3 years graft and its paid off - my apprenticeship
 

I'd like to use this thread to say a thankyou to the people who offered advice and genuinely helped me/wished me well when when I was unemployed through medical reasons and heavily in debt in my darkest hour about 4 years ago. I'd also like to use this thread to say a big f-you to the people who saw fit to send me pathetic emails and PM's, obviously enjoying my tough change of luck :thumb:

Admittedly I did myself very little favours with some of my comments on here back then, but low and behold with a kick up the arse and some damn hard graft, I find myself 4 years on completing my engineering apprenticeship.

I was fortunate enough (even though nearly 25 at the time), 3 years ago to be taken on by Tata Steel on their apprenticeship scheme. As of this week I'm a time served mechanical fitter (officially termed skilled craftsperson) in the field of mechanical engineering and undertaking my base craft year. Ok that's not gonna set your world on fire but given I was a clear 4-5 years older (and in most cases 8-9 years older) than the other apprentices, I think retraining via an apprenticeship at my age was/is a decent achievement. Many folk on here helped me, offered advice on interviews, CV's and even offered the use of a suit!

I now find myself in a much better position with a steadily increasing salary, wife to be and beautiful 18 month old son (whilst debt is being managed as opposed to going bankrupt). Although maybe not held in as such high prestige as years gone by, I can say now that I am British Steel/Tata Steel trained should I ever want to contract around the world etc. in years to come, should I wish to take that career path.

This thread is not about self indulgence but again a thankyou to those who helped me where they could and made decent offers without even knowing me (sadly three don't post here any more but the other guys do).


Many thanks,

Andy :)

well done fella

Well done matey,im half way through my engineering apprenticship at the moment. Well actually i will be a fabricator and tig welder but i have my nvq level 2 in engineering.

Well done again!

You can't beat working toward a personal goal & seeing it achieved. You are obviously well chuffed & rightly so.

Can't believe people would be so negative so I guess there is no better way than to prove them wrong.

Well done Andy.

Sounds like a good achievement mate well done and I'm glad your back on track and there was light at the end of the tunnel

Martin

You've done well mate.

Well done :thumb:

Will you be staying on there?

Very well done :thumb:

Congrats. The hard work has paid off. It was the right thing to do at the time and three years later you've seen it through. Fair play, you must be very chuffed.

Well done mate.All good things and all that... :thumb:

Well done fella :thumb:

Can I also say this; As someone who's spent the last 20 years in engineering, and who knows how difficult it is to get anyone interested in apprenticeships these days, the opportunities for people like you, who are prepared to get stuck in and do stuff, can only get better as this country gradually relearns that it was the so called 'manual' trades that put the Great into Britain :notworthy

It was the short sighted greed of accountants and bankers that fcuked it up for the rest of us :mad:

PS; I've also worked in many far flung places in my time, and can assure you that being from the north east, and being either ICI or British Steel trained still carries a serious amount of weight in many quarters :thumb:

There aren't many sites I've visitted over the years that haven't been stuck with more than their fair share of Geordies, Mackems, or Smoggies. :thumb: You even encounter the (very) odd Monkey Hanger :cuckoo:

Well done Andy:thumb:

This just means you know which end of a hammer to hold! Everyone knows Tata fitters are useless! :norty:

Courtesy of a time served British Steel/Tata Steel trained Chair Spinner/Production apprentice ;)





(Can't complain, the longer it takes you to fix stuff the longer my tea breaks are)

Fcuk me was it that long ago!!!

Congrats, its a bloody hard route to take, especially as you get older...

I was 32 when i went back to collage to take my diploma/degree


All the best for the future


Mart

Nice one, getting a proper skill in these bad times appears to be king over white collar jobs.

Well done!

Well done Andy. You've always come across as somebody who has their head screwed on. And though you are not materialistic you want to thrive to be the best you can be, I have no doubt you will go much further yet.

If it wasn't for your appalling taste in music you'd be an all round good bloke!

Congrats Mr Chocolate! :thumb:

Well done Andy. I don't post here much now, but I do remember reading some of your posts 'in your darkest hours' when everything seemed to against you and when some folk on here rubbed salt into the wounds. It is a great achievement to turn your working life around as you have. Good luck in the future.

PS- have to agree with Ding about the music :D

Congratulations on both completing your apprenticeship and poking one in the eye to all the knockers you had :thumb:

Well done Andy!

Broadly speaking in life, there are two classes of people: do-er's and detractors.

Best to be in the first group, as the second group are almost invariably losers who try and deflect their own perceived failings by trying to make others feel bad about themselves! Not even worth trying to derive pleasure from proving them wrong, they're not interested and won't acknowledge it! Leave em to it!

Well done! :thumb:

well done mate nice when someone reaches a goal, i try to tell so many people to just do it and you will get there in the end, but so many wait around to be gifted something, good things come to those that do.:thumb:

Well done Andy! :thumb:

Hi chaps, I appreciate the comments. Luckily where I am they tend to reward the can-do attitude so if in the future I want to progress up the ranks, the possibility for further learning is there to compliment it. Current circumstances with a young family depict I'm currently happy with my lot. Safeish job in an 'indemand' field with possibilities cropping up. Yeah that'll do for now :)

Thanks.

Ive never offered you any advice mate being a newbie still really but good on ya mate. We all hit highs n lows in our life. I feel for you with the medical condition. I use to suffer epilepsy, but as it was photosensitive i was house bound. 6 years of tortue that was but things picked up so i kbow how it can make you feel mate

Well done bud!!!

Well done Andy. I remember many of the threads and I'm glad you've stayed the course. I hope the future brings you the career you've worked hard for :)

Well done Andy. :thumb:

Well done mate. Glad you got through it all. :thumb: