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LFG
I'm in a bid of a muddle at the moment regarding my plumbing career and would really appreciate any advice.
3 years ago when I was 20 I wanted to get into a trade and of course everybody suggested plumbing. It sounded like a rewarding and interesting career so I started looking for apprenticeships online. However after months of searching with no results to show for my efforts my only option was to enroll at my local college. I was very fortunate to have a tutor who came from a very experienced background and knew his stuff. My two years at college were very enjoyable and I was quite successful in my exams and practical tasks.
I was awarded my level 2 tech cert this time last year and I found work within 2 weeks. It was an agency job at a mental hospital with a long commute but I was going to take any job offered to me at that point in time. I only did small reactive jobs like changing taps, unblocking toilets and the like. I hated that place and left after two months. Two weeks after that in September I landed another agency job at a university performing more reactive maintenance but it was much more bearable. Fast forward a few months and my agency started missing payments, not booking requested holidays, just all round being as uncooperative as possible. I ended up leaving in March and have been jobless since.
I have really been trying to move away from this commercial maintenance crap and find something more domestic focused which has been challenging to say the least. I applied for a British Gas installation apprenticeship in that same month and I am still in the running. I was successful in the telephone interview but she mentioned that it does not guarantee me a placement. They emailed me two weeks ago to say they're still making a decision. It's a very slow process.
Part of me wants to get out there and find my own work but I know I'm not anywhere near ready for that. It would require years of experience before I would be comfortable going out on my own. If there are any of you plumbers in the Berkshire area who wouldn't mind having a helper tag along or know anybody who are looking for junior plumbers I'd be very thankful. Cheers!
3 years ago when I was 20 I wanted to get into a trade and of course everybody suggested plumbing. It sounded like a rewarding and interesting career so I started looking for apprenticeships online. However after months of searching with no results to show for my efforts my only option was to enroll at my local college. I was very fortunate to have a tutor who came from a very experienced background and knew his stuff. My two years at college were very enjoyable and I was quite successful in my exams and practical tasks.
I was awarded my level 2 tech cert this time last year and I found work within 2 weeks. It was an agency job at a mental hospital with a long commute but I was going to take any job offered to me at that point in time. I only did small reactive jobs like changing taps, unblocking toilets and the like. I hated that place and left after two months. Two weeks after that in September I landed another agency job at a university performing more reactive maintenance but it was much more bearable. Fast forward a few months and my agency started missing payments, not booking requested holidays, just all round being as uncooperative as possible. I ended up leaving in March and have been jobless since.
I have really been trying to move away from this commercial maintenance crap and find something more domestic focused which has been challenging to say the least. I applied for a British Gas installation apprenticeship in that same month and I am still in the running. I was successful in the telephone interview but she mentioned that it does not guarantee me a placement. They emailed me two weeks ago to say they're still making a decision. It's a very slow process.
Part of me wants to get out there and find my own work but I know I'm not anywhere near ready for that. It would require years of experience before I would be comfortable going out on my own. If there are any of you plumbers in the Berkshire area who wouldn't mind having a helper tag along or know anybody who are looking for junior plumbers I'd be very thankful. Cheers!
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