Thinking of either electrician or plumber.

The only thing is I’m in my early 40s so an apprenticeship route would be out of the question.

I’m very wary of private companies offering training such as the fast-track plumbing courses, which I’m told aren’t worth much. Only the NVQ qualifications are important, which again is just what I’ve been told.

Any advice? I’ve no doubt I have an aptitude for this stuff because I’m good with hand tools and worked a few years building/servicing downhole instrumentation and surface sensors on the oil rigs. I hope that doesn’t sound too big-headed? Of course, I lack particular knowledge and experience.

How hard can it be

Water stop
Water start
Water hot
Water cold.

There’s only 4 bits

@weeksy

lol I’ve no doubt that many call-out plumbing jobs are super easy, it’s the question of credentials and getting a job which is more difficult 😀

Don’t take this personally, but consider how you’d feel fitting into cramped, awkward, hot dusty spaces in your mid-40s.
https://electricalqualifications.com/domestic-installer/ is a consideration at low cost to see if the life appeals

Quite a few leccy and plumbing jobs are like doing lego but having an understanding about how existing systems have been set up and how to work round that in the neatest, most effective and most cost effective way is not something you can learn overnight.

Don’t take this personally, but consider how you’d feel fitting into cramped, awkward, hot dusty spaces in your mid-40s.

This.

I obtained electrical qualifications c+g236 as a part of my apprenticeship training for building management systems. Fitted intruder alarms in my 20s when the economy took a downturn. Even in my late twenties I’d had enough of fishing cables, cramped lofts etc.
Moved to the service side pretty quickly and then into Fire Suppression in my 30’s.

I do the odd bit of install, but it’s all industrial. So no lofts, lifting carpets, but I still resent having to get my drill out.

Actually there’s a big shortage in the fire/security industry if you can train towards that.

Theres also the practical aspects such as any job you do, and insurance – of you – for work done without all the ‘proper bits of paper’.

Something like this local to you? Know not keen on private training but to get C&G/NVQ ASAP

Plumbing

If you know or can find someone/company to take you on and also you’re willing not to earn much for a long time then chance your arm. You won’t be productive for sometime!

Lad over the road from me is a spark, he’s just turned 40 and got into developing. He says he can’t physically do the day to day elec work any morebas it will **** him up for his hobbies (he goes to gym, cycles and runs). Reckons it’s a young man’s game.

What is it that electricians and plumbers are doing that is so hard on the body? I can’t really understand how they can be past it by their forties. Surely they’re doing something wrong or not resting enough?

All the lads I know are about that age and most are fit as a butcher’s dog. A lot more so than my computer nerd/desk drone mates.

Plumber I’ve started using is late 40s, retrained 10 years ago apparently. He’s a good guy, but he’s mentioned he’s had to quit running as his knees are shot – whether through running or work is unclear.

Kneeling, working in cramped spaces for prolonged periods, contorting limbs.
Working away from home – if that’s where the money and opportunities are.
Several well established M&E contractors gone into liquidation in past 6 months.
My eldest is a plumber but specialises in industrial/commercial pipe fitting and plant rooms.
He wouldn’t touch resi work – does his own; I waited 6 months for him to do a small job for me.
He lives in Lincoln but works in/around London; leaves Monday 4.30am, back early evening Friday.
If that’s for you…

If I was to pick a trade, it’d be a decorator, cos you know wherever you work has to be clean and dry.

Certain jobs I expect to knacker your body in middle-age like roofing or even being a brickie as well as any labouring type jobs. Still, my Dad was doing gardening and general handyman work until he was almost 80.

Constantly getting up from a kneeling position or squatting is going to hurt your knee cartilage over time I guess?

The crap supermarket job I do at the moment has the potential to hurt your knees over time too I guess with all the picking up and putting down. I try always to be either properly kneeling or standing up. In between seems to put more loads through the knee.

What is it that electricians and plumbers are doing that is so hard on the body?

I’m an electronics engineer. That means I spend my days sat on my arse talking to other electronic engineers on a computer. Occasionally I design some electronics. I long to just screw and solder together some electronics. So I often think about becoming a spark…

I’ve just spent some time this evening adding a socket (1!) into a radial circuit. My back is killing me. I had to sort of lean over a bench to do it, not terribly awkward, but I had to hold that position whilst assembling the conductors into the terminals. I couldn’t do it all day. I’m 37 and a fit cyclist. Maybe I’d get used to it. But don’t underestimate it.

What is it that electricians and plumbers are doing that is so hard on the body?

Dunno. I bumped into a guy I went to school with (and trained at the same time as me) a while back.
I was wandering around testing smoke detectors. He was kneeling on concrete in the pissing cold rain, trying to pull some not very flexible armoured cable into some outside bollard things.

Trades are always hard to get in when you’re later in life, it’s just the way of the world, what others say about specialist routes into trades might be a good idea, getting the foundation and on the job experience, most folk i know who went through apprenticeships were 16 to 20 when they started, then have all moved off the tools by the time they’re 35, or moving towards it.

Best places to look around for this type of thing are government agencies and local councils, as they tend to focus on later life apprenticeships, that way you will at least get a half decent wage whilst learning.

If I was to pick a trade, it’d be a decorator, cos you know wherever you work has to be clean and dry.

Yeah that’s what I did. Just wrote up an advert to put in the post-office window, bought a few rollers and brushes from B&Q and that was that. One of the best decisions I ever made. It’s active, but you’re generally stretching, which feels beneficial, and concentrating on what you’re doing gets you into a zen state which is good for the mental health. Plus, you’re in after all the other noisy trades have left so it’s just you and the radio while Mrs Jones brings you endless tea and biscuits. It tends to quieten down in the winter which could be an issue for some, but I like it as I get to spend time on my other interests and musical hobbies. Would recommend.

Doesn’t help with electrician/ plumbing but if it were me I’d do sash window repair.
We live on a Victorian terrace most of which still have the original Windows.

Easily the nicest vans any of the trades have are the sash window renovators.

We got a few quotes and they were astronomical. Like 500+ pounds to refurbish 1 window and that didn’t even include painting.

So in the end we did them all ourselves. Took about a day each. It was, if I’m honest, piss easy in the grand scheme of DIY, and £50 materials. Saved a fortune.

Doesn’t help with electrician/ plumbing but if it were me I’d do sash window repair.
We live on a Victorian terrace most of which still have the original Windows.

Easily the nicest vans any of the trades have are the sash window renovators.

We got a few quotes and they were astronomical. Like 500+ pounds to refurbish 1 window and that didn’t even include painting.

So in the end we did them all ourselves. Took about a day each. It was, if I’m honest, piss easy in the grand scheme of DIY, and £50 materials. Saved a fortune.

That’s interesting… So what do you mean by sash window repair? Adding new ropes and weights or replacing rotten wood etc? Never realised that was a specific trade. Might get into it. I paint enough of them.

That’s interesting… So what do you mean by sash window repair? Adding new ropes and weights or replacing rotten wood etc? Never realised that was a specific trade. Might get into it. I paint enough of them

The windows I repair may need new timber sections running out, bottom rails, cills and sash box being the most common. Resin repairs, reglazing, new sash lifts, catches, wheels and cords all before painting.
All in, you are looking at roughly £1500-2000 per window for a total restoration.
Time served carpenter by trade if that matters?

An alternative would be welding or something like that. Less money I guess?

So in the end we did them all ourselves. Took about a day each. It was, if I’m honest, piss easy in the grand scheme of DIY, and £50 materials. Saved a fortune.

Sounds like a right bodge job.

I’ve done a few DIY, fully stripped back to bare wood, replacement wood, filling and multiple coats of paint. Takes days of work and spread over a few weeks too. Simply not possible in a day if done properly.

I never got a quote for the work but an architect I was talking to said minimum of 1k per window for ours.

Domestic electrics is a right ball ache as its bloody fiddly stuff mostly behind sodding plaster walls or crawling through old Rockwool.

Industrial electrics is either control wiring that has its own pressures and complexities or the larger supply side in factories.

Having installed plenty of SWA cable of a minimum 4x400mm + I can tell you it wrecks you as its around 20kg per meter and its not like your just laying it on the floor and really doesn’t want to bend where you want it to go.

Having just retired from the “industry” I feel I could guide people on their chosen path but not until the next tax year or I will get hammered for tax.

An alternative would be welding or something like that. Less money I guess?

I work with welders. It’s a brutally hard job. Noise, fumes and sunburn. Bending over the whole time.

Pay is amazing though. It has to be.

Don’t become a sparky, unless you can get into something specialised – domestic work is horrible and the money aint great

Good luck OP, it’s definitely possible. My dad made a semi retirement career for himself doing decorating and handy man work aged 60 and managed 15 years at it before winding down.

As others have pointed out if you want/need to make as much money as possible it’ll be physically very hard with potentially some working away. My dad managed it as he could basically pick and choose the jobs he did so avoided the overly backbreaking stuff and only really worked for regular customers.

I’m in the trade…nearly 50 and my body is knackered…yesterday I come to a aching back…no let up today as I’ve got a patio to finish…
My pension plan is to become a decorator and handyman…the easy stuff.
So if I was the OP maybe that’s what to aim for…especially if your not young.

If you want to chase the money then plumbing, gas safe and sparks are the way

I’m a furniture maker.
Nearly 49.
I’m ok in the workshop, where I hoof about 8×4 plywood sheets, 2′ Oak boards and all sorts.

As soon as I’ve got a job I have to install on site in a home I dread it.

On the knees, off the knees, up the ladder, down the ladder, into the back of the cabinet, up the ladder, down the ladder etc etc…

I usually can barely walk the next day.
Don’t let that stuff put you off though.

I love the idea implied above though that you can just decide what trade you’d like to be, rock up and get cracking.. 😂

So in the end we did them all ourselves. Took about a day each. It was, if I’m honest, piss easy in the grand scheme of DIY, and £50 materials. Saved a fortune.

I wonder if your repair was actually quite minor but would have still taken a chunk of time so £500 a window quote. Removal etc. It’s quite a task proper window repair and requires a lot of knowledge of window construction and depending on the repair require some significant machinery, basically the same machines that you would use to manufacture the windows. Spindle modlers etc.

I’m a furniture maker.

We had a guy make a wardrobe from scratch for us, lovely job – real craftsman. He said his aim was to make his money making lutes and mandolins as that was a lot easier than lugging big lumps of wood around!!

Quick edit! And research shows it may have worked for him:
https://www.siveenmandolins.com/test-page

handyman

This is a good idea, if you’re generally ‘handy’. There’s a guy we’ve used a couple of times who basically does the small jobs, i.e. a couple of hours/half-day’s work, that ‘dedicated’ trades don’t really want to bother with, cos they’re too small. He’s booked up a couple of weeks in advance, he says work steadily comes in. He’ll basically do anything that doesn’t require certification, so no electrics or plumbing, but shelving, joinery, putting together flatpack, putting up pictures, all that kind of stuff that (especially older) folks don’t want to or can’t do themselves.

OP looking to retrain as a spark or plumber, 30 posts later we have sash window restoration and mandolin maker* 😄.

* I realise you never suggested mandolin maker but I’ve overlooked that to amuse myself.

To add hopefully something of use to the OP, you could look into a more industrial trade, I work for a large pharmaceutical company and our apprentice program is wide open. Traditionally young lads from school but in recent years in an effort for diversity we’ve had allsorts. No men in their 40’s as yet, though it may have happened at other sites. But certainly people in their mid thirties. You’ve some instrumentation experience and that could be something to trade upon. It would be a four year apprenticeship mind you with college and wotnot so not a quick route into a role but there are openings out there.

Sounds like a right bodge job.

+1

I repainted our wooden front door – took about 4 days – stripped all paint off, sanded back to bare wood (inc a lot of complex architrave round the inset panels), drilled and filled any leaking knots, filled all gaps between panels. Primer, two undercoats, three top coats. Polished all brass furniture to mirror finish.

That wasn’t with any actual repairs!

Doing stuff properly takes ages….

The only trades/businesses that I’ve been jealous of now I’m nearing 50 having worked in industry since school are;

Diesel pump/injection equipment repair – I use a local guy for my diesel based chemical pump repairs and love his little cottage industry set up, has done well for himself over the years.

High end record turntable manufacturer – my late FIL had an expensive back in the day turntable that my wife inherited. Got in touch with the manufacturer and dropped it off for repair. Lovely couple with a small workshop down the rose filled garden.

Anything else – welding/sparks/HVAC/civils/plumbing etc no chance.

A friend of mine was an architect and hated the long hours and travelling into London. He’s now set up as a handyman and does exactly what IHN stated above, in fact, that may even be him (near MK?)! He’s now early sixties & sooo much more chilled, but booked weeks in advance. He’s not a morning person so he tells all his clients he won’t start until mid-morning but works on into the evening as that suits him perfectly. He does a lot of Ikea flat-pack stuff (you’d be amazed how many people can’t do that!), gardening, shelves, etc. He advertised in the local town just the once and has had constant work since through word of mouth (always the best way).

FWIW I work in education in the electrical industry and there are very few people my age (52) on the tools. It’s definitely a young man’s industry, most get into their late 30s/early 40s and move into a part of the industry such as project management/estimating etc where they’re not getting their hands dirty.

does exactly what IHN stated above, in fact, that may even be him (near MK?)!

Nope, I’m up in the Grim North

Nope, I’m up in the Grim North

Ahh ok, I don’t think he travels that far! 😄

YoKaiser offering a mature apprenticeship 4 years and college
A few weeks ago a self build extension thread , learn bricklaying for £500, or buy the bricky plastic thingy and build your own saving lots with the satisfaction of doing it yourself.
Some trades can take a while to pick up handling skills
If you already have a trade probably easier to learn a new one as squaring or accuracy in measuring were acquired years ago
Do a weeks pointing course at a lime centre , buy a van ,guild of master craftsmen or checkatrade and within a few weeks your an artisan pointer that can’t build stone but charge large
Rent a coffee machine and grinder barista £3.50 for a wee flat white

In The same vane as the above list venetian plastering. Real knack to that one! But man what a awesome product and result.