One thing is for certain about Jibreel Talbot's line of work — that it never gets boring.

One day he may be up five storeys high welding metal on a building and the next he could be 50 feet under water carrying out work on a mooring.

But it is exactly that variety of work that makes his job as head of his own business, Perfect Pass Welding & Diving Services, so interesting.

Mr. Talbot first got into the industry at the age of 15 through his uncle, who owned a metal fabrication shop at the back of his house.

He learned his trade fabricating metal fences, working for the likes of Bermuda Fabricating & Welding and Proactive, with whom he worked on the construction of The Berkeley Institute in Hamilton. He also worked for Government, where he spent four years and was sponsored by the National Training Board to achieve his underwater welding qualification, before starting out on his own.

"I was more of a hands-on person than a desk-based worker and I was fortunate that the first thing I did I enjoyed," he said.

Mr. Talbot found that he was able to combine his two main passions in life — welding and scuba diving — to make a career for himself.

"I had been welding for seven or eight years and I got interested in scuba diving and I saw something on TV somewhere and said I would like to try it and I went away and trained for that," he said.

"But once I graduated from diving school I realised that I was almost unemployable by doing just diving work alone because few people could afford the service, so it just made sense to start my own thing."

The affable 29-year-old Bermudian from Smith's set up in business three years ago, but admitted, at the time, he was taking a big step into the unknown.

"I have been in business since 2005, but it was such an unknown quantity when I first started out — I didn't know how much background and experience I would have to have, so I just said I would let my work speak for itself. I've been very fortunate, I have never had to advertise for business and got most of it through word of mouth and being referred by my current clients," he said.

His faith has been rewarded though and a number of high profile contracts have followed, including the construction of Hamilton Bus Terminal, the erection of steel railings for St. George's Senior Home — at the time the largest metal railing job on the Island. More recently, the company has sub-contracted work out driving piles for the new vehicle emissions centre at the TCD and the addition of a new cruise ship terminal in Dockyard.

"We have the capability to do pretty much anything metal from small spiral staircases, fences and gates to underwater work," he said.

"We take it all on — you have to be flexible because as a young person trying to get into the trade there is a big age difference — there are the people who have been out there doing it for 20 years and then those who have just started out in business like myself, so it is also a big learning curve for me."

The business currently employs two staff, including Mr. Talbot, with one truck, two welding machines and a barge to do diving and moorings work, but, among all the constants, Mr. Talbot reckons the biggest challenge he faces is staying one step ahead of the game.

"The way you stay one step ahead is to have such a vast knowledge and you have to be prepared to work in so many different areas," he said.

"If it is anything to do with metal then my customers call me and I am pretty sure I can do it because there is a lot of competition out there that will snap it up if you don't. It is a very challenging industry, but also a very rewarding one."

But, despite the volume of competition, Mr. Talbot still bemoans the fact that very few young Bermudians are coming into the trade.

"I would say the lack of apprentices is even more prevalent today than before — when I was coming through learning my trade you had three or four other apprentices who came up with you. Now most of the young people go into the technical and IT side and we have to bring in guest workers to fill the skills gap and I can see that really being a problem because we have no one really following behind my generation.

"As far as running the day-to-day business is concerned, the balance between hands-on work and admin is more like 50:50 — we are not large enough for me to be able to hire a full-time accountant, so it is a real juggling act between the two sides of the business.

"I find that it is a lot more responsibility working for yourself — I know what our skill set is, which is the easy bit, it is the admin side that is the difficult bit, staying up with the taxes and your accounts, but the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation have been a huge help with their support in that respect."

Above all though, his favourite part of the job is the sheer diversity of work that he is exposed to on a day-to-day basis.

"The best thing is that one day I'll be up on a beam welding five storeys high and the next day I could be 50 feet under water doing a job," he said. "It doesn't get boring."

Mr. Talbot's plans for the future are to expand the business and take on some bigger jobs.

"I would like to expand and I would like to get into doing some larger projects and get into some of the big steel erection work, but at the same time I am not trying to bite off more than I can chew — one thing I have learned is you can't run before you can walk," he said. "The cost of doing business in Bermuda is expensive and you have to be careful how fast you go.

"Ultimately, the marine sector is what I want to get into, such as salvage and diving work and the underwater part, but that is also the part that costs a lot of money, so you really need the contracts to get the machinery to do the work."

And his advice to any young Bermudians out there interested in getting into the industry is to stick to your guns.

"I would say that basically make use of all the government schemes that are going and at the same time don't let people tell you what you can and can't do. They have to make sure they have the work because welding equipment is expensive.

"It is making sure you know what you are doing, that you can do it and staying consistent in what you do."

Aside from his interest in diving, Mr. Talbot also likes to get out on the water to do some fishing, as well as playing football, but, above all, he just enjoys spending time with his family, which he will be able to do more of if his business continues to be successful.