Featured Article

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...

READ ARTICLE

Changing careers from retail to trades

Changing careers is never an easy decision and for those who have spent years in retail and are considering a shift to a trade profession, the transition can seem daunting. This blog will go over why a transition from retail to the trades could be the perfect opportunity for personal and professional growth and will discuss how Access Training can help you make the leap.

More...

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...

Changing careers from teacher to electrician

Most people train to become teachers with the intention of staying in their chosen vocation for most, if not all, of their careers. Teaching can be a incredibly rewarding career, but it might not be for everyone. Which is why you may be considering a career change from teaching. If you’re interested in a career that is always essential, with the ability to work your own hours with high paying salaries, becoming an electrician could be for you. 

More...

When considering your career options in the trades, you might be thinking about completing specific tasks, like designing heating systems or fitting bathrooms. With this in mind, you may be wondering as a plumber, are you able to fix a boiler? 

More...

Becoming a self-employed tradesperson

The UK construction industry is undergoing a significant transformation, with a surge in self-employed tradespeople taking centre stage. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals a staggering 21% increase in self-employed individuals within the trade sector over the past few months. This unprecedented growth marks the largest jump in self-employment within this industry in the last 15 years.

More...

 

electrician cv template

Landing your dream job as an electrician requires showcasing your skills and experience effectively. This guide will equip you with the knowledge to create a compelling electrician CV that will spark the interest of potential employers!

More...

what do I need to start my own business as a tradesperson

The allure of self-employment is undeniable – choosing your clients, enjoying flexible hours, achieving a better work-life balance, and boosting your earnings potential. If you have the practical expertise and the drive to work independently, launching your own business could be the game-changing career move you've been waiting for. Join the ranks of the growing number of self-employed individuals in the industry and embark on your journey to success.

More...

new career training


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 train for 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!

Skilled tradespeople

“We have come off a cliff edge’’, proclaims Jerry Swain, the national officer for construction at Unite the Union. He is talking about the UK’s current skills shortage, an issue which has been brewing for at least as long as the last decade, and intensified by the recent impacts of Brexit and Covid. With Boris Johnson’s dictum that we must ‘build back better’ ringing across media channels, industry leaders are beginning to question whether this ambition will be possible without a surge in new skilled tradespeople. 

“The industry has relied on foreign labour”, Swain continues. “It takes at least two years to make a decent bricklayer or carpenter. So now there is a limited pool to draw from”. It is an issue which has plagued industry leaders for over five years now – with a considerable dependence on EU workers making up the construction industry taskforce, what will happen when they eventually return to the EU? Without relaxing migrant visas to make the employment process more viable, it looks as though we have to depend upon homegrown skilled tradespeople. But is there enough being done to encourage this?

Well, considering the significant wage rise seen all across the board for tradespeople, it’s surprising that more people haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, though many have taken up the mantle and upskilled during the pandemic. Wages are skyrocketing for tradespeople. As an example, the Financial Times reported that the typical bricklayer is raking in around £220 per day, and often more. Before the pandemic, this figure was around £150-180, and this considerable growth is true of all trades across the board. Tradespeople are in such demand that they are able to command their salaries to an unprecedented level. Things have never looked more promising for those with the right skills – so why aren’t more people joining the workforce? 

Building companies are similarly baffled at the lack of available skilled tradespeople. A recent survey conducted by the Federation of Master Builders found that ‘more than half of its members were struggling to find the workers they need. The Financial Times also reported the case of Phil Wish, a builder and architect from Brighton, whose construction project was at serious risk of facing a long delay had he not had to muck in with the work himself, even convincing family members to help him out in order to get the job done. 

 

‘I couldn’t find an electrician for love nor money’, he says. The strain on the construction industry is taking its toll on smaller domestic projects, like Phil’s, as well as larger scale nationwide projects. All come under the umbrella of the Prime Minister’s promise to ‘build back better’, and Phil’s experience has left him less than hopeful: ‘you can’t build back better without enough builders’. 

 

Phil offers his opinion as to why more people aren’t joining the ranks of thriving tradespeople, putting it down to an “ingrained snobbery towards the trades”. He suggests that the perception of the trade industry is still serving as a huge obstacle to attracting bigger numbers of young skilled workers, despite attempts to change the image of construction. Trade jobs are, in Phil’s opinion, “seen as a last resort for kids who’ve failed to get into university". The enormous value, dignity and high-skilled nature of these jobs is not being sold to the masses, and it is of great importance that this message is communicated loud, clear – and quickly.

‘Build back better’ is beginning to absorb an essence of irony about it, as Boris Johnson’s promise is clearly under-delivering. Those within the trade industry are beginning to see it as something of a joke, as they continue to struggle with a dramatically limited workforce; projects are facing delays, and on top of this, material shortages are proving difficult to overcome. 

A survey by Homebuilders Federation found the following concerning statistics, to give a stark indication of just how much work there is to be done. For every 10,000 new houses built, 30,000 new recruits are needed; this includes 2,500 bricklayers, 1,000 carpenters, and 300 electricians. Considering that the UK Government has aimed for 300,000 new houses to be built every year, there is clearly a gargantuan task ahead of us.

But what is the solution? Further education colleges have been seen to be failing in their attempts to provide the country with the next generation of tradespeople. Jenny Herdman, director of the home building skills partnership at the Homebuilders Federation, has noted how potential young tradespeople are slipping through the cracks of these institutions, and suggests that as many as 60-70,000 young people who ‘could come into construction every year’ do not end up doing so. And even if those people are signing up for apprenticeships, this option takes too long to provide the UK with a supply of tradespeople in the necessary time.

Private training colleges such as Access Training are the way forward. Offering direct, dynamic training with the sole intention of setting you up for business, teaching you the skills you need, perfecting your craft and getting you onsite. It just takes one call for you to be a part of something bigger – a valued member of the trade industry. 


Learn your trade. Get qualified. Make it happen.

Get in touch to learn more about our training courses!

First Name *
Surname *
Telephone Number *
E-mail address *
Ask A Question *
 
Security Character Security Character Security Character Security Character Security Character Security Character
Enter Letters (No Spaces) *