im 18 and just finished 3 years in college doing the 2365 and im about to do my 17th. i yet have to go on and get my testing qualifications and nvq etc but what type of jobs can your qualified? not including the common sparking like house bashing etc
I shall reach my 69th birthday on 14th of this month, if I'm lucky - perhaps if I tell you what I managed to achieve?
Industry and commerce are a great deal different than when I left school in 1960, but if you work hard, soak up every bit of knowledge that more experienced workers are prepared to give you, and keep your eyes open for opportunities - who knows?
When I left school, I wanted to be a telephone engineer, but because the Post Office only took you in at the age of 16, I was advised to attend the local technical college for a year, on a pre apprenticeship engineering course, as it was called.
towards the end of that, an apprenticeship with the local electricity board came up, so I sat their entrance exam, and started with them, completing in 1966' at the age of 21.
didn't fancy the rest of my life on my knees, lifting floorboards, so in 1968, joined the NHS as a maintenance electrician, having got married the year before.
worked on lights, small power, a small (500 kVa) generator, steam boilers, picked the brains of the fridge engineer who used to come and attend the mortuary units, (he hated it), heating and pumps, including the swimming pool at the nurses home, and also in the nurses home (and "befriended" some very nice nurses!)
Divorced in 1971, (too many nurses?), and in 1973, saw an advertisement from the Post Office, who wanted electricians to train up to fit telephones, so I applied.
when they saw my CV, they offered me a job on their building services department, looking after heating, aircon, batteries, etc, and sent me on a Corgi gas course, and a lift training course.
all that stuff has been rechristened in the last few years as "Facilities", but many of us were doing it, long before the poncy names started appearing!
The Post office had a training college in Staffordshire, and I was encouraged, by one of their staff members, to put in for a post there.
So I did, and moved there in 1980, just a week after marrying, for the second time.
Spent ten years as an Engineering Instructor, training people on basic fault finding, lighting design, electrical installation design and testing, lift maintenance and faultfinding, refrigeration for air conditioning, high voltage switching, (occasionally lectured that one as well), and trained quite a few M & E Clerk of Works.
Then in 1990, I went as an Engineer for a large High Street bank, in their data centre, building management systems, we generated at 11kV, general maintenance, supervising contractors etc, and got divorced for a second time, he mentions in passing!
Redundant in 2003, so having a small income from three pensions, and not getting my old age pension for another eight years, but having paid the mortgage off, I started a window cleaning business.
retired from that now, and still enjoying myself, but avoiding marriage like the plague!
Not a bad career for a simple "sparky", but watch the women, (as often as possible)!
