A former automotive manager who changed careers in his 40s wants to encourage others to follow in his footsteps.
Simon Rowland, 45, worked at Honda's Swindon factory for 20 years before being made redundant when the plant closed in 2021.
After this, the father-of-four started a three-year course with Engineering Real Results (ERR) and has become an approved electrician.
Simon, who now works for Abbey Group Services in Shrivenham, , said: "There’s no such thing as a job for life, Honda proved that.
"But there is such a thing as a trade for life."
He said: "I was definitely ready for a new challenge."
He said: "If Honda hadn't closed I would have been there until the day I died, but now I’m working here, there and everywhere.
"No two days are the same and that is part of the appeal."
According to the Office for National Statistics, there are currently more than 35,000 job vacancies in the construction industry - the highest rate in any sector in the UK.
ERR bosses say the skills shortage is driving a trend for career switches later in life, encouraging more to take up roles in electrics, gas engineering, plumbing, and welding.
He added: "The money is good and I’m enjoying it."
