Please Vote, College Public Services, Self Employed Roofer

[Sparco_Tom]

I am struggling to find work at the moment. I am currently thinking of two options. Please vote so i can see a clear view of you guys.

Either
Go back to college and do a public services course which will help me get into the police.

or

Re register as self employed and try setting up a roofing business. I have got my NVQ's in roofing and have many years experience.

I'm stuck what to do.
Anybody got some decent input?

[Chr15]

Id do college. Isnt the building trade still on its arse?

[kylesaxo]

college

[Scott-jarvis]

Im in the steel framed building bussiness, were pretty damm slow at the moment, we know lots of companys that are quiet.
You got you Qual ins roofing, so expand your mind and get the public services Qual.

[3cott]

Police force imo

At least if you get in the force you could have a job till you retire

But if you go back to being a roofer you might not get much work with this credit crunch

[Rach125]

i did that course at college mate, and i would recommend it, i have the 2 books youll need if your intrested (y)

[malla90]

I would go college, I take it its a BTEC National Diploma or one similar?

I finished my course last year and it gave me great insight into the Police, Fire and the Armed Services

[Sparco_Tom]

I have always wanted to be in the police. My only concern is being abit colour blind. Although there is glasses and contacts to counteract the problem

[3cott]

Double post :wall:

[KamRacing]

Tom can you fit front doors and garage doors? I need some work done and theres a little bit of bricking needed too but you might have the contacts and skills to do the job....
pm me :D

Kev

[Sparco_Tom]

Yer lack of work is my only concern. I also no longer have any savings left to advertise. I have 2 mates in the same situation who both are builders/plumbers with roofing experience. They would come and work for me, help me out for a while

[Sparco_Tom]

Tom can you fit front doors and garage doors? I need some work done and theres a little bit of bricking needed too but you might have the contacts and skills to do the job....
pm me :D

Kev

I haven't got much experience with garage doors so i wouldn't feel comfortable doing that.

I can fit doors and have a very good brickie mate who likes to do a few quite cash jobs for cheap.

[sparky771]

i would do the college course, and get more quals while there is this credit crunch and after you dont the course you could do a couple of years in the force to get some more £££'s for your roofing business that you could start when the building trade is back on track :)

[SaxoAL]

Didn't know you wanted to do the police fella. Have been trying myself for yrs, but my caution that I got a few years back for drunk and disorderly delayed me from doing so!
I would definitely say go to college and do the course. The police service in general (countrywide) aren't really recruiting at the moment, due to the financial crisis, positions aren't coming up.
But atleast if u do the public services course, you'll get a qualification which will help you in your recruitment process, plus it will fill the gap between now and the time forces will be re-opening their recruitment process.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do mate.

[Sparco_Tom]

I have qualifications coming out my ears, but i suppose there is no harm in gaining more.
I have never been in trouble in my life, i have applied twice but not got in. So thinking by doing the course it will be another thing in favour of me.
Thanks Alex :y:

[SaxoAL]

I considered doing public services myself just after I left school. But I decided that life experience would go more in my favour. I've passed certain stages of the process but every forces says I have to wait like 3yrs since my caution to be able to go further! Sooo annoying!!
But now I've passed my 3yrs, and now no-one is recruiting!!
Another option worth considering would be doing the specials. (None of the plastic police jokes anyone, that is out of order). a mate of mine did this for a few yrs and got into the regulars with the greatest of ease after doing so, due to the amount of experience he got from the minimum 16hrs a month required.
Great job once you get in. If its really what you want to do, keep trying mate.

P.S; if you're worried about ur eyesight, go to ur local optician and ask about it. Any good one will know the specific requirements needed to gain entry into the service. :y:

[Sparco_Tom]

I would quite happily be a PCSO or anything that is involved to the force. I'm still young and have got plenty of time to climb the ladders. I think i might pop down the college tomorrow and see about enrolling on the course.
I spoke to the opticians last year when i was trying to get in and they could make me contacts to combat the colourblindness. However they were very expensive

[auds]

Lol, you're just having a laugh aren't you?? Trying figure you out lol :)

If you're serious though I would go to college, and you could be a special, in the police, to start with:)

[SaxoAL]

Prob worth ur dream career tho I'd imagine? Let us know how u get on mate.

[Sparco_Tom]

Lol, you're just having a laugh aren't you?? Trying figure you out lol :)

If you're serious though I would go to college, and you could be a special, in the police, to start with:)

why would i be having a laugh?



I think college is going to be the best bet. Lack of income though is an issue

[auds]

why would i be having a laugh?



I think college is going to be the best bet. Lack of income though is an issue

Boredom? I assumed you may have been joking, but I guess you're not :oops:

I thought you were a mechanic, no? Sorry, I'll just dig a bit deeper lol :oops:

[SaxoAL]

Can't you apply for certain grants and allowances if you're full time education though?

[Sparco_Tom]

Boredom? I assumed you may have been joking, but I guess you're not :oops:

I thought you were a mechanic, no? Sorry, I'll just dig a bit deeper lol :oops:Fully qualified NVQ3 mechanic, but with no work. I have always wanted to be a police officer or mechanic. Cars has failed for me

Can't you apply for certain grants and allowances if you're full time education though?
I might be able to get an Adult Learning Grant but even that wont be enough for me to survive on. Rather than discussing it on here i should really be doing some serious research.

[SaxoAL]

Yeh mate. The amount of reading up and recruitment events I've been to is unreal lol!
2moro is the day to start looking into it lol.

[Sparco_Tom]

I think i will be waiting outside the local college at 8.30am tomorrow. Prepped with a notepad and pen ready to get gather information

[Dave89]

I did a BTEC ND in Public Services and loved it mate, was a 2 years ago now.

Tis a proper good laugh and a very interesting course that will open your eyes and give you opportunities with the Fire Service, Police, Army, Coastguard etc.
I also got the chance to do activities linked to it such as Kayaking, Sailing etc and a few expeditions to places like Dartmoor for a week.

Deffos' go for it :y: :)

[Sparco_Tom]

That sounds brillaint :)

[moxy89]

mate i tried applying for this. i even went to a police station and asked about the course. They personally told me Life experience is all you need. What good is a college course real life experience is what you need..
do some voluntering work or become a special. i am going to apply for special 4 hours a week in the police.. well worth it i think

[SaxoAL]

I applied for specials, but because of London 2012 olympics, they increased the voluntary working hours from 16 per month to 25. So I had to turn that one down as I work a lot of hours already.
Just going to concentrate on getting into the regs as soon as I can now I think.

[Sparco_Tom]

well the reason i say about going to college is simply to get another qualification to put on my cv and to gain some new experiences

[SaxoAL]

Duke of Edinburgh award is supposed to be good too.

[moxy89]

yes asbove. Tom look into the special meant to be a really good training and you have more rights than the PCSO.I think i will get involved with the specials as the course wont get you in. but as you stated no harm in doing it at all. Do it

[Sparco_Tom]

Ok i have just checked the recruitment site. No force within 50miles is taking on specials,pcso or officers :( college i guess for now and keep my eyes pealed

[SaxoAL]

Yeh specials are exactly he same as regulars, same powers, same uniforms. Just unpaid. Really good experience.
I've been out on a few 'ride alongs' with local police. That's also great fun. Easy to get into aswell.

[SaxoAL]

It was Met police specials I tried for and I got through appl stage. But I suppose that's a bit of out your way really.

[Craig_6]

if i were you id join the college and finish that course cause at the end of the day you will be earning more money with the police!

[Mcinabout]

I did public services when i was at college,but the fire brigade around here arent recruiting and wont take me for a few years due to me being only 18, but public services at college was a good laugh and a real good experience, went on many trips doing team building and leadership aswell as many other things,trip to Amsterdam:y: Very good, but then again different colleges may do different things.

[-E-N-Z-O-]

Sparco_Tom how old are you? I was planning on doing the BTEC Public Services when i was 19 (now 21) but after having a talk with the course tutor for my college they put me straight on the HND course which is a higher qualification just below degree level.

They bumped me up due to my age and the qualifications i already had. May be worth looking into the HND yourself rather than wasting time on the college course. It's the same length of time as the BTEC however at the end of the 2 years i have the option to do a final year of any related course and get a degree. You may get this option as well and wish to use it.

[Sparco_Tom]

Im 20 mate, thanks for the advice i will certainly look into it.

[Ben3991]

can you not take your servicing and modification service and try to build up a business around that? there is only your average mot garage where I live really

[Sparco_Tom]

Unfortunately not, several times i have almost done it. In my area i can think of 30+ garages all with cheap labour fees. There is far too much competition. I rented a unit with a mate for a while in the middle of a village but even that was too out the way to make a successful business

[Ben3991]

hmmmm tuff one, move to suffolk :P, altough i cant think of any reason other than that why you would!

[Sparco_Tom]

lol There are alot of struggling businesses around here. Best thing i could do in the motor trade would be going and working in a tyre fitting centre with no real future prospects

[Ben3991]

true, i know what you mean, you want a job with a carreer. Hard atm! Id say special forces is best bet. But dont you have to pay for the course if you over a certain age?

[Sparco_Tom]

yer you do, but whats £150 now if it means i will earn £10k more a year for the rest of my life

[CHIP]

You'd be nut's to pick roofing over Police force imo.

[Sparco_Tom]

Yer but i would be working my hours, earning what i like. Would be far more relaxed i imagine

[CHIP]

Yer but i would be working my hours, earning what i like. Would be far more relaxed i imagine

Apart from weather etc stopping you from working. Which could be bad. Also if you go in the Police force they have a brilliant pension?

[Sparco_Tom]

Yer the pension and housing benefit defiantly is a great bonus.

The weather didn't use to effect me too bad when i was roofing. Was always nice to have an extra day off due to torrential rain

[Rach125]

are the police force, recruiting in your area?

[Sparco_Tom]

Nope, nor within 50miles of where i live

[xxo0pko0xx]

IVE GOT MY 2 a levels in public services and it isnt even guarennteed ill get into the fireservice with it. they want life experience therefore i dont have a hope a joining until im 25 at least. already 2 denied firefighters and 1 police they said if i was older i would be considered so therefore ive now joined the TA. (well got my interview next month). so if i was you roof, get some life experience then try to join the old bill. they'd prefer that TBH. any mug can pass a publioc services level 3 course. you just repeat what the tutor tells you in your course work. I did a level 3 national certificate (2 a levels ) and got a merit and a pass (120 ucas). i wish i did something like motor mechanics now

[Sparco_Tom]

thanks for the input

[xxo0pko0xx]

not a problem mate

[-Frisby-]

Public services IMO. May set you up better not sure.

[smiith]

Roofer all day long, nothing beats been on the job site, having some banter with the lads, the cash is decent, and the summer on the roofs, its just perfection man.

I love it been on a roof, think its a much more satisfying job than what been a police man would be, you become a pencil pusher half the time

[Sparco_Tom]

Yer i wish i had continued roofing tbh.

[smiith]

Apart from weather etc stopping you from working. Which could be bad. Also if you go in the Police force they have a brilliant pension?

weather in england isnt really that bad, once theres felt on the roof, you can do the tiling in any weather really, so one day you need decent to whip felt off, and new stuff back on..
If its a new build, the insides wont get started untill the roofs on, so you can do it in pretty much any weather

[Sparco_Tom]

99% of my roofing work has been new builds so weather didn't cause an issue

[smiith]

Yer i wish i had continued roofing tbh.

Im a self employed joiner, but i love to do roofing, most of the time i get jobs, if i put the roof up, trusses or traditional, i will carry on to do the tiling and stuff, its a peacful job i think, not really alot that can go wrong, and you just get on with it, abit of music, and your sorted for the day

[Sparco_Tom]

Yer only thing it can get abit dull and boring. Especially when we had contracts for roofing manors, and £5m+ houses. There were hundreds of thousands of tiles to be laid. Several weeks just laying tiles over and over

[smiith]

aye, but if theres a few of you, its usually a good crack i find, i sometimes use one of my mates as a laboror, and its always a good laugh, the day just flys

[Sparco_Tom]

Well i worked in a 3man team me and 2 others both in their late 40's/50's proper old school guys aswell

[Dave89]

If you work in the Police for either 30-35 years you get a rather tasty lump sum at the end of your career for your services.

Best friends dad worked as a copper from 18 and just recently retired at 54, the pension and lump sum he received means he is now set for the rest of his life. Although he was an inspector, but its pretty similar to a sergeant etc

[Sparco_Tom]

that sounds brilliant. I really wish i was waking up in the morning to go and do that job

[Dave89]

I know man.

When I was back in College a few years back we had a talk by Wiltshire Police and the Lump sum available for a normal PC after 30years experience was a 100k.
Not sure if it has changed for good or worse since I left but It's a nice sum to say thankyou as well as the pension scheme they have lol

[Sparco_Tom]

You know i wouldn't do it for the money or pension. I just want to do it because i think i would enjoy it. I think i would be very proud of my job and get great self satisfaction out of it

[Dave89]

I know what you mean fella.
I am looking at hopefully joining the Police or Fire Service after uni, both my dream Jobs.

[Sparco_Tom]

goodluck mate

[Chr15]

any particular part your aiming for tom?

traffic, CID, guns n shiz?

[Dave89]

goodluck mate

good luck to you as well fella

[Sparco_Tom]

Ideally Chris i would like to be in Traffic

[Netsky1991]

Tom, I would do the roofing business mate, but before you do have you considered competition and the rest of it? If you've got a few mates that are willing to work for you on the cheap atm then that's great! Of course there's going to be bad times in the construction industry but you have to think about the good times as well. Imagine if you do stick at the roofing and become successful, in 5-8 years time you could of established a big company with 70+ guys working for you, if you're not successful then like you said, you're young, there's plenty of time to do something else. As for that college course, my mate did the same thing and said it was a waste of time and wish he would of done some real 'life experience' like being a volunteer or special. Just my opinion.

[Sparco_Tom]

Thanks mate
Yer i have looked into the competition and there isn't many roofing companies in the local areas. I am really unsure what i should be doing with my life at the moment :(

[JAGVTS]

Thanks mate
Yer i have looked into the competition and there isn't many roofing companies in the local areas. I am really unsure what i should be doing with my life at the moment :(

sparco_tom ...

mate stay roofing :) im almost 20 and i have been roofing for 3 and a half years since the day i left school. tbh mate im loving it dont know about you? , fair bit of money in the trade .

summer you get an awsome sun tan :)

i want to set up my own roofim company in the near distant future .

keep with the roofing , you have ur qualifications and the experience , if you go to shitty college studying shitty old bill crap , ur wasting ur time , bugger being sat in a classroom earning no money mate ,

STAY ROOFING BUDDY :)

[Sparco_Tom]

Well i havent been a roofer for a while so i would be getting back into it.

[JAGVTS]

yeah man , the building industry is starting to pick up ATM tbh . how long have you been out for? i have no work today due to the rain grrrr :)

[LeeBBH]

I have always wanted to be in the police. My only concern is being abit colour blind. Although there is glasses and contacts to counteract the problem

I'm colourblind too! :n:

[Sparco_Tom]

yeah man , the building industry is starting to pick up ATM tbh . how long have you been out for? i have no work today due to the rain grrrr :)

Not been doing a stable job for almost a 6months, done a few bits and bobs inbetween

[JAGVTS]

Not been doing a stable job for almost a 6months, done a few bits and bobs inbetween

any local roofing companys round your surrounding area , where u might be able to get back into it ?

[Sparco_Tom]

a few, i will be getting in contact with them today/tomorrow