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considering a new career in 2024? check out our top tips for UK job seekers

 

New year, new career! Something that is often spoken about at this time of year, is how the step forward into a new year can leave people feeling unfulfilled and ready for change. Revamping your CV is the first, and possibly most important, step to your 2025 job hunt.

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considering a new career in 2024? check out our top tips for UK job seekers

 

New year, new career! Something that is often spoken about at this time of year, is how the step forward into a new year can leave people feeling unfulfilled and ready for change. Revamping your CV is the first, and possibly most important, step to your 2025 job hunt.

More...

Robert Peston interviews Access Training on ITV

From Solicitor to Plumber: How People Are Retraining to Cope During the Coronavirus Pandemic

ITV News, 24th September 2020

Access Training was recently featured on a special edition of ITV's Tonight. Titled 'Can We Save Our Jobs?' and presented by Robert Peston, the programme highlighted the trials and tribulations that people have endured while on furlough during the coronavirus pandemic: the stress of having no work, the strain of having to provide for your family, and the hopelessness of a jobless future.

But it's not all doom and gloom.

 

"Anybody who's lost their job... my advice is don't be afraid. With hard work and the right training... you can do anything that you want."

Access Training tutor Jimmy Adkins, speaking to ITV's Robert Peston

 

The programme featured several Access Training students - people from a variety of backgrounds who felt the economic impact of the pandemic and made the wise decision to pursue a career in the trade industry. Chefs have become gas engineers, cab drivers have taken up plumbing, and even solicitors are jumping on the bandwagon.

Talking to Peston, our gas tutor Jimmy Adkins gives an excellent summary of the situation, detailing the enormous spike in demand for construction courses that followed the COVID-19 crisis:

 

"It went absolutely crazy. Guys have come from all sorts of backgrounds - taxi drivers, entertainment, even to the point where I've had some solicitors because they're unsure of whether they're ever going to go back to working in the office."

Access Training tutor Jimmy Adkins

 

One of our students, Chris Kruger, was also interviewed for the programme. Chris recently left his job as a chef, citing job uncertainty as the main reason for this decision. He speaks of the "very stressful and very worrying" threat to his job, and indeed the whole catering industry:

 

"Not knowing whether things were going to go back to normal, whether I would still have a job, the situation at home - expecting a baby and so forth - and my partner also being in the hospitality industry... both of us sitting on furlough, you can imagine the stress."

Access Training student Chris Kruger

 

Access Training on ITV

ITV Tonight: Can We Save Our Jobs?

Chris very wisely decided that retraining as a plumber would secure his young family's future in these increasingly unsettling and unstable times. Instead of sitting back and letting everything crumble around him, Chris took it upon himself to prepare for the future: "I just said, no, I need to utilise this time to study."

If Chris can do it, so can you. The furlough scheme has now ended, but the pandemic is ongoing and there is still a lot of uncertainty about the future - especially in sectors like entertainment and hospitality, which were hit especially hard by Covid and which will bear the brunt of any future lockdowns.

The Access Training students who appeared on ITV's Tonight programme took the right steps at the right time to become qualified tradespeople. They invested in their careers, and made the choice to be proactive and determined.

Access Training can be your stepping stone to a secure and fulfilling career; the safety net you need in these unforgiving times.

 

Demand is high, and the time is now. Take the initiative today - get in touch now to speak to a course advisor.

Browse Our Trade Courses >

Learn your trade. Get qualified. Make it happen.

Is being an electrician fun?

With most people now working well into their 60s (if not later), it's important to choose a career that you're likely to enjoy. As those who have taken an Access Training electrical course will know, electricians make good money, often get to choose their own hours, and are in very high demand in the UK right now. But is being an electrician fun? Is it a job that people genuinely enjoy, or just another way to pay the bills?

The answer mostly depends on what you personally enjoy doing. We find that most of our graduates very much enjoy their new line of work, but it's good to find out if it’s something you’ll like before you start your electrical training. So, what can you expect from a job as an electrician? 

Here are few things to consider:

 

Do you find fixing things rewarding?

One of the things electricians most enjoy about their job is the satisfaction of fixing things. Having to work out what’s wrong and then correct the problem takes a lot of knowledge – if you like problem solving, you’ll probably find being an electrician fun!

 

Do you like being active?

You may not realise what an active life electricians lead. A typical day can include climbing up and down stairs, scaffolding and ladders many times. You may also have to crawl into small places. Either way, you'll need to be in relatively good shape. It’s far from an office job, so if you don’t like getting up and about then you may not find the job too fun.

 

Do you want a job with variety?

Being an electrician gives you the freedom to explore new work every day. You aren’t confined to one place and this means you’ll have lots of different experiences and meet lots of different people. Many electricians love that they constantly get to switch up their daily routine, finding a lot of fun in the diversity of the job.

 

Hopefully this have given you a bit more insight as to what it’s like to be an electrician, and what you can expect from a job as an electrician. If you have any further questions, reach out and contact us today. A member of our team will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have, and help you kick-start your career today. Alternatively, click here to view our electrical training packages.

 

Last updated 5th July 2022

benefits of being your own boss

Becoming your own boss and living the self-employed life has many benefits, like independence and freedom. Starting your own business is a dream that many people share! Although being your own boss can be challenging, the freedom and benefits of self-employment can be truly life-changing.

Considering starting your own business? Here are 6 reasons why becoming your own boss could be the perfect career choice for you…

 

 1. Independence & Creative Freedom

Working for yourself means that you can set your own direction without having to follow strict guidelines set out by a company. This means you can explore new ideas and creative approaches without fear of rejection from management and other team members. Your business will therefore become something that is uniquely yours, reflecting your values and vision. Let's be honest here — this is the part of being your own boss that you're really excited about. 

2. Work-Life Balance

Being your own boss means you can set your own schedule, enabling you to plan your workday around your own existing commitments instead of being chained to the usual 9-5. This flexible schedule allows you to spend more time doing the things you love with the people you love without needing permission first! 

3. Pursue Your Passions

One benefit of being your own boss is that you can select clients and projects that align with your specific interests and expertise. For example, if you prefer doing domestic trade jobs in your local area in comparison to large construction projects further afield, you can choose to do domestic jobs every day and only carry out work that you enjoy doing and feel confident in.

4. Potential Higher Earnings

If you are employed by someone else and receiving a fixed income, then no matter how hard you work, it will always be a struggle to raise your salary. Asking for a raise can be frightening and embarrassing. One of the greatest benefits of being your own boss is that there is no salary cap and you are in control of what you earn. Your earnings will depend entirely on how hard you work and the opportunities you are able to find. This is particularly true if you choose a trade career, as electricians and plumbers get to choose how much they charge each customer.

5. Personal Growth

Being your own boss requires you to take on a wide variety of roles—including manager, accountant, marketer, customer service assistant and more. Having such a diverse set of responsibilities pushes you to learn new skills and overcome obstacles independently. This can lead to a huge increase in confidence, skill development and overall personal growth.

6. Greater Job Satisfaction

There is a different level of satisfaction that comes from being your own boss. Every choice you make will directly impact your business’s success. Working a job where you feel easily replaceable and the work you do goes unnoticed is incredibly frustrating. Don't waste your time on a career that is making you miserable. Manage your own company, and watch your actions make a difference. It's super rewarding!

Tradespeople are a vital and respected part of society whose services will be needed for as long as the population continues to grow. This means that there is always a place for new tradespeople in society and there is little chance of you feeling undervalued or unneeded if you start your own trade business!

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Reasons to Be Your Own Boss

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to be your own boss, including salary and job satisfaction. So, if you’ve had enough of working for other people, join the hundreds of other Access Training students who have used the skills and qualifications learnt in our training centres to start their own businesses.

Enquire today about a course at Access Training and with the help of our course advisors, you’re bound to find the right trade course for you!

Browse Trade Courses >

Check out our blog What to Consider When Becoming a Self-Employed Tradesperson for more information to help you get started!

Why not start a new career?The steps to retrain and start a new career aren't quite as hard as many people think, but there's always one obstacle that makes the decision much harder than it needs to be - fear. The fear of it not quite working out, the fear of what other people might think of your new career path, the fear of struggling to find (and pass) the training you require...these and many other fears are preventing people from making their dreams come true. However, these fears will only stop you if you let them, and this can be avoided with three simple steps to helping that dream career become a reality.

Play to your strengths

The various construction/trade industries all rely on different skillsets that realistically may or may not be suitable. Trades such as bricklaying or plastering place greater emphasis on physical strength and stamina, while electrical and gas engineering training require more theory knowledge and calculating skills. Knowing what you excel at is the key to making your new career a success, but be sure to also do a good amount of research into your potential new career before starting down the path. What qualifications do you need? Where can you train? What will the course entail? These are the kind of questions you should be asking, and ones that our team of course advisors would also be happy to answer for you.

 

Take it one step at a time

Even if you're dead-set on what you want to do with your life, the thought of rushing into a new career can still be incredibly daunting. At the same time, procrastinating can also doom something to failure before it's even gotten properly off the ground. Don't just make a website or twitter and then leave it to die; instead, wait until you're good and ready to do things like that . Take it slowly - we've already mentioned research, so move on to writing your goals down on paper. Discuss your plans with friends and family - you never know, they might have work that needs doing that you can eventually take on or even have some handy contacts in the industry. Come to one of our training centres, have a look around, and discuss your needs with our course advisors. Then, when you feel ready, you can book the date for your training course and have plenty of time to prepare yourself.

 

Prepare a safety net

While we by no means think failure is a likely thing (in fact, we're confident it'll be quite the opposite), it would be wrong of you to not prepare for the worst just as a precautionary measure. Make sure you have an idea of where you could turn for a job should your new career not turn out the way you expect, and then once that's written down, keep it safe and you need never think about it again unless it comes up. It's also good to be sure you have ample finances to keep yourself afloat while you're training. If you're currently employed you might want to hold onto that job for as long as possible while you retrain. This is why we've made our courses flexible - so that you can train when you have the time.

 

That should get some of the fear out of the way! Now, here are some very real facts that demonstrate why now is the time to start a new career as a professional plumber, electrician, gas engineer or construction worker. The UK is always short of professional tradespeople to perform all kinds of domestic installations and fixings, and with new housebuilding on the rise that shortage is only going to increase. There simply aren't enough bricklayers, plasterers, carpenters and tilers around to help set the houses up, and even when there are, where are the electricians, plumbers and decorators who are able to turn that house into a home?

Construction/trade careers are cited among the happiest around, offering the right level of challenge to match the skills required. The hours and pay rate are enviable too, especially if you choose to go self-employed!

Still, there's no wrong time to start a new career. These trades aren't just a young man's game, nor are they something best suited only to older people; if you've got the drive and dedication to earn your qualifications and make the dream come true, then you're exactly what employers are looking for.

To find out more about what's on offer here at Access Training, give us a call on 0800 345 7492. Keep your end goal in sight, and then not even fear will be able to stop you.

Get in touch to learn more about our training courses!

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