Looking for Qualification Advice Please!

Rain · Post by **Rain** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:36 pm

Hi all, new to the forums here.

I am currently employed in the I.T industry, have been for 10 years, performing varying levels of hardware and software support. It is not for me though.

I am looking to get into the carpentry trade, but finding it hard to find much info for recognised qualifications in the field. Ideally looking for intensive courses.

I do have some experience going back to when I left school about 17 years ago, when I was an apprentice patternmaker. Did a year's course in that (C&G I think), working primarily with yellow pine and jelutong before getting made redundant.

Cheers for any help!

Ian

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 2:02 pm

Hi Ian,

welcome to the forum

I have no idea about your question, but you are not alone as there are quite a few people that have left office jobs to become tradesmen.

Hopefully one of the pro's will answer your question.

Best of luck with your change of career

horsefeathers · Post by **horsefeathers** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 6:57 pm

you need to go and speak to your local college as they will have all the info on trade courses. city and guilds are on the certififcates once youve done the courses but they are graded in national vocational qualifications (NVQ's) which increase in levels from 1 to roughly 2 or 3 for carpentry and joinery.( i have nvq 1 and 2 in carpentry and joinery and level 3 in benchwork, also woodmachining)

carhartt kid · Post by **carhartt kid** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:51 pm

Look here. http://www.citb.co.uk/

Its the recognizing body for qualifications in the industry. Here you can look at signing up to college courses, OSAT's or EWPA's. Have a look at the Training and Learning part of the site. Then get in touch with your local training provider. They're really helpful, plus there are loads of courses and grants available, so don't be afraid to take up their time and ask every question you need to!!!

Good luck.

pip · Post by **pip** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:00 pm

alright ian,
everbody has their say and speak of their own experiences as will i!
i was a frustrated factory worker for some 10 years and decided to follow my grandfathers footsteps working as a carpenter.
as i couldnt afford full time college i chose an evening class of 2 nights per week for 2 years resulting in a city and guilds level 2 in wood occupations. CITB.. but be warned, we were told in the first year of the course that once we had this qualification we could go out and get work as a chippy. um no can do!
the reality is you need a cscs card to work on a site in the uk and to have this card you have to be qualified nvq level 2 and above. ironically its generally down to having awarness of health and safety in your work and site, very little to do with skills as a chippy. to gain the nvq2 you have to be already in the line of work so its a catch 22.
as it happens the very same health and safety touch screen test of multiple choice questions are taken for both the city and guilds as for the nvq2! and doubly ironic is that in a few hours of being assessed on site i had my nvq2, working along side a young lad who was 3 years at college for the same thing!
the bottom line is you need to be as attractive as possible to potential employers so any qualification is a bonus.
i had my city and guilds and also had a van too. i sold my motorbike and spent the whole lot on tools.
it was enouph to get a job with a local company as a site carpenter.
i still started as an aprentice though even with all this behind me and my 34 years of age!!
knowledge on the job with some qualifications is where the parties at, just get the ball rolling and spend a few quid on tools, have some patients and youll make it lol!!!!!!!!!

skiking · Post by **skiking** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 8:17 pm

Glad to hear of your success. Unfortunately Rain hasn't bothered to reply back to the previous comments

BTW - Welcome pip

Don't be a one post wonder like Rain

chippymike · Post by **chippymike** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:29 pm

im only 21 and have an nvq2 in carpentry and have done a 4year apprentership with the firm i work for.
my best advice for you is to goto night collage and try to get an nvq2 as PIP said, and try to build a good tool kit up of hand tools, and 110v powertools if you are seriously going to do this as a job you'r tools earn you'r money

BulletRaptor · Post by **BulletRaptor** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:01 pm

i am starting a night course this year and going to start building up my own tool base!
I have a well payed full time job at the mo and have tww cousins that are chippys and i am lucky as i work for a builders merchants and know a few people!

I am planing to get qualified at nights then leave to do my last year with a firm (3rd year)
If not go self employed and work with and for my two cousins as they have to much work!

Hope it all works out like that!

taff beer · Post by **taff beer** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:09 pm

Hi all,
I was in the same boat after leaving the army, i contacted my local job centre and they were to advise me on courses being run by my local council, I don't know about Englnd but in Wales there is a massive scheme to get more people into the trade so there is quite a few courses being run at the moment

Teabag · Post by **Teabag** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:04 am

Catch 22 dont ya just love it..

been there done that with electrical Qual's almost with the kind of had the same with my chippy ones too really.

Couldnt get on the courses to begin with, too old to be allowed on site as a trainee, to gain that very important experience (at the time I was late 20's), Over qualified once I got the Qual's without the experience needed to back it up, and couldnt take low wages to get the experience, as i have a family. ended up workin on kitchen worktops for a stop gap and never left there...

with the HUGE Shortage of actual "Qualified trades people" out there you think they would help the people into the trade rather than block the path with catch 22. fine if your 16 and thats what you choose but doining it years later is dificult as hell...

Good Luck

pip · Post by **pip** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:29 pm

so true teabag.
its very hard to air my views on this catch 22 situation without getting political LOL!!
alot of us who have served an aprenticeship also know too well that your performance, knowledge, experience and trustworthyness has little or no effect towards promotion in jobs and pay. in my experience sadly the aprentices especially the good ones are exploited and used potentially as very cheap tradesman, obviously this is frustrating especially if you need to run house home and family!
i guess all there is to say on the matter is always keep your eye in the job centre and papers as theres always another business out there who would consider an aprentice who has experience and knowledge.
all the best
pip