If You Had Your Time Again

[Garycan]

Hi everyone,

Not sure if this is the right section for this topic so I apologise in advance.

I have a son aged 14yrs old,bright and the world is his oyster. In your honest opinion would you recommend going down the electricians route as a trade? Would you suggest instrumentation, domestic,commercial,circuitry etc. I'd be thankful of any advice as I am,unsure about the aspects of the job as in pay,working condition,danger and so on.

Many thanks

 

[roys]

Wouldn't go down the domestic route.  If he can get a Petro-Chem / oil industry apprenticeship then doors may certainaly open for him worldwide.  I got an electricity board apprenticeship but moved into the oil industry 3 or 4 years after my apprenticeship finished.

I have no regrets about the training and life I have had as a spark and worked abroad for many years.  I did spend a lot of years at college mostly night classes post apprenticeship adding to my qualifications, which helped as well.

It does come down a lot to your lads motivation, personality and commitment to his chosen trade as to how well he will do, as well as a little luck.

Good luck

 

[ProDave]

If you LIKE all things electrical / electronic then yes. That's why I chose what I did and would do the same.

If your motivation is you think it will be easy or well paid, time to think again.

 

[Evans Electric]

Hi Garycan ,   

I'd say base the decision on how academic your son is .  

An ordinary electrician is a skilled , manual worker , highly adaptable , who can read and understand the regulations and would have passed basic qualifications such as City & Guilds  .   Most , not all, electricians are inteligent , articulate and can go far if they are breezing through college work.

If,  like myself, that is as far as he would go ,  on the  academic side , then so be it , he ,s destined to be a Sparks.    No good pushing for something beyond his reach . 

However , once at college , it was apparent that he could go far , HNC ,  HND , PhD etc   then , Carpe Diem !!  ,  go as far as possible ,   the world is your lobster Rodney       

Keep looking , you will get  replies from some extremely clever members on here. 

Look at it like this ...one of my apprentices is an electrician ......one is in a supervisory position .........one is an excellent Project Engineer with the NHS because he did well at college .

Make a decision when he.s done his O  or A levels   ( If they even do those these days) 

If he has no aptitude for manual tasks , then shy away from the practical side .

I can only say what my Dad said when I left school 300 years ago , the old adage , " Whatever you do ...  Get a trade son  , your skills will always be needed"

So , 300 years later , never been out of work , and people still need my skills.

 

[binky]

You could do far worse things!! :slap

 

[Evans Electric]

Like plumbing

 

[Nicky Tesla]

i do domestic and commercial cos i cannot stand the environment of a factory

 

[Garycan]

Many thanks to everyone who's applied, it's really appreciated. All good feedback thanks that I've discussed it with my lad who see it as a highly possible option. We don't live far from a petrochemical plant so ideally an apprenticeship there leading on to control and automation there would be perfect.

As for plumbing, I was told the job is mostly crap haha