any use in looking for an employer to put me through the NVQ?

slippydippy · Jul 20, 2022

i'm currently in a position alot of people are in, im 22 and currently hold the level 3 2365 and have about a year of industrial electrical experience.

my current company isn't really working out, and i really want to go for the NVQ. alot of the portfolio and the AM2 seem a bit intimatading, the idea of trying to fill everything while labouring as a mate seems like a tall order given you need to do everything in a year and half and there aren't to many companies that do everything. there are however occasionally apprentecip positions that pop up, obviously a company that offers one will be able to support me through the portfolio, but would they even bother taking on someone my age who has already completed college? Taking a smaller sallery would be totally fine for me, i just need to be working under a company that does the relivent work for the AM2 and NVQ.

my assumption is that this doesnt really happen and companies generally hire younger folk as they are cheaper and they get the tax breaks/levvys that come with hiring an apprentice

is my only real option working as a mate, company hopping and trying to fill everything in? or is there a realistic possibility of me finding an employer that can put me through an NVQ

any advice on the above would be great, cheers.

nicebutdim · Sep 19, 2022

Aaron b said:
Perhaps you will blag that too but NET requires a level 2 or 3 qualification. You can't complete the 2346 without an AM2E.

He's right about not requiring a level 3 qualification for experienced worker route, but candidates must demonstrate knowledge, understanding and competence to the standard of the Level 3 apprenticeship. As you rightly state, AM2E is a requirement for completion and, similar to apprenticeship candidates, should weed out any who have managed to bluff their way to that point.

Edit: I should add that experienced worker assessment can be undertaken through a number of bodies, so it's quite possible that entry requirements are not the same for all of them.

Aaron b · Sep 19, 2022

nicebutdim said:
He's right about not requiring a level 3 qualification for experienced worker route, but candidates must demonstrate knowledge, understanding and competence to the standard of the Level 3 apprenticeship. As you rightly state, AM2E is a requirement for completion and, similar to apprenticeship candidates, should weed out any who have managed to bluff their way to that point.

I'm not quite sure what they mean but the NET website has this. As I said earlier perhaps if people are willing to lie they will be able to work around it. A lot of the providers mentioned a level 3. I can't see how you can show competency from working as a mate and not having any design responsibility.

Hopefully they tighten this back up.

nicebutdim · Sep 19, 2022

Aaron b said:
I'm not quite sure what they mean but the NET website has this. As I said earlier perhaps if people are willing to lie they will be able to work around it. A lot of the providers mentioned a level 3. I can't see how you can show competency from working as a mate and not having any design responsibility.

Hopefully they tighten this back up.

About two weeks in to my apprenticeship, I was pulled into an office with my tutor and head of department and asked about my experience as they seemed to think the experienced worker route would have been a better option.

I was straight with them and told them that I had a fair bit of experience, but also huge gaps in my knowledge, and that it would have been difficult to prove that experience. After some back and forth, they eventually decided that an apprenticeship was indeed the correct option, but I could see the opportunity existed to take the experienced worker route. What it came down to for me was the desire to learn as much as possible - obviously the majority of this takes place on site, but I don't want to find myself struggling on down the line with a weak grounding in theory. I'm 25 (edit: 30) years late to this and I'll be damned if I don't finish up in the strongest possible position, not having people look down at me for stumbling when the going becomes tough.

One thing I'm absolutely certain of is that I wouldn't have undertaken some of the work I've done this past few months, if I'd got a job as a mate and gone the college route.

Getting back on track; it was from the C&G website that I learned what I'd posted previously.

swaRRR · Sep 19, 2022

Aaron b said:
I'm not quite sure what they mean but the NET website has this. As I said earlier perhaps if people are willing to lie they will be able to work around it. A lot of the providers mentioned a level 3. I can't see how you can show competency from working as a mate and not having any design responsibility.

Hopefully they tighten this back up.

'Qualification OR personal statement.'

Fairly clear imo.

nicebutdim · Sep 19, 2022

swaRRR said:
'Qualification OR personal statement.'

Fairly clear imo.

I wouldn't be so quick with that statement.

While I can not attest to requirements laid down by each body involved with experienced worker assessments, C&G is quite clear on this point:

There are seven Level 3 Performance Units to be assessed before you can gain the Experienced Worker qualification:

Apply Practices and Procedures for Maintenance
Apply Health, Safety and Environmental Considerations
Organise and Oversee the Electrical Work Environment
Apply Design and Installation Practices and Procedures
Terminate and Connect Conductors
Inspect, Test and Commission Electrical Systems
Apply Fault Diagnosis and Rectification

To pass these units, you must provide evidence from a site of your previous work to demonstrate you can fully meet the performance requirements of each unit.

Ultimately candidates will need to provide evidence of all requirements necessary to gain NVQ and they'll need to demonstrate aforementioned knowledge, understanding and competence in order to pass the AM2(E).

swaRRR · Sep 20, 2022

nicebutdim said:
I wouldn't be so quick with that statement.

While I can not attest to requirements laid down by each body involved with experienced worker assessments, C&G is quite clear on this point:

There are seven Level 3 Performance Units to be assessed before you can gain the Experienced Worker qualification:

Apply Practices and Procedures for Maintenance

Apply Health, Safety and Environmental Considerations

Organise and Oversee the Electrical Work Environment

Apply Design and Installation Practices and Procedures

Terminate and Connect Conductors

Inspect, Test and Commission Electrical Systems

Apply Fault Diagnosis and Rectification

To pass these units, you must provide evidence from a site of your previous work to demonstrate you can fully meet the performance requirements of each unit.

Ultimately candidates will need to provide evidence of all requirements necessary to gain NVQ and they'll need to demonstrate aforementioned knowledge, understanding and competence in order to pass the AM2(E).

That's what you need to pass the NVQ.

To do the NVQ you don't need to provide evidence. You need to pass a skills scan and interview.

nicebutdim · Sep 20, 2022

swaRRR said:
That's what you need to pass the NVQ.

To do the NVQ you don't need to provide evidence. You need to pass a skills scan and interview.

I'll repeat this line from C&G again as it seems to be very relevant to the discussion:

To pass these units, you must provide evidence from a site of your previous work to demonstrate you can fully meet the performance requirements of each unit.

swaRRR · Sep 20, 2022

nicebutdim said:
I'll repeat this line from C&G again as it seems to be very relevant to the discussion:

To pass these units, you must provide evidence from a site of your previous work to demonstrate you can fully meet the performance requirements of each unit.

Well yeah that's what an NVQ is. Providing evidence of work you've done.