Posted By ITK Ruth, welcome. THE NGC will stand you in good stead if you decide to go down the Diploma Route. A lot, but not all, of jobs require CMIOSH status which can be achieved with Diploma/NVQ qualifications and experience. As you alluded to these qualifications will need to be coupled with some experience to land that first job. I would strongly suggest you enrol on the NGC and join IOSH as an Affiliate and you will receive the monthly publication SHP which has all the jobs in. You can then benchmark the types of jobs you would like with the qualifications they require. I dont think your age will go against you possibly quite the opposite. Good Luck. ITK

Posted By Alan Hoskins Ruth, Many good safety advisers come from an industrial background and it is that experience which can often be most valuable in the role. You will of course need to undertake specific H&S training - starting with the NGC - but try to use your existing knowledge base to help you get that first job. Alan

Posted By paul sykes I am in the same boat thought about H&S for a new career and i am becoming more and more put off i have being looking for a job for 4 months and not a sniff (willing to do a job for 15-20k and have even offered to work for a month free!!!!!!) put alternate CV on monster for job in electronics and get 3 phone calls within 6 hours offering £40k+ and can you start next week the only reply i had in H&S after applying for 70+ jobs online and tramping and letters and and and!!!! this company advertised for cert and experiance with electrics then e mail me back saying you havnt the right quals this is what i have ;- Management--- Honours degree Electrical and Electronics Electronics HND 16th Edition 2377-01 Inspection and Testing AP-HV etc etc skilled engineer at fitting,turning,lathe work H&S NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health NEBOSH Construction Certificate NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management CIEH Professional Trainer Certificate like i say not a sniff i think i wasted my time doing the small courses should have done the diploma which would have taken me the same time to do and would have been employed by now i honestly believe that the H&S quals above are not worth the paper they are written on when hunting for a job in the North East its grim up North--others will say different but they are just a starting qual for a teenager really like i say i gave it a go but may have to class it as a lost cause, it would be easier getting into the masons and before you say you need experiance i was in charge of a workforce of 250+ personnel,chaired the H&S meetings,carried out H&S inspections,authorised permits to work and did investigations as an expert if things went wrong & the bread and butter risk assessments. On the positive note my new change of career has given me plenty of time off to do the garden and watch morning tv

Posted By simone plaut i am looking for home based h&s people , pref parttime initially,all over uk in coming months and prefer older applicants as they have more life experience and will relate better to my audience of mature volunteers. pleas get in touch. disabled esp welcome. splaut@mssociety.org.uk