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recognised training
I have a son in the RAF that is planning his exit from the forces after 12 years. The RAF will pay for re-training for personnel that are leaving provided it is to a recognised standard (i.e NVQ etc.) and vehicle wrapping is a job he is interested in doing.
Is there a recognised industry training award and, if so, would anyone know where training can be done?
Steve.
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17 Replies
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Hi Steve my dad did 20 years in the RAF so I have all respect for the forces, I’ve been in the sign game over 15 years and freelance vehicle wrapping for the past 5, if he is keen on this best advice I can give you is to try and get a job with a reputable vehicle wrapping company but this will be a hard find with no vinyl experience, for me a two day / 5 day training just don’t cut it, having a NVQ looks good on paper.
You need at least a year behind you to have any kind of skills to be decent in this trade. Sorry to be a bit down on this but its like saying can I get NVQ for being a mechanic it takes a lot of time and training.
Hope this makes any sense and good luck Steve.
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Hi Steve
I’d like to introduce myself to you I’m an Avery specialist trainer and one of the the trainers on the UKSB wrap training trailer. At the moment there is no (NVQ) as such but Rob Lambie is on course to changing that so my advise would be to get in contact with rob and he will be able to tell you the plan and it also maybe an idea for your son to look at attending the the 2 day course I’m not saying he will leave a vehicle wrapper but he will have a better knowledge of all the aspects of wrapping probably more than most wrappers that have been wrapping for years.
I hope this is of some help
Mark
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I’m not saying this course is not helpful but to think this is going to help a career choice is crazy, this is a big step for this guy, Wrapping a couple of panels in a back of a truck, then what does he do ???? Steve ?
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Thanks for the input.
The reason for a formal course it that unless it is something like NVQ (etc.) the RAF will not pay for it. Of course he would any have any meaningful experience but would at least understand enough to be able to be of use to an employer, as opposed to having no knowledge.
Steve. 🙂
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I know Rob was pushing for NVQ he will be the best man to speak to about this.
to think a employer will employ you because you did a avery/3m course is just crazy, fitting a 500mm piece of vinyl does not make a fully qualified vehicle wrapper. -
quote Mark Richardson:Hi Steve
I’d like to introduce myself to you I’m an Avery specialist trainer and one of the the trainers on the UKSB wrap training trailer. At the moment there is no (NVQ) as such but Rob Lambie is on course to changing that so my advise would be to get in contact with rob and he will be able to tell you the plan and it also maybe an idea for your son to look at attending the the 2 day course I’m not saying he will leave a vehicle wrapper but he will have a better knowledge of all the aspects of wrapping probably more than most wrappers that have been wrapping for years.
I hope this is of some help
Mark
Mark,
I appreciate your help. Unfortunately I cannot PM any members. Perhaps you would forward this to rob for me?Steve.
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Hi Steve
No problem will doMark
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Resettlement training grant (c£550) needs to be spent on level 3 and above courses. The best value is completing "in-house training" and could be a valuable additional asset as there are many other courses. I was engraving and making signs 2 years before I left the Army, and decided to do the electrical course so I could competently provide a complete fitting solution for electric signage. As it turned out there was more call for an electrician and now both businesses run hand in hand.
If he speaks to his personal resettlement advisor, some will bend the rules to take in other qualifications, its not as hard and fast as they make out. If nothing else he should be able to afford the wrapping course out of his own pocket and use the RAF to provide hotels/travel out of his resettlement grants….
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Nice one Graeme. Thanks.
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quote Steve Hooper:Mark,
I appreciate your help. Unfortunately I cannot PM any members. Perhaps you would forward this to rob for me?
Steve.there is no need to pm, the best way is to use the contact us area on the left hand side of the boards, it is the preferred method of contacting rob. I hope this helps. 😀
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On the other hand, if vehicle wrapping appeals to him as a viable method to earn a living then there is absolutely no reason why he shouldn’t look into this further to see if it’s the sort of career he wishes to have after he leaves the armed forces. A vehicle wrapping course may not turn him into a vehicle wrapper over night – but it will certainly give him a huge amount of insight to help him decide if this is something he does want to pursue. I left my old career at the age of 38 and became a sign maker overnight with no prior experience. 17 years later I’m still making a living at it, still enjoy what I’m doing, and am beginning to get the hang of it 😕
It’s a very unsettling time when you have been in one type of job for many years and suddenly find yourself out in the wilderness looking around for some other way to earn a living.
Good luck to your son Steve, whatever he decides to do 😀
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What is he doing at the moment & does he have any present skills that he could turn his hand to either working for someone else or setting up on his own?
What about joining his Dad’s business & growing that, maybe look at investing some of his lump sum into new equipment which may or may not lead to vehicle wrapping in the future. -
Thanks Nicola.
Phil, Good points. I too have changed two careers in my time.
Martin, He is an MT driver in the RAF. Sadly his home town is in Plymouth where his Mum moved to 25 years ago, whereas I live in Sussex with family #2.
He wants to work in a creative job where he can work with his hands.
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Steve, what’s his reasons for wanting to do something like that, what are his hobbies & interests, what does he think he is good at that maybe he doesn’t have any qualifications for?
This is a major change in his life that many won’t understand unless they have done it themselves. It’s not just a change of career but a whole new way of life as such.
My advice would be not to rush into anything, resettlement should start a few months before he is due to leave & one of the first things they get you to do is answer lots of multiple choice questions which helps with sorting out the sort of job you would like to do, OK it may not be great but it does throw up lots of different jobs that you never even thought about or even knew existed :lol1: -
Martin,
Hi big passion is snowboarding and he would love to work in that industry but with a young family (11 weeks old) it is not viable.
He does have a creative bent but is looking for something that offers full-time work, allows him to work with his hands and offers a job satisfaction that allows him to step-back and say "I did that".
He has looked at carpentry but for what he is looking to get from the job means cabinet work, something people are more and more reluctant to pay for.
He has also considered vehicle painting and is currently looking at courses for this with a view to then adding custom painting to his skill-set at a later date.
I mentioned vehicle wrapping to him and he really liked the idea. He has looked at example work and on-line and feels it is something he could do and enjoy and is a current occupation.
He has until May 2014 before he leaves the RAF so is trying to nail-down what he wants and then develop a plan to achieve it.
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It’s never to early to start looking around & doing research but probably a bit early for making hard & fast plans, resettlement use to start in the last 6 months of service but that may well have changed & was different for me anyway with me being medically discharged from the RN.
Cabinet making is a real skill & you are probably right there aren’t enough people willing to pay for it to be able to make a living unless your in the right location or at the very top of the game. I knew a guy that use to make pretty good money making custom garden furniture but its a bit seasonal & he needed to do other things as certain times of the year for a bit of money.
Not sure what spray painting is like now, I know there have been lots of health & safety changes & the coachbuilders I know of seem to do alright but don’t think there is a big turn over of staff so that may be an area that’s difficult to get into. You use to be able to get an educational grant of something like £120 a year, that might give him a start with something if the forces still do it.
Wish him all the best with what ever he decides to do anyway. -
Dont forget he may well have "enhanced learning credits" to tap into too, could be up to £2K per year…..
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