shopfitting

whitt · Post by **whitt** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 4:07 pm

Hi guys, as the building trade is on its arse, i am struggling to get into maintenance or site joinery, i am 34 and just out of college after compleating an ica level 2 in joinery and was wondering whats tasks are involved in shopfitting as there still seems to be jobs in this sector????????? thanks for any details

chippymike · Post by **chippymike** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:42 pm

mf ceilings, mf stud work, grounds, plasterbording, metal racking and high qualitty 2nd fix work. you need to be experienced and quick also be prepaired to stay away from home. Not done any shop fitting before but work with alot of people who have.

trumpetmonkey · Post by **trumpetmonkey** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:52 pm

Hi Whitt. I sympathise and also I am interested to know more about your experience of trying to train as a joiner at your age. This is because I also came to it a bit late (27! Not exactly old) and found my options EXTREMELY limited. ie no funding for studies, colleges even unwilling to accept anyone over 25, same with firms when I looked for apprenticeships - just wanted school-leaver age apprentices (because they could pay them a pittance and get government funding for it). How have you found the whole process?

carhartt kid · Post by **carhartt kid** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:18 am

Trumpetmonkey. To get your foot on the first rung of the ladder you'll have to fork out yourself! Its a couple of grand to do a NVQ1 (or equivalent), but once you've started you can then use Train To Gain! bout the only thing Gordon Brown did right!

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ac ... 106&r.s=sl

As a self employed person, I am technically my own business! I just had my NVQ 3 paid for by government grants. Plus a couple of plant operator licences done through them for free too!! All in all, about 8k's worth of training. Makes the tax return not so painful!!!

Whitt. Its true what chippy mike says about shopfitting! Its hard harsh work to do. Quality is high, hours are long and a lot of the work is deadline driven and away from home! I used to do it and it was a caffeine fuelled haze of stess!!! Sleeping in the back of my van on site, eating takeaways and talking to myself....twitching....

Made a mint though!

There's plenty of it available from employment agencies and the job centre. Strange I know, but a very useful way of getting your arse on site. Work your nuts off, be reliable! And the contracts managers, foremen and big bods will notice you and offer you work again!! Its a backdoor way into it! Screw applying for it the old fashioned way! Besta luck sir! See you on the funny farm!!!

trumpetmonkey · Post by **trumpetmonkey** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:23 am

Hi Carhartt kid, thanks for the link. So what you're saying is train to gain is there to support businesses but since your self employed you can also use it for your own training?

Actually I have managed to get onto the ladder - didn't make that clear in my post i know - and I am working as an adult apprentice. I've got more to say but I thought I'd start a new topic so please do add any further comments there: 'Training as a joiner or carpenter when you are over 25'

joiner_uk · Post by **joiner_uk** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 5:32 pm

Hi whitt, All depends what type of shop fitting.

If you are fitting out shelving, partitions etc you will have to be quick

But for say fitting hardwood joinery ie. Bars in pubs, counters in shops etc... you will no doubt need some experience as the materials used are expensive.

I was over Nottingham today to do a quote on a kitchen and noticed building sites all over the place. Maybe call in to a few of those sites, you never know you could get lucky

whitt · Post by **whitt** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 8:45 am

thanks for all the advise, alot of people have said to use agencys etc but i am not a person who wants to turn up and do bad work, i really feel i need 6 months working with a time served joiner which is what im finding hard to do... so for this reason if there is any joiners out there in the nottingham derby area i am giving my saturdays for free in return for some experience.. i want to be the best i can be not just a joiner who goes from job to job doing half ass work.

whitt · Post by **whitt** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 8:50 am

trumpetmonkey wrote:Hi Carhartt kid, thanks for the link. So what you're saying is train to gain is there to support businesses but since your self employed you can also use it for your own training?

Actually I have managed to get onto the ladder - didn't make that clear in my post i know - and I am working as an adult apprentice. I've got more to say but I thought I'd start a new topic so please do add any further comments there: 'Training as a joiner or carpenter when you are over 25'

in reply mate i find it very hard to get going, i have been in furniture for 15 years and am a time served wood machinist, so if i want another job in a factory doing bench joinery then yeah i can get one of those but i dont wish to work in a factory any longer.. ( i sound bitter hey ) its just people of our age WANT to work and i belive we are the better age as employees... i have 2 small children and for the past 2 years have been going out after work to college to pass my ica 2 in site joinery and spent over 800 pound to basically only be offerd bench joinery..... keep going mate ya never know

trumpetmonkey · Post by **trumpetmonkey** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 12:20 pm

whitt wrote:its just people of our age WANT to work and i belive we are the better age as employees...

Yeah whitt, this is exactly what I felt - seems like there is endless support for school leavers who probably don't appreciate what they're getting. But when your older, you know what you want and you're prepared to work hard, you're on your own!!

I count myself lucky cos I eventually found someone to take me on, who i could learn from. But it's not an 'official' apprenticeship - I'm self employed working alongside him and income isn't guaranteed.

I would have thought you'd have a head start, already having a wood-related occupation? I guess now's a bad time though.