Summary of your Career Change Programme
Your programme.
You will receive a comprehensive blended learning programme comprising theory and practical which will be structured in such a way that without any prior knowledge you will be guided to a level of understanding which will equip you to begin your career.
Is it for me?
We have trained thousands of mature career changers who want to work for themselves or start working in their chosen industry.
Why do I need qualifications?
The construction industry as a whole is becoming increasingly regulated and if you want to work to any level you need accreditation, which is often a legal requirement.
What skills will I learn?
You cannot be a professional based solely upon pieces of paper. We will also teach you the hands-on skills you need to succeed in a controlled, practical environment, guided by your tutor.
How does the training programme work?
You learn from a mix of theory and practical. Theory elements of your learning are delivered through self-study using comprehensive technical training manuals, which are integrated with a number of industry recognised publications. As you progress you complete a number of multiple choice questions and/or written assignments which we call Tutor Marked Assignments or TMAs. When you complete these you send them in to your tutor who will mark them and return them to you with feedback which is linked to the relevant sections of the reference materials if you need to cover anything off again.
After you have completed the first set of TMAs you join your fellow students in one of our training centres where you will complete a week of the practical skills part of your programme. If you are studying part of the programme which leads to an assessment, you will take this at the end of the practical week. And don’t worry if you are nervous about the assessment. We have very high pass rates and you’ll receive a free re-sit if you need it (and most people don’t need this).
The Training Centres.
Centres are accredited by the relevant awarding bodies (City and Guilds, EAL, BPEC and LOGIC) and are convenient for the motorway and public transport. If you wish to stay overnight you can book B&B accommodation from £30 per night.
Training is in maximum group sizes of ten, although in most cases this is more like six and each candidate has their own bespoke training bay. Training centers also have Global On-Line Assessment Suites (GOLA) which allow you to take City and Guilds Assessments via the internet. This means that assessments are delivered at a time which suits and results are normally available within an hour (as opposed to paper based assessments which can take six weeks).
NCS Career Search.
We understand that the value of your skills and underpinning knowledge needs to be unlocked and that is why we have a specialist division devoted to career search, either employed or self-employed. We cannot guarantee you a job: that’s impossible. But we will help you to find work through an extensive network or business contacts and through partnerships with specialist job search agencies; or we will help you start up in business and support you with guidance on and discounts for relevant services – insurance, finance and marketing for instance
Now read the next section – Next Steps.
A 42 year old former fisherman. He is now running his own successful plumbing business.
