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Retraining After Redundancy

 

Losing your job can be a real punch to the gut, but don't worry, there are always other paths to explore. Think of it as a chance to learn new skills, get a fresh start, and rekindle your career with the right support. At Access Training, we are here to guide you every step of the way, especially if you're thinking about switching to the trades after getting laid off.

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Retraining After Redundancy

 

Losing your job can be a real punch to the gut, but don't worry, there are always other paths to explore. Think of it as a chance to learn new skills, get a fresh start, and rekindle your career with the right support. At Access Training, we are here to guide you every step of the way, especially if you're thinking about switching to the trades after getting laid off.

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.

UK job market

Britain's job market has had a turbulent time over the last decade, enduring the lows of a recession to bounce back to record highs in 2019.

However, according to UK recruitment giant, REED, Britain could be in store for another hefty setback in the near future – one that could negatively affect employment nationwide.

 

Alarming Job Statistics

REED chairman and company namesake, James Reed, recently expressed his fears of another impending recession on the horizon, following what he calls “the largest fall in jobs since 2010”.

According to Mr Reed, company statistics have seen alarming trends in hospitality and education, where both sectors have seen declines of 24% and 10% respectively.

The Mail on Sunday went on to confirm that the site saw job vacancies drop by 2.3% in the second quarter. While this may not seem much, that figures actually equates to 16,467 job listings.

This is by no means an indictment on REED – they are still Britain’s most popular recruitment site online. As such, this should very much come as worrying news for those heading into the job market or currently in unemployment.

 

Brexit Wounds

While these trends are a likely by-product of the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the UK’s immediate future, there are ways to safeguard your job security and employability.

Despite the fall in job listings and notable hits in a number of industries, James Reed also noted that there was an increase in demand for skilled workers. Meanwhile, the REED site also saw a growth in temporary jobs.

For contractors and those in the trade, such news may come as an encouraging sign, particularly for those that are self-employed.

 

Skills to Pay the Bills

While the prospect of a potential recession on the horizon is not good news for anyone, there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel for those looking to learn a trade.

Tradespeople trained in a specific skill – such as electricians, gas fitters and plumbers – will be far more protected in the event of a downturn in the jobs market. The reason for this is that these services are vital for maintaining public utilities.

In fact, the aforementioned jobs in particular are often found in lists of so-called “recession-proof” jobs. While that term is naturally to be taken with a pinch of salt, these jobs are undoubtedly more secure than those within unstable industries, like hospitality.

 

Access Training Courses

If you are interested in learning a trade or switching career paths, now is the perfect time to consider making the jump. Why not take a course with Access Training UK and safeguard your employment future today?

Click the links below to find out more about our utility-related courses and protect your financial future today:

Electrical Courses

Gas Courses

Plumbing Courses

 

For more information on courses with Access Training UK, why not get in touch today? Call now on 0800 345 7492 or drop us an email using the link below.

Contact Us

Full story: Support for Housebuilding should be chancellor's priority says CBI

It was roughly three years ago when the Government announced there was a considerable sum of money that was to be used for social housing building programmes. At the time of the announcement I was uplifted to think that the prospect could bring about an end to the recession. And being a country that isn't known for production, the only way we can produce a financial economy that breaks a recession is by a large scale house building programme.

With all the products used to build homes and all the new products that go into them, the wages earned by the construction workers goes back into the economy. Throughout my career on the tools, I was fortunate to go through two bad recessions - one in the late 80s and then another in the 90s, both of which I was constantly working within the M25 area doing new build work. I personally feel that, and the CBI agree, our most instant way to relieve this recession is to undertake a 50,000 new build affordable home project. If the Government had started their own social housing programme back then, things wouldn't have turned out the way they are today.

- Mark Lewis

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