One outstanding young tradesperson will win a trip to Barcelona, plus £1,000 worth of new tools!
Britain's workforce is getting older, and with the ongoing
skills shortage causing major problems for the UK construction industry, skilled young tradespeople are an extremely valuable resource right now. We're all trying to encourage more young people to learn a trade and turn professional, but at the same time, it's equally important to recognise the young people who are already doing great work across the country.
To that end, British builders' merchants Jewson have launched a new competition that's strictly for UK-based tradespeople under the age of 30. The title of Young Tradesperson of the Year 2016 will be awarded to "a hard worker with the skills, ideas, and passion required to be a true success"; in addition to gaining a great new accolade for their CV, the successful entrant will also win a weekend in Barcelona (including tickets for a football match), plus £1,000 worth of new tools!
If you think you could be Jewson's Young Tradesperson of the Year - of if you'd like to nominate somebody else for the award - here's what to do...
How to enter/nominate
Remember, entrants must be under the age of 30 to have a chance of winning!
- Go to www.jewsontools.co.uk/shed/young-tradesperson-of-the-year.
- Type your details (or the details of the person you're nominating) into the online entry form.
- Explain why your nominee deserves to be crowned Young Tradesperson of the Year. Use no more than 100 words.
- Upload up to 3 images to accompany your entry - these might be photographs of an outstanding job, or a before/after picture.
- State whether you're nominating yourself or somebody else and click Send nomination.
The competition closes on Monday the 29th of February, so don't wait around - get your nomination in now!
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(Image via bradleypjohnson on Flickr)
The UK’s media channels are often rife with horror stories of cowboy tradespeople. People watching programmes like “cowboy builders from hell” on channel 5 or “watchdog” on BBC1 will certainly develop a negative image of the trades men and women in the UK. In fact a staggering 60% of people said that it is fair to label tradespeople as “cowboys” or “rogue traders” and 20% of people said that they’re afraid of being ripped off when they need work done.
Follow these simple steps to avoid being labelled as a rogue trader:
Build relationships with your clients: Take care of little jobs free of charge. This will help increase customer loyalty. When someone is happy with your work, they are more likely to recommend you to their friends. A survey conducted by imperial finance revealed that 37% of people feel that having a relationship with their trades person is important, and 14% of people were referred to their trades person by a friend or family member.
Clean up after yourself: This might seem obvious but it is often overlooked by tradespeople. If you are working on a leaking sink and you spill water on the floor – make sure you mop it up. If you have had to take things out of cupboards to access pipework, make sure you put it all back before you leave.
Make yourself as easy to contact as possible: leave people with a copy of your flyer, business card, or a fridge magnet with your telephone number clearly printed on them, remember to take the visually impaired into consideration. Make sure that you always have your mobile switched on, if you can’t take the call, make sure you call them back at your earliest convenience.
Keep in contact with your clients: after you have completed the work, call the client back, ask them if they are happy with the work – or if they have ran into any complications. 55% customers leave because they have had no contact from you and are indifferent. After Job Service is often more important than the job itself, this is where you can really start to build relationships with your clients and go above and beyond your call of duty. Loyal customers spend on average 33% more than people who are non-loyal and can refer up to 107% more customers than non-loyal customers.
Make it easy for people to get references: set up social media sites, and encourage people to review your business online – this is effective because people buy from people if someone has a something bad to say about your business then people are less likely to hire you to do the work. Make sure you leave them with nothing bad to say! Set up a website to showcase your qualifications, and show people that you really are an expert in your field. This will give people confidence in your ability as a trades person.
Make sure you are fully trained for the job: again it might seem like an obvious point, but if you are not correctly trained for the work don’t take it on. Leaving the work half way through or doing a bad job can damage your reputation.
You can’t start a career as a skilled trades person until you have received expert training. No matter what career you are considering Access Training can help. We offer courses for beginners looking to learn a new trade through to more experienced tradespeople who are looking to expand their service offering.
To find out more about the courses we offer at our state-of-the-art training centres you can contact us by calling (Freephone) 0800 345 7492 or by filling out the enquiry form here.
The first quarter of 2016 looks as if it will prove to be an exceptionally busy period for the UK's tradesmen and women. If you work in the construction industry, you may already have noticed a surge in demand since the start of the year, and there's every reason to believe that the need for competent, professional tradespeople will remain high for the forseeable future.
So why are tradespeople run off their feet at the moment?
- Flood damage. If you switched on the TV over Christmas, you're probably aware of the flooding that affected certain parts of the UK recently. While the flood waters have now receded (at time of writing, no severe flood warnings are in place), people are still dealing with the aftermath; the floods caused a lot of damage, and the necessary repairs will reportedly cost billions of pounds. According to simplybusiness.co.uk, tradespeople from "right across the board" can expect "a busy first quarter", with homes throughout the UK requiring all sorts of different repairs. Structural damage, ruined electrical systems, rooms ravaged by flood waters...all of these things will need to be put right by experienced professionals.
- Cold weather. Even in years without flooding, winter tends to be an especially busy time of year for the average tradesperson. Plumbers are kept particularly busy during the colder months, with low temperatures leading to burst pipes and other problems. Gas engineers are also in high demand - the weather has been abnormally cold of late, which means that Britain's boilers are working overtime right now!
- A shortage of competent tradespeople. As we've mentioned previously, Britain is currently battling a major skills shortage - there simply aren't enough qualified tradespeople to go around. Supply is falling desperately short of demand, and this problem will only be exacerbated by the cold weather and the widespread flood damage.
Demand for qualified tradespeople is higher than ever right now; wages have skyrocketed, and many workers are actually turning jobs down because their schedules are so full.
While this could be a big problem for Britain, it does mean that now is a great time to learn a trade and turn professional - whether you choose to become a plumber, a bricklayer, an electrician, or something else again, you're unlikely to have any problems finding work!
Would you like to retrain and become a professional tradesperson? If so, please contact Access Training Academies today - we'll help you to book your course and gain the qualifications you need to succeed!
The average construction industry wage for workers rose by 6% in 2015, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. This rise is significantly higher than the average increase for UK workers in general (2%), and it proves that construction is one of the most lucrative career choices for British workers at present.
Why have construction industry wages risen so much?
Construction industry wages have risen because the demand for skilled construction workers is particularly high at the moment. This is due to the desperate skills shortage that Britain is currently experiencing; simply put, there aren't enough competent professionals in the country to cover all the work that's currently available to them.
(Furthermore, with an EU referendum on the horizon, many are concerned that the shortage could soon get even worse - if Britain were to leave the European Union, it would be harder for new workers to enter the country from elsewhere in Europe.)
This shortage has allowed the UK's construction workers to take on more jobs and charge higher prices, further increasing the construction industry wages. A
recent survey showed that the majority of construction firms (61%) reported "a sharp rise in wage costs" for 2015.
Which skills are most in-demand?
Competent
bricklayers are reportedly hardest to come by at the moment, but the skills shortage is an industry-wide problem, and more or less all construction industry workers are earning higher wages because of it. Winter is a particularly busy time for
plumbers; you may remember that we wrote a blog post about this matter
last month.
Should I be worried about this?
It depends on who you are. You've probably heard about the housing crisis that's currently affecting parts of London and Southern England, and the construction skills shortage certainly isn't helping on that front; many of the government's housebuilding plans will be thrown into turmoil if Britain fails to find more builders soon.
It may also be a problem if you yourself need any work done - as previously mentioned, the skills shortage has enabled contractors to charge significantly higher rates for each job, so be prepared to get your wallet out!
However, the skills shortage could be very good news indeed if you're planning to join the construction industry. With demand outstripping supply by such a wide margin, this is a golden opportunity for those looking to retrain and start a new career - that gap in the market needs to be filled, and there's money to made if you can do so.
If you'd like to gain the qualifications necessary to become a professional construction worker, we at Access Training can help. Contact us for details, or select one of the following course options to learn more:
Get your NVQ Level 2 Diploma in a matter of weeks!
Tradespeople who carry out work on-site in the UK are required to hold an NVQ Level 2 Diploma for their chosen trade. However, the NVQ qualification is notoriously difficult to achieve; in order to pass, candidates must complete a portfolio of their work, complete with photographs, storyboards, and witness testimonials.
Completing a standard NVQ Level 2 course can take many months, making it quite a troublesome hurdle to overcome. Many budding tradesmen and women, particularly those with families and/or full-time jobs, simply don't have time to put in the necessary work. However, there is a way around this problem:
fast track NVQ courses from Access Training Academies!
Why should you do a fast-track NVQ with Access Training?
Our industry experience allows us to guide learners through the entire NVQ Level 2 process in a matter of weeks, not months. After a brief interview (which allows us to assess your current skill level and plan your NVQ course accordingly), we will help you to gather the requisite evidence, complete your portfolio, and gain that all-important diploma within the shortest possible timeframe.
Our NVQ Level 2 courses are designed for people who already have some experience in their chosen field, but would like to gain a qualification so that they can work on-site, or start their own business quickly! If you're a novice looking for training from the ground up, we highly recommend you take a look at our essential courses. All of our essential courses are designed for beginners who have no or limited knowledge of their chosen trade.
What fast-track NVQ Level 2 courses do you offer?
Here at Access Training, we offer a number of fast-track NVQ level 2 courses in plastering, plumbing, and carpentry.
Contact us now to learn more about them! Whether you're interested in NVQ Level 2 carpentry, NVQ Level 2 plumbing, or NVQ Level 2 plastering, we have a fast-track course to suit you. Take a look at our different fast-track NVQ level 2 courses using the buttons below:
If you're not quite ready for the NVQ assessment just yet, don't worry - we offer a wide range of trade courses for learners of all levels. We even provide
live online training, so you can begin mastering your trade from the comfort of your own home! So, if you're ready to start a new career...
Call 0800 345 7492 now and save up to 50% on your Access Training course!
Much of Britain went back to work yesterday, and a lot of people were unhappy about it. Of course, it's always sad to say goodbye to the indulgences of the festive period, but if the thought of returning to work had you feeling miserable before you'd even finished your New Year Prosecco then it may be time to swap your current job for something new. After all, sitting at a desk isn't the only way to earn a living!
If you'd like to retrain and start a new career in the trade industry, we at Access Training can help. We offer a huge variety of training courses for people of all skill levels - here are a few examples:
There's never been a better time to enrol on an Access Training course. We are currently having a New Year Sale, with up to 50% off ALL courses; whether you want to become an electrician, join the Gas Safe Register, or pick up some plumbing qualifications, this is your opportunity to save a packet as you work towards your goal.
But time is running out! Our New Year Sale will only last until the end of this week, and more course dates are filling up every day. To guarantee the best price on your preferred training course, please call 0800 345 7492 now to learn more. We look forward to hearing from you!
UPDATE: Due to the unprecedented popularity of this offer, we are extending our New Year Sale by one more day! The sale will now end on Saturday the 9th of January - contact us now now to book your course!
Happy New Year from Access Training! If your New Year's resolution is to quit your job and start a new career, you're in luck - we're having a big New Year sale, with up to 50% off all Access Training courses!
We always receive a lot of bookings at this time of year, so please
get in touch ASAP to guarantee a spot on your chosen course. Options include:
Call 0800 345 7492 to book your course and take advantage of this offer!
With a new year on the horizon, many people throughout the UK will soon be thinking about how they could change their lives for the better in 2016. January is always a very busy time for us here at Access Training - it seems that 'learn a new trade' is the top priority on many a list of New Year's resolutions!
However, if you don't want to wait until January to take the first step towards a rewarding new career, we'd like to give you an incentive to beat the rush. We are having a Boxing Day sale, with up to 50% reductions on all of our training programmes - whether you're interested in plumbing, gas, electrical work, or another of the trades we cover, now is the time to book your training course and get the best possible price!
All offers will end on Monday the 28th of December, so don't delay - book your place today! This is your opportunity to beat the New Year rush, guarantee your spot for 2016, and save a packet in the process.
Call 0800 345 7492 now to take advantage of our Boxing Day offers!