Steve Hinds (31) - Now An Electrician

Redundancy Was A Golden Opportunity For Sparky Steve

Steve Hinds, 31, had worked in IT for an insurance and financial company for seven years before being made redundant last Christmas. Although he enjoyed the excitement of working with new technology, sitting in front of a computer screen for eight to nine hours a day began to take its toll.

He said: “It was something I got bored of but I probably would have kept on going if I hadn’t been made redundant. My colleagues found out that we’d be losing our jobs last summer so I started thinking about using it as an opportunity to start a new career. I wanted to do something completely different. I wanted the variety of meeting different people, working inside and outside, rather than sitting in front of a screen in an office every day. After doing it for seven years my eyes were a bit tired!”

Steve, who has a degree in American Studies, developed an interest in electrics after watching a friend do some work on his house and decided to look into learning the trade himself. He said: “I think what I liked about the idea of being an electrician was being able to help people and doing something practical. Also, I knew that it would be a sensible career to get into because I could progress if I wanted to and become an electrical engineer. There was so much focus on going to university and getting a white collar job when I was younger but now I think it really is good to be qualified a trade.”

The former Derby University student did some research on the internet and came across New Career Skills, a company which specialises in retraining mature career changers for jobs as electricians and plumbers. The company, which is one of the fastest-growing businesses in the country, allows people to learn from home as well as providing practical training at its centres in Doncaster and Southampton. Students have up to 18 months to complete their qualification and are given help either finding a job or setting up their own business at the end of their studies.

Steve, a keen photographer, decided to invest in his future and use his redundancy money to pay for his New Career Skills course. He took up a casual job as a delivery driver in the mornings to help pay his mortgage and used the afternoons to study for his City & Guilds qualification.

He qualified just six months later and has now set up his own specialised PAT testing company based in Chester Green, Derby. The business has been set up to provide the best possible service to the people and businesses of Derby, Derbyshire and surrounding counties. He said: "I'd advise anyone who has been made redundant not to panic, it's really not the end of the world and you can actually use it as an opportunity to do something you've always wanted. If you do find out redundancy is on the cards, start thinking about possible careers and make sure you pick something because it's what you really want to do, not just because you think you could make a lot of money from it. Starting over again can seem daunting but you're never too old to learn something new!"

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