Posted By David Beddow Stevie, I totally understand your frustrations I to found it extremely difficult breaking into the field of Health & Safety myself. Companies ask for qualifications and experience but very often individuals do not have both it is one or the other. I do think that it is now a very competitve field you are trying to break into as opposed to perhaps several years ago. I was very fortunate in that the company I am currently with offered me a role in Health & Safety, it is a role I enjoy and have been doing for the last 3 years (successfully). I am 40 and have the equivalent of the NEBOSH diploma 1, it has been a long hard slog but do not get discouraged I am sure if you carry on you will get something. The field you are in is crying out for individuals like yourself with qualifications in construction. The only difficulty you might get is getting a company to give give you a chance, I was not given the chance I was just fortunate that the company I have been employed with for 15 years gave me a role in Health & Safety. I totally understand where you are coming from.

Posted By Glyn Atkinson Can you travel and are you able to undertake contract work of different durations to start with, as this will probably be the only two ways to chip into required experience for future vacancies? I sympathise, as both of the new young starters I gave chances to with just Gen Certs have now been made redundant or changed internal jobs due to management reviews, but did have chances to upgrade their qualifications if I couldn't raise their salaries. The one who left now has a good job within the local council, so I felt better about that when i found out.

Posted By Neil Denning Hi Stevie, Wouldn't worry too much something will eventually come along. I am in the same boat as you looking for work in the North of England and Struggling due to the fact that I'm in my mid twenty's it doesn't seem to matter that I have a Degree in Occupational H&S either. Good Luck

Posted By Elizabeth Lithgow Where is the role you based?

Posted By William i am also in the same boat, and have been since i got qualified 5 years ago, but i have been working in the offshore oil industry for the last 8 months and it looks as if i may be getting a break in a auditing area. I think there is an age issue here as i also graduated when i was 25 yrs old and found that employers are not interested in giving a chance to someone under 40.