to get into a trade. I am stuck between two options and that is to become an electrician, or a plumber.

I have read that being an electrician is much better because of the working conditions and the pay, but I just wanted some advice before I jumped into a decision.

Which ever trade I decide to train in I will be trying to do it through an apprenticeship as I have heard this is the best way to go about things. If anyone can think of another route that would be much appreciated also.

Hope I haven't asked any stupid questions I just wanted some advice as I am getting closer and closer to my discharge date.

Thank you.

Alex.
 
I have read that being an electrician is much better because of the working conditions and the pay, but I just wanted some advice before I jumped into a decision.

Where did you read that? Based on what some of my plumber mates earn I would suggest they are better off - mainly because there are less of them...

Do a local search for both trades and see how many competitors you have locally

oh, by the way, welcome
 
Did you do any trade training in the army? I dont know what age you are and what age ideally you should be to be an apprentice, I do get the feeling that you might be a bit old though. I think the JIB rate for an apprentice is around £4 per hour can you afford to do that? It may be that you would do study on C&G 2365 I think it is level 2 and 3. Take a look at the link and you should get an idea of the routes into being an electrician. Morris Services - Getting Started - http://www.morrisservices.co.uk/gettingstarted.asp As you study you need experience which would normally be in the form of getting work with an electrician. From what I have heard plumbers seem to generally speaking earn more. And welcome, Merry Christamas and best of luck with civvy street.
 
Cheers guys I appreciate the replies! I probably should of mentioned my age etc sorry, I'm 21 and I spent 4 years in the infantry so I made that silly mistake of not getting anything out of the army, I could do a gas engineer course and become gas qualified with my resettlement, my friend did that and he got a good job from it but I kind of have my heart set on being an electrician or a plumber so I'm really struggling to decide on what to do.

Thanks for the welcome and merry Christmas guys!
 
Cheers guys I appreciate the replies! I probably should of mentioned my age etc sorry, I'm 21 and I spent 4 years in the infantry so I made that silly mistake of not getting anything out of the army, I could do a gas engineer course and become gas qualified with my resettlement, my friend did that and he got a good job from it but I kind of have my heart set on being an electrician or a plumber so I'm really struggling to decide on what to do.

Thanks for the welcome and merry Christmas guys!

Grab that with both hands........
 
So doing the gas course and going down the gas engineer route would be a good idea?
I asked my friend about it and he got a really good job with it as soon as he had finished his placement and passed his exams.
 
I hit a high spot up a ladder in Glastonbury changing a floodlight with the low sun on me - I was happy in my job - then it started raining and getting dark!
All the best with the gas engineering - I couldn't do it, I'm afraid of water 'cause it's messy! Use your resettlement wisely as advised.
 
echo other posts. to become a fully qualified electrician ( not a domestic installer) takes 4 - 5 years on crap pay. plumbing courses are a few weeks, and gas is not much longer. ( Pi$$ flows downhill and gas goes bang, there, that's half the course done ). :mad:
 
Its funny because if you asked the same question on the plumbers forum you would get the opposite advice saying become an electrician as the competition is fierce in the gas industry etc....Go with your heart mate and if thats electrics then go for it..........you will have a long time ahead of you doing something you don't enjoy otherwise. Good luck :)
 
If I had a choice again I would be tempted by gas. Good fitters are in demand round here and on good money. Good electricians less so due to the vast numbers of useless sparkies making up the numbers.

Whatever you do, do it properly. I have heard that fully time served plumbers that also do gas are more than twice the guy than someone who has only ever done gas.
 
I think if you can get a gas engineer course under your elbow, (swedish expression!) go for it. If you really wanna do electrics you will have the money to study that as well later. If you get the both under your elbow you are the kiddie! These things aint cheap out in civvy street.
 
Hello everyone,

I have just signed up to the forum so that I can get some advice off of someone.
I am due to leave the military in a couple of months and I have decided that I would like to get into a trade. I am stuck between two options and that is to become an electrician, or a plumber.

I have read that being an electrician is much better because of the working conditions and the pay, but I just wanted some advice before I jumped into a decision.

Which ever trade I decide to train in I will be trying to do it through an apprenticeship as I have heard this is the best way to go about things. If anyone can think of another route that would be much appreciated also.

Hope I haven't asked any stupid questions I just wanted some advice as I am getting closer and closer to my discharge date.

Thank you.

Alex.
What branch of the Military are you in Alex?
 

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