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My name is Barry. I am 45 years old. I live in Gosport, Hampshire. Recently I qualified
as a domestic electrician having done the training with a company called New Career
Skills Ltd. I've always wanted to learn one of the trades and have a real skill that I
can call my own. I have a company now. I'm qualified. I have my own limited company called
Power to the People (UK) Ltd. where I offer domestic electric services all over Hampshire.
I contacted New Career Skills through an advert in the paper and one of their representatives
came out to visit me and it is because of that visit, I think, that he was able to explain
everything – how the course works and the prices and cost of the course. And he put
my mind at rest.
The first week training I did – you are essentially sent in there with a set of tools
which are given by New Career Skills, which are all that you need are given by them. Electrician's
tool kit is provided. You may keep this tool kit, and you are straight into putting sockets
and lights and various other circuits in, and getting practically trained. At the same
time they are preparing you for your theory exams as well, which is usually in about the
third week of training. All the staff who trained me are ex-electricians who've worked
in the real world of the electrical contracting industry. And so they really do know this
stuff. Not only about the electrics but the actual industry you're going to go into. New
Career Skills also helps find you work – whether you are working or you are training or whether
you work when finished. I found work through agencies as electrician's mate while doing
my training which gave me a great deal of practical training, practical experience while
I was doing the course.
Overall I found New Career Skills I would use the word holistic because they are helping
you not only become an electrician, but to understand the law that you need to understand,
how to get a business set up, and how to market your business as well. They aren't one of
those people that say, “Training's over. Thanks very much. We don't want to know you
anymore.” Even after the training is finished, if I have a technical problem or I'm unsure
about something, if I'm out there in the business, they will offer support and that's part of
the course as well.
Everybody dreams of having their own business, but I made it a reality. And so the driving
force for me was to be my own boss. I didn't exactly know where that would lead me, that
dream, but it's lead me to being an electrician. And also was told we have a shortage of something
in excess of 35,000 electricians – countrywide shortage. Therefore I knew there was a very
good opportunity for work. I have what I can call marketable skills which are available
and needed. And therefore I have work. And that's been the main driving force of my business.
I don't want to be a wage-slave anymore.