Thinking of having a change

[24Vcortina]

Been piloting a class1 around for the last three years for work and left the company i worked for last month due to the regular drivers losing work to the sub contractors, the job was only meant to be a stop gap whilst i figured out what i wanted to do after leaving the spill/hazmat company i had been with for five years.
ive been tinkering for years with cars, bikes any anything i can pull apart to make quicker, less safe or both at the same time, i took the plunge this week and did a days training with Paul at BWS in manchester to see if i had an eye for welding and he seems to think i could make a go of it, long and short of it is im looking at where to point myself with regards to getting in somewhere that dosent mind having a learner mig/mag welder around that can work with tools and dose not mind doing a solid days graft, i did an mechanical apprenticeship when i left the army and have built a few of my own workshops since so i have a decent tool setup and im fairly capable of turning my hand to most things.
any suggestions on a firm that might take a shot on a 43 year old would be appreciated, as i said i have my wagon tickets, 360 excavator and dumper so i can potter around on most things with wheels/tracks, i have had a few people ask why im not sticking with any of the above but the truth is i like building/making things and im pretty keen on learning to fabricate if possible.
cheers
Steve

 

[Bullet2012]

Great, you can have my job. start monday at 9

 

[MetalMonkey]

Devils advocate – but looking at what you have written, I’d suggest you might be better off looking at HGV fitter. I reckon the pay would be better.
Either way, unless you know somebody who will take you on - chances are you are going to need some paperwork to go alongside any practical skills in order to get your foot in the door.

 

[frank horton]

hope things work out well.......
there's always Australia.....they r desperate for workers.....
U can now get a holiday / visiter visa with a temp work permit.....think u can stay a year n work for 6 months.....
my daughter has just done it.........Perth.......
she's come back to finish her Paramedics cert.....then she's off perm to start a family....
I've traveled n worked a good bit of the world.....suited me.....

 

[northwest]

Thinking of having a change​

Just exactly what sort of "change" are you thinking man! Once they cut it off it can't go back on you know.

 

[northwest]

In all seriousness, I would say that at 45 I was at my peak and I was pretty indestructable , twenty odd years on and I am pretty knackered, do whatever you want to do while you still can. I don't regret any of the things I did, only the things I didn't do.

 

[Morrisman]

hope things work out well.......
there's always Australia.....they r desperate for workers.....
U can now get a holiday / visiter visa with a temp work permit.....think u can stay a year n work for 6 months.....
my daughter has just done it.........Perth.......
she's come back to finish her Paramedics cert.....then she's off perm to start a family....
I've traveled n worked a good bit of the world.....suited me.....

I applied for that some 20 years ago, except I had dithered and procrastinated about it far too long, and discovered the cut off age was 45. And I was a month away from my 45th birthday. The paperwork would take 3 months so they told me it was pointless applying.

That was 20 years ago, no idea if the rules have changed now.

I’ve been there several times working offshore and it seems like a great place to live.

 

[24Vcortina]

Just exactly what sort of "change" are you thinking man! Once they cut it off it can't go back on you know.

No worries on that account I’m planning on staying as my wife calls it a “proper bloke” so no skinny jeans or nose jobs on my horizon, if I’m honest with myself I’m looking at doing something where I can either see a result from my efforts or building/dabbing or go back into something physical with rescue work again or medical response, I’m still training regularly and staying as fit if not fitter than I was in the infantry.
I think the only way I’m going to scratch my itches by the look of things is stay on the trucks whilst doing my responder training (a friend runs a company that does first response for motorsports events) and the metalwork itch will have to come from building the car to get out doing a bit of weekend racing/touring.