Advice required...please!

[dadge]

Hello all,

Been reading posts on this site for a few hours in total!!! So i thought i would join up, i am looking to commence a career in tiling, currently working for a grounds maintenence co, and wage is rubbish! Been there a couple of years and its time to change. I did some tiling in my kitchen and bathroom and really enjoyed it (well the kitchen anyway...bathroom was a mare!), and i thought, I may aswell try a career in something i might enjoy, and the wage surley cant be as bad as what i am on now!

Just a few things id like to discuss with anyone willing (!) I have been looking at some courses and advice from careers direct etc, they say you dont need any qualifications, you just need to be able to do the job - is this right? And the courses i have found in my area (Leeds) is a 2 day a week course at leeds col for a year or 2 (not practical as i am working full tme), and all other courses are 5 - 10 day courses. One place keeps cropping up, even with careers direct, is the yorkshire training academy, has anyone had any experience with them? The careers advice direct lady said this course would be sufficient to start up self employed, esp as they offer NVQ after the 10 day course. The 5 day course is £450, the 10 day £850 and the NVQ is an extra £650. Just dont wanna waste money if its not worth it.

Is a short course like this adequete enough for me to be self employed? There doesnt seem to be anything else available anyway! My thinking is that i would do the course, then carry on full time at work and try get some evening/weekend tiling work and try and build it up till hopefully in a years time, go full time self employed....

Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

[TheWrightTiler]

hi dadge

for me mate the best course is nett, www.learntotile.co.uk

4 day course is 450 plus 50 for accreditation certificate

well worth the money mate and can also be done over 2 consecutive weekends for the same price

check the feedback for this place mate, it does not have one bit of bad press and it really is fantastic

and yes a 4 day course can and will teach u what you need to know but you have o listen and learn lol

hope this helps

andy

 

[nufcjim]

RE ADVICE REQUIRED...PLEASE
i recently completed a 5 day course and i dont think you can become a tiler overnight.i suppose it comes down to how competent you are in your own abillity.ive done some love jobs for freinds and they seem happy but i can see faults.the courses at least enable you to see where you are going wrong and you can only get better the more you do. good luck

 

[dadge]

Great, thanks for that mate. I will look at that now.....It seems a similar set up to the Yorkshire Training Academy, will give them a ring, see what they have to say. Like the idea of the weekend training.

How long did it take you from doing the course to setting up on ya own? Did you start part time and build it up? Do you do domestic or commericial or both? Could you give me your early experience in starting up on ya own and your experience now? Im a bit nosey, sorry!

 

[dadge]

Thaks nufcjim, i was thinking that surely a 5 day course cant give you all the info and technical ablilty to get on on ya own. But loads a folk on here reckon so...are you doing any tiling now then? Which course you do?

 

[nufcjim]

re advice required...please
i done the same course as the other guy.and i would recomend it its very intence and you are taught the wright way.but i feel you maybe do have to do the love jobs first to gain more experience as all the walls in these trainig centres are plumb and level and you dont really come across any troubles as you might do in a clients home.
im trying to build up the courage to go on my own but with 4 kids and all its a big desission.

 

[dadge]

Yes, big decision it will be. Dont have kids, but bills to pay and other half to keep happy! I just cant see any other way into the trade without trying to get on with a tiling co, which i reckon would be difficult without having any exp in the trade and being 25 yrs, they would rather have school leavers wunt they. So im thinking a short course and doing odd jobs to get the experience before i go at it with any great confidence.

I just wanted to know really, are these short courses viable? Like i said, there are no long term courses i can find in my area, the only one being two days a week for a year which is not practical for me, but....would this course be any better than a short course? I mean, years ago, how did folk get into the trade?!

And is the trade still widely required? I thought so, until reading a few posts on here, people saying htey are giving up because they have no business, that would be a real blow, but suppose i would go into it full time anyway until felt there was enough business to go at.

 

[Turkish]

Hi to both of you and welcome to the forums, loads of great advice on here!!

Turkish

 

[Telmay]

Hi guys,

The love jobs are good to cut your teeth on and then just take on what your confident at doing, dont try to run before you can crawl, I would say one of your biggest issues in the first few months is going to be cash flow as for starters work might be a bit slow. Try taking on weekend work, or try and line up some some jobs say 4 weeks down the line for when you quit your PAYE job so you dont just have a stalled start.

Good luck

 

[Kobbie]

Hello and welcome

 

[Yorkie]

Hi and welcome to the forums,

all the walls in these trainig centres are plumb and level and you dont really come across any troubles as you might do in a clients home.

Depends where you go. Personally if you are going to train make sure that all walls are uneven and theres no level surfaces to tile from as this will teach you not only how to prep but how to cut into angles and awkward areas.
And no you can't get an NVQ in 10 days So don't waste youre cash by being told otherwise, check out the NVQ section on here

 

[DHTiling]

hello and welcome to the forums........

check feedback on courses here and what they offer.........

http://www.tilersforums.com/tiling-courses-feedback/

As for NVQ,s then i think you need to read this forum first, its not as simple as you think....

http://www.tilersforums.com/tiling-nvqs/

 

[robbo]

Welcome to the forum

 

[bearwithme]

hi and welcome, i think a 5 day and then steam into dong friends and family is a good start. its the little hints, tips and loads of advice that the lads on here can supply that will help. above all else experience and practise are the best teachers! good luck mate

 

[monty]

Hello and welcome to the forums...