Article from The Sun, May 2008:

"Change careers for a life as an electrician

Good electricians are never short of work – and it’s never too late to switch career.

Gary Cabey planned to do an electrical course at his local college but the course was cancelled and he faced a wait of several months before he could start it somewhere else. Instead the 27-year-old from Gravesend, Kent, turned to OLCI Construction Training and found he really liked the tutors and the practical classes.

Now he is working on building sites and wants to get qualifications so he can achieve his aim of setting up his own business.

OLCI Construction Training courses provide the knowledge and skills to start a successful new career or enjoy a second source of income. The great thing about them is you can choose where and when you do your training.

You gain practical skills by attending training sessions at any of the nationwide OLCI Construction Training centres, which are City & Guilds accredited/EAL approved. There are centres in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Merseyside, Bristol, Livingston in Scotland, Bristol, Devon, Cardiff, Newcastle, Nottinghamshire and Leeds.

You have a choice of when to do your training – the centres offer a range of dates and times, including some weekends.

You learn all the necessary theory from the comfort of your own home or wherever is best for you. OLCI courses prepare you for industry-recognised qualifications.

These include City and Guilds and NVQ qualifications for plumbing and electrical, and ACS for gas.

To become a fully qualified electrician, enrol on the Become an Electrician (City and Guilds Levels 2 and 3 2330 / NVQ Level 3 2356) package.

Students who want to do domestic installations should opt for the Become a Domestic Electrical Installer package.

OLCI Construction Training also offers courses in plumbing, gas, tiling, plastering, kitchen and bathroom fitting and bricklaying. You will receive guidance from dedicated tutors by email, phone or post at any practical sessions you attend. These experts have many years of teaching and industry experience.

The length of training courses depends on each individual and how much time they can put in.

On average, it takes 12 months to become a qualified electrician and about six to eight months to become a qualified plumber.

Salaries for newly qualified electricians start between £16,500 and £19,000. With experience, this can rise between £20,000 and £25,000.

Experienced electricians with specialist grading can earn up to £28,000. The working week is usually up to 40 hours, Monday to Friday.

Detail

You may have to work shifts or be part of an on-call system if you were doing something like providing cover for a 24-hour supermarket. You need good practical skills, the ability to follow technical drawings and instructions, a methodical approach and the ability to pay close attention to detail. And you must be committed to keeping up to date with industry developments, be able to work unsupervised and as part of a team and have a thorough understanding of electrical safety rules and regulations.

OLCI Construction Training has easy payment options to help you spread the cost of training. For more information, contact OLCI Construction Training’s career advisors on Freephone 0800 058 2848 or visit www.olci.info.

OLCI Construction Training’s complete course packages include the theory module plus all the practical workshops/sessions and assessments.

Alternatively, you can start by enrolling on the theory module and then buy and book plumbing workshops/electrical sessions and assessments as you go."

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