Apprenticeship for an older guy?

[Snuffy2]

Hi, I'm 38, an IT guy, office based and kinda fell into it about 7 years ago. I'm a help desk guy doing desktop and server support. Not really loving it and not fulfilled.

I worked on site about 8 years ago doing a bit of plumbing, gas fitting and general handyman type work all under supervision. I worked hard and really enjoyed it.

After some long hard thought about the direction of my life, I'm considering learning to be an electrician... not sure what I need to know about finding an apprenticeship, I randomly applied for two yesterday for large new-build domestic companies, I believe this is known as 'house bashing'. Would this be a good entry to the business, or is it too limited in scope to be of use when completing an apprenticeship?

Am I too old to start? Will anyone take on an apprentice of my age?

I don't have any friends that are electricians to ask for advice.

Cheers.

 

[Specialist]

Hi & welcome: No mate 38 is not too old to start, if you've really thought about it & decided that it's what you want, then go for it. Yep housebashing is what we call domestic work. While Domestic is a good way to get a grounding, try not to limit yourself. Commercial & Industrial is harder & often dirtier but can be much more interesting, especially if you get into Industrial fault finding etc.
Just hope you like studying & hard work, you've got a lot of it ahead. Trust me though, it will be worth it in the end.


Good luck.

 

[rolyberkin]

Hi, I think it depends what you want to achieve, I would consider starting by undertaking 2365 L2 and L3, perhaps at night school, there is as far as I am aware no funding for someone over 24 from the government so you will probably have to self fund your learning and get work more as an improver. I am sure there are employers out there who will take on an older apprentice but financially you are not such a good prospect for an employer. That being said the older apprentice has advantages in that they are generally not glued to a smart phone all day long! Good Luck.

 

[D00DY_T00DY]

Never too old to start. You seem to have the passion for it.
Granted most companies prefer school leavers cos they can pay peanuts however on the other hand im sure some companies would prefer a mature apprentice with previous experience on site. I have a lad on my course who's in his late thirties with 8 kids.
Contact a training provider who can help you look for an apprenticeship.

You may need to pay for your course either yourself or a portion; depends on the company.

Best bet is to print out some CVs, go to local firms in person and tell them you're with x training provider looking for an apprenticeship.

Best of luck to you bud.

 

[Rpa07]

8 kids?
That's what happens when you don't work.
I'll bet that he's glad to get to work to get away from it.

 

[Specialist]

Alternatively get a job as a mate while going to college & work up from there, often easier to get a job when your already working in that environment.
8 kids, Geez it's hard enough with 3

 

[D00DY_T00DY]

8 kids?
That's what happens when you don't work.
I'll bet that he's glad to get to work to get away from it.

No he's a lovely lad. Been working at the council for years doing removals and bits before that he was a mechanic. Must have decided on a change of careers and got an apprenticeship with the council housing company.
Not sure he said 8 kids or kids and grandkids.

And some of the stuff he comes out with has me in hysterics.

 

[Rpa07]

I believe you Doody - you've earnt that for sure!

 

[Rpa07]

To @Snuffy2 - a lot of people have done exactly what you want to do and so many have succeeded. I for one have come out of nursing into electrical and enjoy it a lot.
Because a lot have done it you can read their stories and replies by the forum members if you use the search window and do some reading. If you are on a desktop you can scroll to similar threads at the bottom of screen.
My advice is to by some books, second hand or new and read about electricity, installation and everything that is.
YouTube is good as well although you'll have to discern the good the bad and the very ugly.

 

[D00DY_T00DY]

I believe you Doody - you've earnt that for sure!

He's taught me some great sayings though lol
"Ya f*#$ing f&'ny"
"Stop talking wet"
And stopping the tutor mid talk about the minimum and maximum temperature of storage heaters with "tepid! Tepids a good word" followed by everyone admiring the word tepid haha
Still squeeze the word tepid in where possible

 

[Rpa07]

Like this thread if you carry on - tepid!

 

[D00DY_T00DY]

Like this thread if you carry on - tepid!

It's a great word.

Sorry OP another idea however to dip your toe into the trade is look for some casual Saturdays with a local electrician. I'm sure most wouldn't mind an extra pair of hands for feeding cables. How I started whilst on a full time level one course.

Post in the jobs section of the forum see if someone's willing to have you shadow them on odd jobs.

 

[uksrevivor]

Welcome to the forum snuffy2
Im in my mid 40s and retrained as an electrician over the last 3 years. I self funded my courses and went full time at college although its only 2 days per week. You will have a couple of routes to take to get qualifications in this field and i will try and explain them.
Option 1 level 2 city and guilds 2365 diploma in electrical installations will cost around £1000 at a good college. It is full time but mine was only 2 days per week allowing me to earn and work the rest of the week. This course teaches you the very basic practical work and goes into some detail on electrical theory and the science behind it.
You may after successful completion be eligible for a government grant or student loan to pay the fees for the level 3 diploma which is solely theory based with a lot of science and maths involved. The level 3 diploma costs around £1700 to £2300 for the year. This will be your second year. After successful completion you will still not be a qualified electrician, you will need to undertake a practical exam and complete an NVQ portfolio which will only be achievable with onsite practical experience. Its the AM2 if im correct.
This is a fast track route and will only be achieved if you can get work as an electricians mate. It is possible to achieve in 2 years and 6 months but is costly as you will have to self fund the AM2 at around £2000 on top of the level 3 course fees.
Option 2
You are not to old for an apprenticeship in this field but they can be hard to come by as a mature student. As an apprentice you will attend college 1 or 2 days a week but it will take 4 years to complete. The positive side of the apprenticeship is you will gain experience as you learn working for a company and it will be funded for you.
My advice will always be that an apprenticeship is the best option if you can handle 4 years as you will gain invaluable experience in the practical side of this work.
To put this into prospective I took the option 1 route im still learning but im one of the lucky ones as I gained experience from a very knowledgeable electrician who saw potential in me and taught me what i know now. If you take option 1 and do not gain any work experience with an electrician then to put it bluntly the certifications will not be worth a carrot in the outside world as you will not be able to undertake the work involved.
Hope some of this helps and if you need any more info post on here and someone will help.
Good luck and stick with it if you continue its bloody rewarding and I can say its been worth every penny in my experience.
Just a last note try and avoid the 5 week wonder courses that promise the world

 

[uksrevivor]

P.S sorry for the long post I have been away for a while lol

 

[dmxtothemax]

I was 32 when I did my apprenticeship !
Worth it - YES
Will someone take you on ?
Maybe
it comes down to attitude
be positive and sell yourself
every chance you get
believe in yourself and you will do it !

 

[Rpa07]

Just looking at this 'similar thread ' to the the apprenticeship interview question. This OP did not respond and has not been on the forum since asking the question! Now unless he lost his username or got hit on the head and forgot he wanted to be a spark
THATS JUST RUDE - considering the input many of you and me replied.
As @Pete999 would say - Rant over!

 

[Rpa07]

Just looking at this 'similar thread ' to the the apprenticeship interview question. This OP did not respond and has not been on the forum since asking the question! Now unless he lost his username or got hit on the head and forgot he wanted to be a spark
THATS JUST RUDE - considering the input many of you and me replied.
As @Pete999 would say - Rant over!

 

[Rpa07]

So angry I said it twice!

 

[Squid]

If in IT and doing server support you ay be better off getting your Cisco Accreditation at the age of 40 I'd rather be a contractor ( Umbrella or Limited) on £250 + per day working 9 to 5 in a nice clean environment then working in filth.

 

[Specialist]

If in IT and doing server support you ay be better off getting your Cisco Accreditation at the age of 40 I'd rather be a contractor ( Umbrella or Limited) on £250 + per day working 9 to 5 in a nice clean environment then working in filth.

Wimp

 

[Rpa07]

Sorry guys, I resurrected this thread because the OP only logged on once and didn't reply. He's in the wind, don't waste your time except to grumble about not appreciating help!

 

[Specialist]

If the op applies as much effort to training as he has to replying to a thread he started, he won't get far in the Electrical trade.

 

[Pete999]

Just looking at this 'similar thread ' to the the apprenticeship interview question. This OP did not respond and has not been on the forum since asking the question! Now unless he lost his username or got hit on the head and forgot he wanted to be a spark
THATS JUST RUDE - considering the input many of you and me replied.
As @Pete999 would say - Rant over!

Steady on Mate you'll be on them BP pills before you know it, he is offline now, but agree with you, a thanks would be nice, make you feel or warm inside, hey up that's the Red doing it's work, so come on OP say something.

 

[static zap]

Maybe too ashamed ,
Unrealistic dream -shot down . (afraid of 2+2)
Discovered he was dissabled / excluded form training .
Just exploring /forgot how he got here ! (Del-History)
( another time wasting wind-up...Arghhh)
....come on OP... (as Pete999 said)
...Please don't leave us out in the REIN ... randomly !

 

[Snuffy2]

Wow, sorry all, didn't see an email notification of responses so assumed no-one had replied. What an awesome thread, and thank you all for responding... lots to read through and digest. I have a lot of research to do! You are absolutely right it was completely rude not to respond or say thank you. I can only apologise.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Rpa07]

Snuffy 2 we was worried - had a search party out and all.
It was me that was miffed and brought up the thread - read through it all and give us your thoughts since
APRIL 20TH!

 

[Pete999]

Snuffy 2 we was worried - had a search party out and all.
It was me that was miffed and brought up the thread - read through it all and give us your thoughts since
APRIL 20TH!

Yeah already had the SAS on standby.

 

[Snuffy2]

Hi all,

Some thoughts on your advice...

I'm not afraid of hard work... had to do that for my degree, and then in IT to get my foot in the door, and then various exams and training (ongoing) to keep it in the door.

It's a big concern about the difficulty in getting an apprenticeship, due to my age. I couldn't afford to study without a job, nor the risk of not getting a job at the end of it. I got a fairly generic response from one of apprenticeships I applied for to say that I was 'shortlisted' for the next round of interview/selection days. We'll see if I ever hear from them again.

I like the idea of night school. I could see how I get on with it, maybe find a local 'taster' course if there is such a thing.

Apprenticeship salary is another concern. My other half would probably not appreciate little/no money coming in, so night school might be a good option if I could keep my current job. If I were to do a night school course, evening/weekend work, casual Saturdays etc is a good recommendation, I could contact a number of local electricians. "Post in the jobs section of the forum see if someone's willing to have you shadow them on odd jobs." - I would also be willing to volunteer to work for free in exchange for a bit of experience and training.

Reading books/youtube - will definitely do that and see if it interests me enought to keep reading.

Specifics on costs for training were excellent, thanks uksrevior. I definitely value the apprenticeship route as I've seen people in IT with all the key certifications yet no idea what they were doing. on a similar note, the statement about Cisco accreditation... I have the first couple, they were the hardest exams of the the IT ones I've done, but only using the knowledge for a brief time in a previous job without the hours and hours of hands on they're worth nothing... so £250/day is great, but requires experience in addition to the accreditation to go with it.

I appreciate all your advice everyone, I am truly sorry for not replying sooner. Thank you so much for your time!

 

[Toneyz]

The only problem is the money side. As a 18/19 apprentice the money is not all that great to begin with so does not cost the company a lot of and I think they are paid by the government. In your case if you left your current job you would have responsibilities to take in consideration with the drop in income. whilst you could get the formal qualifications at night school its the practical experience that goes with it which you could gain helping out on Saturdays etc.. and get your foot in the door that way with gaining experience whilst keeping your income with your current job.