Case Study: builder in North Yorkshire

Pete was a face-worker at the Yorkshire Main Colliery when he was made redundant in 1985. He is now a happy and successful self-employed builder. At the moment Pete is working on a year long project to do up a large old house in the Midlands.

When he first left school, Pete went to work in his parents' pub. One of the regulars was a mineworker and he got Pete interested in working in a pit - a "proper job". Pete started out at Allerton Bywater and then moved to Ledston Luck and finally to Yorkshire Main Colliery.

Faced with redundancy, Pete was unsure what to do. He first went back to work in the pub and then decided to put his redundancy money into a nightclub in Leeds. When this business eventually folded, Pete decided to try out the building trade as he'd always done bits of DIY.

Pete didn't have any training and built up his knowledge on the job as he worked alongside other people. He feels that there are a lot of jobs in construction now, and you can start as a basic labourer for the first two years, develop your skills and then

specialise. He says, "Nowadays you can go to college and get some training... there's even information on the internet about doing up old houses... you can earn good money."

Pete enjoys working outdoors in the fresh air and not doing shift work. He warns about the danger of not thinking about a new career: "Some of my mates didn't think about the future and wasted their redundancy money... they bought flash cars and went on expensive holidays. The money doesn't last forever." Although there were some adjustments to make at the time, such as moving house and his wife taking a different job, they look back on their change of jobs positively. "It's a chance to do something new. I'm very happy with what I'm doing... if I can do it, other people can."

The Selby Coalfield Helpline telephone number is: 01757 693008