Anyone taken up evening classes?

Im about to enrol in local tech college for evening classes two evenings a week on a two year course, and Im not 100% sure yet. It eats in to kiddy and Mrs Stoner time as I have to leave at 5:30 and get back at 9:30.

Did you stick your course to the end?

Life model?

is that an offer?

Hell no! Wouldn’t want to scare the natives!

🙂

two evenings a week for 2 years!
I did less than that for a degree!

Pends what it is, dunnit? If it’s something that can enrich your (and maybe even your family’s) life, then go for it.

If it’s more about your own ego, then maybe your family should come first.

I dunno. Up to you, innit?

Song-writing or jewellery making, I reckon.

tap or ballroom?

If it was dance, it would be jazz.

Sounds excessive that for a family man – It’s not the two evenings a week so much as the regularity – I’d end up missing too many classes if it were me. As said, if it’s something deeply important to you that’s one thing. If it’s more along the lines of ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to know how to weld, I think I’ll go to evening classes for 2 years to learn’ then I’d swerve it.

Its a bit of a technical retrain into a field I want to spend much of the next phase of my life working in*, but there’s also a bit of leeway in attendance (as its one evening practical and one of theory which I can catch up on. Its also going to have chunks of the syllabus that I will find very very easy). Its also term time only and Im only on the hook for the fees a year at a time.

* not dance.

Stoner – I go to evening classes 2 nights a week – dosbarth cymraeg (that’s welsh language class in case you need a translastion 🙂 )

I do find it hard, especially as I work (more than) full-time – usually get back from work in a mad dash, drop work bag, grab welsh class notes, and fly out the door. Get home about 9.30 / 10 pm hungry and tired. Plus, I need time to fit in doing the ‘homework’ that goes with the course.

But … I’m doing something that i’m interested in and committed to (as I live in North Wales, I personally find it pretty important to be making an effort to learn to ‘siarad cymraeg’). Plus, most other people in the class are in the same postiion (ie usually knackered), and its often good fun. I’ll be doing classes 2 nights a week for probably at least 5 years, so it’s a long-term commitment.

I’d recommend going for it, but only if you’re feeling committed to whatever it is you are wanting to do classes in. If it is something you are just casually interested in, then work / family commitments will probably mean you’ll drop out sooner or later.

Pob lwc 🙂

No family here but I’ve done a few for fun. Enjoyed them all.

Are you going to be about during the day to see your kid? If yes, and Mrs Stoner is happy*, then go for it!

*what makes you happy should make her happy, right? 8)

what you going to study?

It’ll be something to do with building.

And dance.

You still won’t be doing a full-time week, you slacker. Go for it.

Unless it’s Access IT at our place, as I don’t want too many students 😉

I used to teach furniture making evening classes but since moved onto daytime. They can be very rewarding and a good pathway into new avenues. Do it.

You still won’t be doing a full-time week, you slacker

Thats one of the reasons why I think it wont be too tough. I still should have at least 3 or 4 days a week free for rides and time with Jr – now Mrs S is going to start working fulltime again too, I also need to look after the house more too though 😉 . I still get the days with Jr, and his elder brother is at school now.

Well, form filled-in this morning.

Just need to go and shake the piggy bank now and see how many coppers I can rustle-up.

what you going to study?

It’ll be something to do with building.

And dance.

Close enough 😉

Dance-Carpentry?

Such a beautiful, practical discipline.

You should see me and darcy pas de deux

I did c&g 2230 Level 2 and BS7671 regs last year while working from home as evening class. I don’t have kids and even though with my scientific backgound the theroy was easy it was still tough at times just learning about the industry and applying the knowlege I aready had in terms of the industry. Initial bit of the pratical was easy too but learnt a lot of good tips from the tutor and other students, this is where it paid off in my opionion, the sylabus is easy, it’s all the extra tips you get from speaking to people / the tutor.

A few weeks where missed over the year as the college changed locations so there is definatly slack in the system. As the evening classes are adults the tutor are able to move quicker IME.

Even though I was working at home I was working most evenings too though and w/e so it actually stoped me working as much, it was like leasure time / break. We reguarly finished early too.

It was my intention to go back this year and do L3 and a specialised course + work in the industry to upgrade tio the propper NVQ but I couldn’t get a job in the industry due to the slump. Have another job at the moment and can’t justify the course fees for the 2nd year if I’m not working so it’s back on the back burner for now.

I’d say go for it and consider it like leasure time / hobby if you can work from home the rest of the time.

Applogies for spelling but don’t have spellcheck availble.

Just started teaching two evenings a week again. Evening students tend to be a lot more motivated and hardworking than part-time daytime ones so it’s very rewarding from my point of view.

Also means I get Wednesdays off to do childcare so it can actually work in favour of family.

thats going to be similar to me Brick, doing L2 C&G first, it will be difficult getting the NVQ2 assessment but I reckon I could get a non-paying “apprentice” role with a local tradesman to tick the boxes. I would need the NVQ2 in order to get some special certificates that I need.

Anyone know of a good welding evening class in/arround Middlesborough?

There was a good one near where I lived down south which was basicly a 10 week free for all where they’d teach you whichever specific method you wanted to learn, either a bit of a few or get quite proficient in one.

Up here it seems to be geared towards profesional qualifications and much much longer courses.

Stoner – Member
thats going to be similar to me Brick, doing L2 C&G first, it will be difficult getting the NVQ2 assessment but I reckon I could get a non-paying “apprentice” role with a local tradesman to tick the boxes.

I had a period when I could have done that and I wrote to a load of people offering to work for free but no uptake unfortunately. I’d still do but have a full time job now, unfortunately I don’t have the contacts or experience in the right area to go freelance and work for myself so I could fit in some free work around paid work.

I would need the NVQ2 in order to get some special certificates that I need.

I guess your heading for the plumbing then mcs solar / biomass using your install as evidence?

smartarse gets a cigar 😉

yep. Want to progress through to MCS, HETAS and Part P ultimately.

I have some drinking buddies who are plumbers and I also know other renewable systems installers/specifiers I might be able to blag time with.

I have some drinking buddies who are plumbers

Your sorted then! Toyed with either NVQ L3 electrics this year or the plumbing but just can’t justify the cost it atm. Looked into all the mcs stuff and if you’ve got the install on your own house it doesn’t seem too bad once you’ve climbed the paper mountain. I’m surprised with your freelance work that you want to do this.

Good luck. I kind of wish I’d done it when I was 18 instead of going to uni tbh.

Its time for a bit of a career change. I’ll keep doing my freelance work for my best clients but while I have the time, the funds and the interest its a great chance to build up a new skillset and some new qualifications. I wont still be working as an analyst in another 20 years time. I cant imagine doing the same career for 50 years.

To paraphrase a pithy saying I once heard: If after ten years in the same career you arent the best in the industry, you’re in the wrong career, and if you are the best in the industry, its time to find a new challenge 🙂

PS how long would “NVQ L3 electrics” have taken you?

Interesting quote. Kind of why I’m looking too, just need a little experience.

how long would “NVQ L3 electrics” have taken you?

In theory the evening course would be 1 year plus however long it takes to fill in your log book, which can be done concurrently. I think I’d rattle through the evening class exams as I’ve studied most of the L2 stuff I did last year to L3 standard out of interest so it would be the log book mainly. Plus doing the 17th edition course caused me to do a lot of extra work.

one of the most useful things I will learn is just how all the qualifications fit together and which ones you need to be registered to do certain things. It’s a minefield. And something like say an unvented system with a biomass boiler covers at least three four* restricted fields!

* if you count MCS

It’s a minefield.

Defiantly. The difficulty for a small firm for the plumbing is that many people who want solar thermal are quote likely to want the biomass so as you say to make it work you really need to be covered for both and ideally have a mate who can do gshp just in-case the customer want that too. So that more mcs certification, more HETAS certification, unvented, more fees e.t.c.

I guess for you it would be L2 c&g 6129+NVQ upgrade, un-vented course + registration, solar thermal approved course, hetas installers course part J building regs, and you may as well do the bepec water regs registration + course. Then for the mcs you might need a basic working at heights course / basic scaffolding erection as well.

Part-P depends on how proper you want to be, in theory you don’t need much to get part p registration but I personally feel it’s worth getting some decent qualification and experience if you want full scope. As I’m sure you’re aware there is a lot more to doing things properly than you ever think!

I bet you know all this already, as you can tell I’ve done a lot of looking into it as well. I might get there eventually. If things go ok over the rest of this year I might start another course in Jan.

I’ve just got back from our rock and roll dance class. Not exactly a saleable skill set but everyone seemed happy.

I used to give evening classes and worked as hard on entertaining people as teaching the content. That kept numbers up and people smiling.

What else would you do?

pretty much spot on my thoughts there Brick, but its very informative to read of your own experience. Rather than “L2 c&g 6129+NVQ upgrade” though, Im doing 6128 (heating & vent) which covers pretty much the same as 6129, but without lead work.

Looking forward to it now.