Redundant during Apprenticeship

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26 Jul 2010
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Cumbria
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So...To cut a long story short. I was made redundant during my apprenticeship (about 2/3s in) two year ago.

The firm i was on the apprenticeship with went bang so i didnt have the placement i needed for the NVQ and couldnt find another, so that was that. i had to take whatever work there was due to financial commitments. Now though, i'm ready to get back to the trowel and be a good tradesman. I'm competent at all the main things (skimming, floating, rendering, D&Ding, the usual jobs) and always do a great job, or at the very least the best i can do. (It makes me laugh when i see people with/without qualifications doing a poor job, but still in full time work!) I know it's all word of mouth but still...

Anyway i was just wondering if anyone had any advice on getting the qualification.
 
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So...To cut a long story short. I was made redundant during my apprenticeship (about 2/3s in) two year ago.

The firm i was on the apprenticeship with went bang so i didnt have the placement i needed for the NVQ and couldnt find another, so that was that. i had to take whatever work there was due to financial commitments. Now though, i'm ready to get back to the trowel and be a good tradesman. I'm competent at all the main things (skimming, floating, rendering, D&Ding, the usual jobs) and always do a great job, or at the very least the best i can do. (It makes me laugh when i see people with/without qualifications doing a poor job, but still in full time work!) I know it's all word of mouth but still...

Anyway i was just wondering if anyone had any advice on getting the qualification.
yes i have some advice 4 u marty you don't need an employer to get the nvq, go down the OSAT route ONSITE ASSEMENT like i did i paid £550 it took a couple of months to do but you have to prove and have photos and witnesses that you have been plastering for a minimum of 3 years b4 they let you get an nvq by the osat route, which im sure you have if you have already started an nvq, there are 2 nvqs you can do,the nvq basic route, or the nvq full route, the only difference between them is that the later requires you to do outside render and is the most desirable nvq out of the two but they cost the same money, so if u can render go the full route thats the one i have, but i must say this i only ever done the nvq for my own satisfaction and to get a blue cscs skills card, there are lots of spreads out there without qualifications that are good, i have ever only been asked for my qualifications a few times
 
Thanks for this i didnt know about this option, i knew i could get on site assessment but didnt who through or anything. I have a load of photos on my computer what i was putting together for the apprenticeship. Witnesses could be my college tutors and past employers i suppose though the last apprenticeship one is long gone. This info is a great help because it will be an incentive for people to employ me in the trade, itl be kind of a mutual deal they get a good plasterer and i would obviously be cheaper until i am fully qualified, while i get paid and get the evidence i need. The rendering side although i dislike doing it, i am well capable of so would take that option. Yea i know loads who are 'unqualified' but do superb work and get thier work through experience word of mouth etc. I however being youngish dont have the privelage yet.

Thanks agin for the advice
 
Thanks for this i didnt know about this option, i knew i could get on site assessment but didnt who through or anything. I have a load of photos on my computer what i was putting together for the apprenticeship. Witnesses could be my college tutors and past employers i suppose though the last apprenticeship one is long gone. This info is a great help because it will be an incentive for people to employ me in the trade, itl be kind of a mutual deal they get a good plasterer and i would obviously be cheaper until i am fully qualified, while i get paid and get the evidence i need. The rendering side although i dislike doing it, i am well capable of so would take that option. Yea i know loads who are 'unqualified' but do superb work and get thier work through experience word of mouth etc. I however being youngish dont have the privelage yet.

Thanks agin for the advice
i don't think you can use your college tutors as witnesses, the witnesses must be people who have seen you work in the real world, look back at some of the jobs you have done and who for and ask them to testify, they must sign a paper with the details of the job you have done along with some pictures of the job and the job address, and the date of the job, and you have to have there contact phone number as well so the iv can phone if needs be to verify you are telling the truth, you have to build up a portfolio of several jobs like this across the whole spectrum of plastering,and the assessor who you sign up with must come out at least once to your place of work (whatever job you are on at the time) to view you working, this can be anything you like you can have him come out and view you skimming or rendering or what ever, my advice to you now would be to take your photos and your old nvq folder along to an assessor that does the osat route you should be able to use what you have already done this will still count towards your nvq, as i said b4 you don't need employed by a firm go out and get your own jobs, jobs with firms are i like rocking horse s**T things will happen a lot quicker if you take matters into your own hands
 
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Ok i understand now, I got to phone the cskills on monday. A problem is the work i do is mainly for family and friends a cieling here, a wall there etc. While im working fulltime in a tin factory haha. Im going to go into the college and retrieve my portfolio on monday or whenevr i can, and then phone the advisor. I think i will need to getting a lot more work to get this nvq though, so im going to think about adverts and cards etc to try and drum up the custom, it might even turn out that it isnt necessary if i an make a good name for myslef and get enough work, but i would be happier with the nvq i think. My main worry was not being able to get the work due to not having the qualification to show to an employer, but if i can get private work myself i could maybe go self-employed and star from there. cheers again for the advice
 

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