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We are pleased to announce that Access Training is now partnered with Rated People, the UK's top online marketplace for trustworthy tradespeople.

Anyone can post a job on the Rated People website - for example, if Joe Bloggs needs a plumber to fix his leaky sink, he can submit a request via Rated People and nearby tradespeople will be able to offer their services.

Once the job is done and dusted, Joe can post a review on the plumber's profile page to let others know whether that particular tradesman proved reliable.

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If you’re looking for a career in trade, you may be feeling a bit lost about what job role to choose.

There’s no denying that the trade industry is a great to get your teeth stuck into - there are always jobs available and you also get the brilliant satisfaction of hands-on work. But how do you choose your pathway?

If you're finding yourself asking - what course is right for me? Here are the characteristics and qualities needed for each of our courses to help you decide…

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Rated People logo

We are pleased to announce that Access Training is now partnered with Rated People, the UK's top online marketplace for trustworthy tradespeople.

Anyone can post a job on the Rated People website - for example, if Joe Bloggs needs a plumber to fix his leaky sink, he can submit a request via Rated People and nearby tradespeople will be able to offer their services.

Once the job is done and dusted, Joe can post a review on the plumber's profile page to let others know whether that particular tradesman proved reliable.

More...


If you’ve decided you want to train for a new career, here are five things you should consider which could help you along the way – and make the leap seem less daunting!

How long will it take? 

Time is a key element in any decision to pursue a new career. Consider whether the new career requires any additional training, for example, or whether there is a probation or training period in your new role. If new qualifications are required, the length of time it takes to qualify might vary depending on the level of the qualification. Understanding the new career and the training courses you'll need to complete to get there is paramount!

At Access Training, becoming a qualified tradesperson can take a matter of months, rather than potentially years of apprenticeship work – meaning you can get on the tools, start earning a wage, and progress down your new career path in no time at all.

How much can you expect to earn?

Obviously, earnings will vary considerably while you're training for a new career, depending on what kind of work you pursue. However, it is a good idea to consider doing some research yourself, to ensure that you know the extent of your financial situation, and how secure you will be in your new role.  Perhaps some savings will be required to undertake new qualifications, or a temporary job will be necessary in order to fund your training. Make sure that you are financially secure enough to do the training you need to start your new career. Sufficient planning and financial awareness can make the transition into a new career seamless and secure!

Careers in construction can be very lucrative, especially if you decide to become your own boss. In an era where tradespeople are in increasing demand, work opportunities are well-paid and plentiful. It’s always a good idea to know where you’ll stand financially in your new role and to prepare accordingly.

Do you want to be your own boss?

Your new role might allow you the opportunity to become your own boss. This is a new and exciting prospect, and one which millions of people across the UK are pursuing – in 2019, the number of self-employed workers was at its highest for twenty years.  

Perhaps one of the reasons you became tired of your old career and fancied a change was to give yourself more flexibility and autonomy in your professional life. A career like construction is perfectly suited to achieving this kind of freedom. With the right qualifications, experience and drive, you can start building your brand and customer base with just a few first steps – and a significant part of our course at Access Training is designed to help you commence your new career, whether you want to be your own boss or not!

 How will the change impact your lifestyle?

A new career can affect your life in a number of different ways – your workplace might require you to travel, or take a new route to work, or even to work from home. It might involve a dramatic change in working environment – to go from a stagnant office, for example, to a busy worksite, might require certain preparations and adjustments which it would do no harm to be aware of.

 Have a Plan B!

 Retraining in a new career is no mean feat, especially if you’re departing from a path that you’ve been heading down for a long time. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it – people change careers all the time, and it can be an incredibly rewarding, exciting, even life-changing experience. 

Once you’ve made the decision, and are convinced that it’s the right choice for you, then make sure you have enough financial and emotional backing to make the experience as smooth as possible. And if things don’t quite work out the way you planned, make sure you establish some kind of safety net, to give yourself peace of mind. 

But most of all – go for it! Throw yourself into your new journey and embrace the changes which come your way. The world is your oyster!

What to do if you mess up your A levels

So you’ve just received your A Level results and they’re not what you expected – don’t fret! Thousands of students each year find themselves in this position and although you may be feeling like these results will determine the rest of your life, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Ultimately, A Levels are a small hurdle in the grand scheme of life, and there are plenty of exciting opportunities and options to choose from – even if you didn’t get the grades you wanted!

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There are a wide number of reasons people seek to become an electrician – it’s pretty well known that electricians earn lucrative salaries (check out our blog on trade salaries here). Beyond earning a lucrative salary, electricians also have a lot more flexibility than most traditional careers can offer.

Once you have trained as an electrician, the career direction options are endless. Whether you’re looking for employment with a business or are hoping to find success in self-employment, training as an electrician gives you the freedom to choose your path.

If you’re interested in training to become an electrician and are looking for additional information on the qualifications required to become a sparky, keep reading!

 

Do I need GCSEs to become an electrician?

There are different avenues you can take when it comes to training to be an electrician, such as apprenticeships, college, or training centres. Some facilities will require an applicant to have obtained a number of GCSEs, including maths and English.

Here at Access Training, whether you’ve just finished school or are a mature student looking to train, you can train to become an electrician without GCSEs or equivalent qualifications.

 

What qualifications DO I need?

To become an electrician, there are some qualifications you’ll need to achieve to prove that you’ve trained and have acquired the necessary skills. Depending on the type of work you’re planning to do, there are different levels of training required.

The basic qualification you’ll need to obtain to prove you have the skills required to practice is a level 3 vocational qualification or diploma.

This qualification is the bare essential you need to be able to practice, and depending on what level of work you’d like to engage in past your training period, there are a number of further qualifications you can achieve.

Here at Access Training, we’ve broken it down into three courses– Essential Electrical Course, Professional Electrical Course, and Premier Electrical Course. Each course increases in complexity – the further you train the more qualifications you will achieve, which will enable you to take on a wider range of jobs in the future.

If you’d like to get a more in-depth comparison of the different courses side by side, take a peek at our electrical courses overview page. Here you can find more information about the different courses, the stages of training with Access Training, and course recommendations suited to your unique career goals.

Electrical Courses Overview

 

Our website has a lot of great information on the different courses we provide and their content. If you’re still not sure which course is right for you, reach out and contact us today. We’ll be more than happy to talk over the different options with you, and help you find the perfect fit for your career goals.

 

Read More: Electrician Qualifications: A Guide for Beginners

Training to become a plumber

If you want to become a plumber, there are several different pathways that can get you there. Options include:

  • Completing a college course or apprenticeship
  • Training 'on the job' while working as a plumber's mate
  • Learning your new trade at a training centre

The best option for you will depend on your personal circumstances and your career aspirations.

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Student loans denied

In February, the government announced new plans to restrict access to student loans, depending on academic achievement. Driven by ambitions to restrict university numbers, students who do not receive certain GCSE and A Level grades would no longer be entitled to receive crucial loans to help them through university, regardless of their backgrounds. 

In an attempt to “weed out … low-quality courses” at university, and to reduce the rapidly rising number of students who apply for and attend university in recent years, ministers from the Department of Education have announced plans which state that students who do not achieve a minimum of two E grades at A Level, or Grade 4 pass in English and Maths at GCSE, will not be entitled to receive a student loan. 

This decision raises multiple questions on the culture of education and what expectations we have for our students in today’s world. Are university courses supposed to lead towards fulfilling, better-paid jobs? Should students expect long-term, secure employment after completing their degrees? Or have we, as a culture, become so used to the expectation of these promises being delivered by the university route that we have neglected the other – perhaps more suitable – avenues that can lead to stable, long-term, well-paid employment. Such as construction and vocational routes, the likes of which the UK is in desperate need.

Naturally, the government’s decision has come under criticism, not least because this will impact students from more challenging economic backgrounds whose career options will be dramatically limited beyond attending university. Alistair Jarvis CBE, chief executive of Universities UK, makes the point that “Government should expand opportunity, not constrain it”. And we agree. 

But surely these opportunities should be expanded for all career opportunities beyond university, including vocational training courses? Careers in construction and the trades are just as vital for the UK’s social and economic development, and this change in policy is an opportunity to encourage school leavers to consider all their options in accordance with their strengths. 

Regardless of whether you might agree or disagree with the government’s policy, it is unwise to close certain doors without opening others, and this is what their decision could amount to. Without encouraging more school leavers into vocational training, the decision could negatively impact the futures of yet another generation of young professionals. Without diverting well-equipped and enthusiastic students towards vocational training routes, the government will limit opportunities for students across the country – and those from more disadvantaged backgrounds will bear the brunt.

Other avenues out of school therefore must be highlighted, encouraged, and pursued by educational and government policies, so that these plans for change do not leave students in the lurch, without all the options they are entitled to. And if more students were encouraged to pursue careers in construction as a result, this would be welcomed, considering the industry’s severe skills shortage. 

Moreover, it would allow thousands of students to avoid the baggage of decades-worth of debt: a recent study claimed that students starting university in 2023 would have to wait 40 years after graduating before they manage to pay back their debts. With a rise in “poor-quality, low-cost courses” which do not guarantee effective routes into employment, is this really a price tag worth paying when other options can send you straight into work with a fraction of the time and cost? 

And that’s where we come in. Access Training specialises in a range of vocational training courses, and has been supplying the UK with the next generation of tradespeople and skilled workers for well over a decade. 

We do not believe in placing limitations on opportunity, and consider it our duty to ensure that prospective students enter the world of work as qualified, prepared, and ambitious as possible. Just as some potential students might be missing out on places at university, how many excellent prospective construction professionals have chosen university over a secure, well-paying career, to find themselves unemployed and saddled with debt on the other side?

Access Training represents another avenue, beyond university, which can streamline you into a professional career. Give us a call and we’ll take it from there. 

 

Learn your trade. Get qualified. Make it happen.

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