It’s always lovely to hear from our candidates, to find out what they’ve gone on to do once they’ve qualified. One such is Michael Stott, of East Renewables, who came to see us at the Toolfair tradeshow recently, in Harrogate!
Michael, a qualified electrician whose career path had taken him off at a tangent, took courses in Solar PV and Battery Storage with us last Autumn and hasn’t looked back.
Michael said: “I originally trained as an electrician twelve years ago, and worked in that trade for a number of years – on domestic installs and wiring. I was persuaded to try something new by a friend who was involved in digital marketing for Worcester Bosch. I enjoyed it, but after a number of years I began to get itchy feet – I wanted to get back on the tools.
“Besides, I was becoming increasingly interested in renewable energy and felt a growing desire to help more people become energy independent”
“The price of gas and oil has increased so dramatically, it’s great if you can get off-grid and produce and store your own energy from the sun! When I decided to get back into installation work i did some update training with NAPIT, and got some work with a well-respected company in York, called Oval Renewables who wanted my help with some Solar PV installs. Sam Featherstone, whose company it is , suggested I did some training in renewables so that I could branch out a bit from electrics. He recommended GTEC and I must say it was a great recommendation!
“Both the courses I took at GTEC were run by Graham and he was excellent. He’s someone who’s had real hands-on experience, having been an installer himself. You could tell from the start he knew what he was talking about. On top of that the set up at GTEC is superb. The rigs are great, the classrooms are great – there’s even a canteen!
“The practical experience I’d had with Sam before I trained gave me a head-start when I took my training at GTEC. I recommend that anyone who wants to work with Solar Panels and Batteries gets a bit of practical experience before they take their course! There’s a lot to take in and having spent time up on the roof, it all felt more familiar when i was learning in the classroom and on the rigs.
“Sam has been an absolute legend, and a wonderful mentor. Once I’d got the qualifications at the start of this year I set up my own company, East Renewables. I now split my time between my own clients and working with Sam.
“The jobs are always interesting, no two roofs are the same and i love the design and problem-solving aspect of the work. It takes time to install a system properly and I’m learning to respect the craft.
“The overall mechanics of the system doesn’t change, but the details are different and there’s a satisfaction in getting the right fixing for the roof, that sort of thing. Talking to the customer and finding out what they need their system to do us a big part of it too.
“I’m passionate about the difference that renewables can make to people’s energy bills and I feel very fortunate that im now in the position to branch out from electric and take my career to the next level. The training at GTEC and the support I’ve had from Sam mean I’m in a strong and confident frame of mind to make the most of this new start”
If you’re inspired by Michaels story and would like to kick-start your new careers in renewables, please get in touch and we’ll help you take the first steps!
