Will offer my personal experience here. I decided to retrain in my 30's as Id moved to a new area and needed a career ( my previous business was very niche)
Did a few courses at my local college. Don't think they qualify as 'fast track', my entry level 2330 lvl 2 was a full time 13 weeks course. Then did the 17th regs, then I was mis-sold (IMO, don't forget, lecturers need work too!) the 2392. It had just come out, and our lecturers had no idea what to teach on it, so they just taught us the 2391 material. Ive never met any prospective employer who even knows what it is. Waste of £400 (at the time, its probs more now)
I was very lucky however, as I just happened to fall in with a succession of old hands, and that's where I learned how to actually do the job, well still learning of course but got most of my practical info from them. An example - at college, we did a few 'installations' in booths where it was all screwed/clipped etc to a lovely big back sheet of hardboard/plywood. I've never come across that in the real world lol
The very first thing I was taught out of college, my sparky mate said "Anyone taught you how to get cable off a drum yet?" and no, they hadn't. At college all the cable came off cable frames beautifully untwisted. In the real world you don't always have access to a frame, so how to keep the twists out of the cable? I learned lots, fast.
And that's where I think you may have a chance. You say you have a few friends in the trade? You will need them, you'll also have to live on peanuts for a good few years. Get your face and name around, don't be afraid to take on stuff that others wont, get your hands dirty, be willing, be able, be lucky. Its a million to one shot Jim, but it ….just....might....work.
Seriously. It is a very long shot, but it can happen, if you want it enough you can make it happen. I did. All the best to you
Did a few courses at my local college. Don't think they qualify as 'fast track', my entry level 2330 lvl 2 was a full time 13 weeks course. Then did the 17th regs, then I was mis-sold (IMO, don't forget, lecturers need work too!) the 2392. It had just come out, and our lecturers had no idea what to teach on it, so they just taught us the 2391 material. Ive never met any prospective employer who even knows what it is. Waste of £400 (at the time, its probs more now)
I was very lucky however, as I just happened to fall in with a succession of old hands, and that's where I learned how to actually do the job, well still learning of course but got most of my practical info from them. An example - at college, we did a few 'installations' in booths where it was all screwed/clipped etc to a lovely big back sheet of hardboard/plywood. I've never come across that in the real world lol
The very first thing I was taught out of college, my sparky mate said "Anyone taught you how to get cable off a drum yet?" and no, they hadn't. At college all the cable came off cable frames beautifully untwisted. In the real world you don't always have access to a frame, so how to keep the twists out of the cable? I learned lots, fast.
And that's where I think you may have a chance. You say you have a few friends in the trade? You will need them, you'll also have to live on peanuts for a good few years. Get your face and name around, don't be afraid to take on stuff that others wont, get your hands dirty, be willing, be able, be lucky. Its a million to one shot Jim, but it ….just....might....work.
Seriously. It is a very long shot, but it can happen, if you want it enough you can make it happen. I did. All the best to you
