Hello and help!

[Hutch]

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well.

My name is Ian and for the last 13 years I have served in the Royal Air Force, mostly based at Brize Norton near Oxford. My contract is due to end in the very near future and to prepare myself for civi street I have completed an NVQ level 2 plumbing course with OLCI construction training. I finished the course in December last year and since then I have been in touch with every local plumber I can find offering to work for free on my days off so I can complete my NVQ portfolio but so far have been unable to find anything. I'm moving back to my home town of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire and was wondering if any of the members here would be willing to offer me a work placement? I'm still being paid by the RAF until July so I'm not looking for paid work at the minute, just the opportunity to work with and learn from a professional and the chance to complete my NVQ portfolio.

I'm an honest, polite, hardworking and punctual guy and I also make a decent brew, so if you can help me out please get in touch.
Thanks for reading,
Hutch.

 

[Rickster123]

Hello hutch and welcome to the forum. The decent brew would sell it for me! I'm not in the area but wish you the very best of luck in your job search.

 

[Hutch]

Thanks very much AP, I've got OLCI on the case too, so all being well that wait won't be too long.

 

[Dotty]

Good luck Ian.

 

[Hutch]

Cheers Croppie.

 

[turnpin]

Hope you get sorted soon Hutch oh and welcome to the forum regards turnpin:waving:

 

[Derek Hardman]

Hello Hutch, I hope you get sorted out, I dont want to deflate you, but I do think you need to know the reasons which in my opinion are preventing potential 'helpers' in this matter.
There are a lot more Gas engineers around these days than ever before, many of who dont have enough work, partly due to competition, partly due to illegal installers, by helping someone in your position in our own areas we are creating more competition for ourselves, so many are understandably loath to make the competition even worse. My feelings are, if some of the portfolio seekers were a bit more loyal to the guys who help them (earning some money for them before they go self employed), then maybe they would see it in a different light. I know this doesnt help much, and I dont want to put you off, just thought you should know why its tough out there. Good luck!

 

[lame plumber]

Welcome to a soon to be retd crab, from the navy. Its hard and your best bet is to keep on trying via all means to get in with a reasonable plumber and get some experience. reality is if your not fm an engineering background it'll be hard and you may have to accept any work, ie property maintenance to get a foot on the ladder. Even the youngsters cant get an apprenticeship round here so older folk have a harder time. just keep on trying and if you want it bad enough you should be ok but it wont be a bed of roses.

 

[nowucit]

Hi Hutch when I first started which was not so long back I sat with my head in my hands. Cant get work without experience, cant get experience without work. Then I read a post on here by some wise old bird who said just take one step at a time and don't give up and sure enough its coming slowly but surely. Still early days for me so I'm not sure I'm best placed to give advise but if I said anything it would be to get out there and do some jobs, start with what your comfortable with and develop your confidence.

 

[Guest123]

Hope it all works works out for you pal.

 

[dancinplumba]

Hi hutch, good luck, do you have a turbo charged Nissan largo by any chance ?

 

[PlumbBobBob]

good luck in your search and welcome to the forums.