Gary Ribeck
From the kitchen sink to hands down the sink - a radical change of career
Despite a long career in the food and beverage industry, Gary Ribeck, from Aylesbury, decided that a change of profession would allow him to spend more time with his new family. Having taken a good look at his transferrable skills, Gary (44) decided to switch from catering to plumbing.
As he rightly points out: 'In catering, the hours can be very long and I wanted more flexibility for a better work/life balance. I realised I had a good set of transferrable skills, including the ability to work under pressure, excellent people skills and a good understanding of the importance of customer service. I knew I was both practically-minded and good with my hands, so a profession which was practical and had lots of contact with the public was ideal for me.'
Having decided that a career in plumbing ticked all the boxes for him, Gary researched training companies on the internet, where he came across New Career Skills. Recently placed 25th in The Sunday Times Fast Track 100, the company stood out for him for a number of reasons but particularly because of its flexible learning programme that he could fit in around his work commitments.
New Career Skills not only helps people retrain for practical careers as plumbers, electricians, energy assessors and green domestic engineers but also helps its students find jobs or set up their own businesses at the end of their studies.
Fitting theory and practical work around his hours in the restaurant over a 12 month period, Gary managed to complete his training just as his wife, Agi, gave birth to their baby son.
After qualifying, Gary originally planned to work for a local business but instead, decided he would have more success if he set up his own company. He founded GR Plumbing Services and has had continuous work ever since. With the skills he has learnt, Gary now has the ability and confidence to tackle both small and large jobs.
Gary said: 'No two days are ever the same and I enjoy the challenges that my new career has brought me. My course tutors were extremely knowledgeable and are happy to take calls even after I qualified - they are very relaxed and helpful. In fact, I spoke to one so often that we joked that he spoke to me more than to his own wife!'
New Career Skills’ CEO, Steven Wines said: 'In these difficult times, it’s an inspiration to see Gary change career and enjoy the fruits of his labours. He saw how the talents he already had were ideally suited to something different and after training with us he made the switch. His new career will give him both the flexibility he wants, to fit around family life and the challenges and rewards that are essential for an interesting career.'
A 42 year old former fisherman. He is now running his own successful plumbing business.
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