Could you retrain for a new career in construction?
When the industry you’ve worked in most of your life effectively shuts down, what do you do? For Stuart Moss, who spent 29 years in the fishing industry, including 20 years as a trawler skipper, there was no choice but to look for a new career. With the help of a government funded Skills Bootcamp he is now working on one of the largest construction jobs in the East of England.
As Stuart, who lives in Suffolk, explains: “I enjoyed a good career working on the trawlers, but now the east coast fishing industry has all but dried up. Last year, at the age of 53 with a young family and a mortgage, I found myself looking for work again. And I have to tell you it’s tough starting over – even when you have years of experience as a team leader under your belt.”
At first Stuart could only get part-time work on a local farm but a chance meeting helped him chart a new course. “We were enjoying a family fun day at the Sizewell Social Club in Leiston when I saw a stand run by a company called Blackwell Earthmoving Ltd. They had one of their big earth moving machines on display and were recruiting for workers at Sizewell C – they got me thinking about opportunities in construction.”
The problem for Stuart was he didn’t have the health and safety qualifications needed to work on a construction site. That’s when he had another bit of good fortune. “I’d gone into the Leiston Job Centre to try to get more work because 3 days a week on the farm was not enough for our family’s needs.
“The centre manager was really helpful and asked me what I was looking for. I said I was really interested in working at Sizewell but did not know how to get in. That’s when he said, ‘you’re in luck’ and told me about the Construction Skills Bootcamp run by Suffolk New College.”
Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) support Skills Bootcamps
It turned out the DWP were hosting a Skills Bootcamps recruitment event the next day. Stuart went along and met representatives from Suffolk New College. “They were really helpful,” he says, “and explained how the Construction Skills Bootcamp at their Suffolk Rural campus near Otley would give me the essential qualifications I needed – and how the course could fit in with my existing work.”
As the College’s Projects Manager for Business Development, Penny Wright, explains, “Our Construction Skills Bootcamp runs over several weeks, but it’s part time, so you can fit it in with other commitments. We have also developed it with the CITB and construction industry employers like Galldris, so you know you will be training to fill specific skills gaps.”
Skills Bootcamps are free to anyone over 19 who is currently self-employed or not working. They are also heavily subsidised by the Department for Education for small businesses looking to upskill their teams or take on apprentices. They give people the essential skills they need to start in industries that are short of workers, and guarantee participants a job interview at the end.
The benefits of the Construction Plant Health and Safety L3 Skills Bootcamp
Stuart immediately signed up for the course, starting in September 2024 and finishing it in October. “It was 2 days a week for three weeks and then 3 days for the final week, which let me continue with the farm work. Our trainer, Andy Rowe, was excellent, explaining everything clearly and giving us all plenty of time to practice our new skills. I enjoyed being back at college.
“At the same time, we were encouraged to visit the Leiston jobs fair to meet companies with contracts at Sizewell. That’s when I reconnected with Blackwell Earthmoving, told them about the course and gave them my CV. I was delighted when they emailed me a job offer in late October as a Traffic Marshal on the Sizewell construction site, as this was one of the excellent skills I’d learnt on the Bootcamp.”
If you, like Stuart, complete this Skills Bootcamp, you will earn 4 essential qualifications:
- Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Health and Safety Awareness (also called HSA/Site Safety Plus)
- CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
- Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS A73) Plant and Vehicle Traffic Marshalling
- Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card, required for all construction sites.
New skills are just the start of the journey
As Sizewell is a high security site, Stuart had to go through extensive vetting before he could start work. “It took 3 months, so I have only been on site since the start of February. But it is great to finally be working here full time and putting my new construction skills into practice. The hours are long (11+ hours a day, 5 days a week) but the pay is good, and the traffic marshalling is an important job.”
Stuart’s story is not over yet either. “My ambition is to drive the Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) that I saw at the Leiston fun day. My manager at Blackwell has promised to get me trained on specific machines used on the site, so I can look forward to gaining another new skill that’s in demand.”
Having been the skipper of a trawler, Stuart has plenty of people management skills that he can apply in his new role. He is also used to using his initiative and looking to solve problems before they arise. “You have to stay alert on a construction site and look out for the team, to help them get the work done safely. That’s what makes it interesting and rewarding.”
Stuart says he would encourage anyone looking for a new career to check out the Skills Bootcamps. “There are plenty of jobs at Sizewell, and I know that companies like Blackwell are always looking for people with construction skills. It’s never too late to retrain for new opportunities in life.”
The video shows more information about the construction bootcamp.
