The third Monday in January, which falls on the 21^st of January this year, has been labelled as the most depressing day of the year or Blue Monday.

This year, rather than revelling in sadness and taking a negative attitude towards your life, we challenge you to turn this negativity into motivation and try something new. If Mondays in general (but particularly this one) make you feel down, depressed and unmotivated, then it’s time to make some changes.

At Access Training Academies, our goal is to give you the tools and skills you need to step into a career that is truly satisfying and fulfilling. We offer courses in a range of disciplines, so whether you want to try your hand at carpentry, branch into the world of IT and computing, or train to become a fully-qualified electrician – we can help! We have over 30 different courses for you to choose from, and our friendly and experienced tutors will guide and support you throughout to ensure you get the best possible results.

Never have another blue Monday again! Browse the courses we offer by heading to our site, or give us a call on 0800 345 7492 to talk to one of our advisers about how you can start your journey towards a more rewarding career.

Browse Courses Here >

If you haven’t noticed already, we have a brand new website! Our friends over at Designer Websites, who helped us out with our last website re-design back in 2015, have once again proved their capabilities and professionalism to bring our current website up-to-date with a new, attractive look and feel!

All of the great, important features that we included in our last re-design, such as the ‘course finder’ function has remained – so there should be no worries about having any difficulties finding the information or course you need. In fact, with our new design, locating the essential information you want regarding our range of courses is now even easier, with simplified menus and website copy. Something which was high on our priority list for the new design. As well as having updated pages for all of our existing courses in the electrical, gas, plumbing and construction industry, we now offer fantastic courses in the IT sector! These can now be viewed and applied for today!

We hope you enjoy navigating and using our new website just as much as we do! If you have any questions or want to enquire about one of our courses, click below today!

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Choosing to change careers is ultimately YOUR decision. But if you're unsure, you should spend some time evaluating your current situation in order to establish whether or not a career move is the right step to take.

Are you happy in your current job?

Perhaps you're considering a career change because you're feeling unhappy in your current job. If that's the case, ensure you aren't making a drastic decision based on one bad day at work, or a temporary problem that will likely be resolved before long. Take some time to write down exactly what it is about your current situation that is making you unhappy.

Having the negatives of your current job written down in front of you will help you to get a handle on how you really feel. As a bonus, you'll also have a list of attributes to steer clear of when searching for your new career!

Are you moving sideways? Or looking for a whole new career?

Before you go any further, ask yourself whether you're craving a mere change of scenery, or a new line of work entirely. If you have lots of experience in your current industry, you might be tempted to take the easy route and simply 'move sideways' - that is, get a similar job with a different employer, perhaps in a different city or a less familiar working environment.

This is fine if you're simply sick of your current manager or looking for a larger salary, but if you're genuinely dissatisfied with your current career, you shouldn't be afraid to try something completely new. Either way, make sure you know what sort of change you're after before you go after it.

Brainstorm some ideas

If a complete career change does seem like the right choice for you, the next step is to decide which new career you'd like to pursue. You've already prepared a list of things you dislike about your current profession - now you need to think about what positives you're looking for in your work.

A good way of doing this is to explore your current interests. If you pursue a profession that's relevant to your own passions, then the difficulties that always come with starting a new job will feel a little less daunting.

If you have no idea what you'd like to do next, why not speak to your family and friends - or even a professional career adviser - to establish where your strengths lie, what your core values are, and which line of work they would suit best.

Do you need any new qualifications / education?

Once you know roughly what type of career you'd like to pursue, you may find that you need some new skills and/or qualifications before you can proceed.

It's likely - if you're completely changing careers - that your current CV won't carry all that much weight in your new industry. So look for classes, college courses, and work experience opportunities that will serve as an introduction to your new profession and give you the tools you'll need to forge a new career path.

Here at Access Training, we offer career change course packages with no prior experience required. Select a training option to find out more:

Electrician Courses   Plumbing Courses   Gas Courses

Read our reviews to find out what past learners have said about their Access Training courses!

If you’re thinking about changing to an electrician career path or are already working as an electrician and are looking for to gain further qualifications to move your career forward, Access Training Academies are here to help!

If you are part of the former, you may have already had a think about how to kick-start your career as an electrician and what is the best option for you. We understand that this can get fairly complicated with a variety of roles of pathways available to you, but it doesn’t have to be with our range of fast-track Electrician Courses - perfect to get you onto your desired electrician career path.

The Demand for Electricians

A recently carried out report showed that electricians and other skilled trade experts are among the most difficult professionals to employ through a lack of workforce numbers, above and over sales, management and executives.

Figures issued by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the electrical industry is in anguish as a result of a lack of resources, largely due to an ageing workforce.

As a result of apprenticeships or meaningful training routes not being available over the years, there has been a decreased number of new entrants into the field.

This doesn’t have to be an issue, however, with our courses - we ensure that they are perfectly tailored to an electrician career path. 

Becoming an Electrician

The main role of a typical electrician is to install, test and maintain electrical equipment, wiring, fittings and appliances in a variety of commercial and residential settings.

Traditionally, the way in which an individual would enter the electrical industry would be to first complete an industry-recognised Level 3 qualification such as an NVQ while working or subsequently enrol onto an apprenticeship which combines studies with on-the-job training.

These, however, can take many years to complete. Something you do not have to worry about with Access Training.

Access Training Electrical Courses

As mentioned, whether you are just starting out in your electrician career path, or are looking to increase your number of professional qualifications, Access Training provides a number of high-quality electrician career programmes that guarantee you achieve all necessary qualifications while gaining valuable work experience.

Our New Career Courses focus on providing all of the basic and essential electrician qualifications, regardless of prior experience, whereas our range of Trade Professional Courses are centred around providing experienced electricians with further qualifications and training in order to meet current regulations and further their existing abilities. All of our Electrical Courses can be viewed below.

Start Your Electrician Career Path

If you have any questions or require further information regarding our Electrical Courses, or how to navigate your very own electrician career path, please do not hesitate to contact us today by calling 0800 345 7492 or emailing info@accesstraininguk.co.uk.

Whether you’re thinking about exploring careers in plumbing, or you’re curious as to how plumbing career progression might work, there are a few different routes that someone in the plumbing profession can take.

More...

Are you looking for an alternative to university? Or perhaps you're thinking of changing careers and you're keen to do something a bit more hands-on? Either way, our training courses are exactly what you're after!

Here at Access Training Academies, we offer a range of short and intensive training courses that are designed help you start your new job quickly, even if you've no prior trade experience to speak of. We can help you to get qualified in a number of different professions, including:

• Carpentry
• Plumbing
• Electrical
• Plastering
• Gas

Our extensive course catalogue has something for everyone, and we tailor our training programmes to fit your needs and lifestyle. Whether you're looking for an intensive fast-track course or something that allows you to study alongside your present job, we can help you find the best way to learn. Our aim is to get you qualified as quickly as possible so that you can begin your new career and start earning right away.

If this sounds like the right choice for you and you'd like to get started on the road to your new job, please do not hesitate to contact our course advisers!

In an unpredictable Britain, vocational training could be your light at the end of the tunnel. Learning a highly sought-after skill through vocational training is a dependable way to ensure you maintain job stability in an ever-changing market.

As a society, we are so reliant on these basic necessities to get through the day, that the prospect of being without them is frightening! In fact, with a large percentage of UK workers spending 8 hours a day on a computer, when we lose our electricity supply - businesses grind to a halt. 

Who is it that maintains and safeguards the installation of these basic needs? The skilled trade workers among us, that's who. As the world of technology increases so does the demand for those skilled in the trades. This is why we believe vocational training is just as, if not more so, important than a university degree.

What is vocational training?

Vocational training courses are work-related qualifications that take a more hands-on approach to academic qualifications. Training courses are designed to set up learners for practical careers such as plumbing and building.

Types of vocational courses

• Construction
  
  
• Plumbing
  
  
• Electrical
  
  
• Gas
  
  
• Food Preparation
  
  
• Hairdressing

What are the advantages of vocational training?

1. No costly debt from University

Vocational training typically costs a mere fraction of university costs and it also provides more financial stability as trade skills are always in demand.

One of the main benefits of training to become a tradesperson is that you have no major debt looming over you once you finish your course. In fact, as soon as you receive your certificate, you can immediately start earning money from what you've learnt! 

Many people go to university nowadays because they're unsure what they want to do in the future. Sure, this may seem like a good idea at the time, but is it really worth the debt? If you're not dedicated to the path you've chosen, it's not worth spending 3 years learning about something you won't pursue in the future.

As said by entrepreneur, Joseph Valente, who set up his own very successful plumbing business ImpraGas, 'If you're motivated by the business, that's going to drive you every day'. Joseph believes you shouldn't 'waste three years doing something that your hearts not in' and we agree. 

Vocational courses ensure you're on the right path straight away and can easily make your trade your passion. 

Please share this with someone who is debating whether to go to University🎓 pic.twitter.com/wKSBGLS2N1

— Joseph Valente (@MrJosephValente) 23 January 2018

2. Job stability

There will always be a need for plumbers, electricians and builders.

As previously mentioned, it's difficult to imagine how we would live without these basic necessities provided for us. The skills learnt through a trade course will always be vital to a thriving society and will ensure you're in demand at all times.

After learning a skill that is needed in every part of the world, you'll find it even easier to pursue the right career for you. If you want to move abroad for work, go ahead! If you want to switch companies, there are ton's more which are desperate for your skill set. If you want to be your own boss - do it! 

The qualifications and skills gained from vocational courses provide you with the stability and freedom most people aspire to have. 

3. It takes far less time to become qualified

On average, training courses for vocational trades take months rather than years to complete.

This is the ideal way to train for anyone who is looking to switch careers and has a job alongside their training course. 

Of course, many people gain their vocational training through apprenticeships rather than vocational training courses. Apprenticeships are good if you're just coming out of school and can afford the low pay. Perseverance and patience is key to apprenticeships - but if you have commitments, it may not be possible to dedicate yourself to a job that cannot pay your bills. When you reach adulthood, money is a necessity and low pay for a couple years could put your livelihood at risk. 

Many training courses are flexible to fit around you and so you can easily maintain your job whilst training for a new trade profession. 

4. You can start working sooner

Learning a trade means you are skilled in this area as soon as you complete your course.

Another benefit of vocational training is that it provides you with all the experience you need to start working right away. Many graduates coming out of university find that this is not the case with their degree and they still need to gain that all-important experience.

 You can start working for a company, work freelance or even strive to set up your own company.

Anne Milton, the Minister of State for Skills and Apprenticeships, recently said that apprenticeships and courses are "on-the-job training. What's not to like?". She also believes that "the default should not be University. No matter how bright you are, there are other options out there."

5. Vocational trades are well paid

On average, Plumbers earn around £33,500 per year. Electricians earn around £36,000 and builders earn around £32,500.

Compared to the average starting salary for graduates hovering around £19,000-£22,000, it's fair to say that a vocational training course could work in your favour financially.

These wages can increase substantially in different areas and will progress over time. As with everything, it pays to have patience in an industry. However, if you embark on a vocational training course, rather than a university course, you will start your career in the industry sooner and progress in the salary department quicker. 

If you're interested in pursuing a hands-on career, Access Training Academies are the largest provider of vocational training courses in the UK. Take a look and find the right course for you today.