Feeling like my career options at 34 are gone?

[RRRRRRKez]

Long story short, I've gone through some life changing circumstances over the last 4 months, end of a long term relationship, loss of house and loss of job resulting in me moving back to the UK and am now living with my father. I'm a professionally trained chef by trade and was in that industry from school (16) until I was 30. I moved abroad and managed to get a job in construction as a un-qualified carpenter. Now I'm back in the UK and I'll be damned if I'm going back to work the obscene hours in the kitchens for not much reward so I've looked at re-training. I've got around £10k in savings that I am prepared to "invest" in myself for training or courses for something that will hopefully last me the rest of my life. I have a few ideas in mind and have even applied online for some trainee roles that have the "no experience necessary" tags in the adverts but have had no luck and I think a lot of this could be down to my age.

Some trainee jobs or courses I'm looking at, are for refrigeration & air conditioning engineer, electrician, dual fuel smart meter engineer, telecoms engineer. A lot of these courses seem to only want people under 25 or offer no real value in terms of the qualifications gained (or lack off). Also any research into the jobs I've done via the internet generally people are saying don't bother it's too late!?

What the hell do I do and where do I start? As it seems that I've already been thrown onto the rubbish pile even though I have a lot of life experience and my attitude to learning is on par with any 16-18 year old and if anything I'm a lot more hungry for it!

[Foliage]

Buy a food van

[BoRED S2upid]

If you want to be an electrician get to your local college and sign up for the courses. Your never too young. They may try and sign you up for bricklaying though there is a huge shortage of them funnily enough these kids now don’t want to haul bricks in our weather and earn decent money can’t imagine why.

[RRRRRRKez]

BoRED S2upid said:

If you want to be an electrician get to your local college and sign up for the courses. Your never too young. They may try and sign you up for bricklaying though there is a huge shortage of them funnily enough these kids now don’t want to haul bricks in our weather and earn decent money can’t imagine why.

The nearest college only offers the course to 16-18 year olds.

[BoRED S2upid]

RRRRRRKez said:

BoRED S2upid said:

If you want to be an electrician get to your local college and sign up for the courses. Your never too young. They may try and sign you up for bricklaying though there is a huge shortage of them funnily enough these kids now don’t want to haul bricks in our weather and earn decent money can’t imagine why.

The nearest college only offers the course to 16-18 year olds.

I find that hard to believe where are you based?

[akirk]

don't feel that you are too old - I would far rather take on an older / more mature person to learn than an 18 year old - esp. if they are really hungry to do well...

[RRRRRRKez]

BoRED S2upid said:

I find that hard to believe where are you based?

To be honest I thought it was a bit daft too, am based in Weston Super Mare.

akirk said:

don't feel that you are too old - I would far rather take on an older / more mature person to learn than an 18 year old - esp. if they are really hungry to do well...

Well this was originally my train of thought, I'm extremely keen to learn and rebuild my life after the last few months but I need to get to the interview stage first to try and sell myself.

[anonymous-user]

RRRRRRKez said:

BoRED S2upid said:

I find that hard to believe where are you based?

To be honest I thought it was a bit daft too, am based in Weston Super Mare.

akirk said:

don't feel that you are too old - I would far rather take on an older / more mature person to learn than an 18 year old - esp. if they are really hungry to do well...

Well this was originally my train of thought, I'm extremely keen to learn and rebuild my life after the last few months but I need to get to the interview stage first to try and sell myself.

Surely you'll have far greater prospects moving to Bristol and hitting up the colleges there rather than WSM?

[pidsy]

RRRRRRKez said:

BoRED S2upid said:

If you want to be an electrician get to your local college and sign up for the courses. Your never too young. They may try and sign you up for bricklaying though there is a huge shortage of them funnily enough these kids now don’t want to haul bricks in our weather and earn decent money can’t imagine why.

The nearest college only offers the course to 16-18 year olds.

Go on the website for NEC EIC. they will give you plenty of advice.

[BMR]

I’m a smart meter engineer working for one of the energy suppliers.

My advice would be if you wish to go down that route try to get trained from one of the suppliers. I’ve seen companies offering to train you for a set sum with the promise of placing you somewhere.. I would steer clear.

You also want to consider the smart meter programme. Mandate is to be met by 2020. Will it, who knows. I know some companies offering fixed term contracts to December 2020. There is also the fact the governments audit office is looking at the value for money the Smart meter rollout offers. That could be worrying. If you go for it try and find somewhere that is looking to multiskill you. That’s what my current employers aim is. There is always the need for meter engineers but after smarts fitted demand will be lower.

Edited by BMR on Monday 5th February 18:57

[T1547]

Wouldn’t the more traditional skilled trades like electrician, plumber etc offer the best opportunities long term? In that they are not so subject to technology trends like Satellite, smart meter installers and the ilk that may not be required forever and being easier jobs to get into are unlikely to be as well paid. Become a qualified electrician and you can have opportunities working in different industries, rail, construction, mining etc for life or work on a domestic basis and scale up after a few years experience to employ people and have your own business.

I’m not in a trade, just some observations, right or wrong...

[21TonyK]

OP, completely understand what you are saying about UK kitchens(!) but what's your experience? There have been several circa. £40K+ jobs in your area in educational catering. That's a 5 day 40 hour week, maybe a few weekends or evenings a year for special events and that's it.

If you can teach as well that makes you even more valuable.

[J4CKO]

Got an electrician in at the moment, he is charging £200 a day, so it is pretty good money, especially when a lot of it is cash based rather than PAYE, can be messy dirty and there is a danger element but that can be mitigated if you really respect 240 Volts and know what that feels like !

I don't think it is that hard to get qualified, domestic electrics arent *that* complicated, not to disrespect the Electrical trade as a good electrician is a skilled person but it isnt somethign you need to do a degree in.


Perhaps speak to some local Electricians and see if they want a low paid apprentice for a bit ? you would pick more up in a month on the job than you can imagine.

And then just read everything you can, get the current wiring standards manual and learn it back to front

[CubanPete]

Weston College offer plenty of stuff for adults.

https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-...

Will be lots of demand for trades around Hinckley Point for years to come

[Willeh85]

I skim read somewhere something about being an electrician, have you thought about working for a Distribution Network Operator?

Western Power Distribution are the ones who have the region where you live, pay is great after training and I've applied for the GCSE Entry Apprenticeship myself in the Derby area, If I get on I'll be 33 when the training scheme starts. I have a friend who works for them, has done for 30 years and doesn't have a bad word to say about them

Applications are open until the 12th Feb
https://www.westernpower.co.uk/Careers/Apprentices...

[cbmotorsport]

Are you completely done with food? You could go someway to starting a catering company with the savings you have. You can pick and choose your jobs, work the hours that you need to, and build something that you actually own.

[Kermit power]

CubanPete said:

Weston College offer plenty of stuff for adults.

https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-...

Will be lots of demand for trades around Hinckley Point for years to come

If you're in that neck of the woods and you're originally from there, apparently you could do far worse than being able to drive a tractor!

Farmer friends of my in-laws said they were having a nightmare trying to get tractor drivers because part of the contract the government put in place for Hinckley point was that a certain significant percentage of all jobs had to go to local people. As such, pretty much anyone who used to drive farm machinery for a living is now driving vehicles around Hinckley Point for really good money.

[leemanning]

OP

Drop me a PM on here with your details, we might have something for you. No guarantees of course but we are hiring in a couple of areas that might fit the bill.

[kurt535]

Foliage said:

Buy a food van

+1