2 Years Experience; No Qualifications - I want to be a spark, where do I start?

[Tilko Misiek]

Long story short;

I dropped sixth form 2 years ago, started working for an electrical firm with my dad
Began studying from sep2010, AAT Accounting Level 2, Halfway through 3 now....

However sitting behind a desk is not my preffered way to spend my working hours,
Ive got these 2 years of experience where I actually enjoyed working.


I want to become qualified
and I want to do it as fast and as soon as possible.
What are the courses I enroll onto?
When Where how?
Can I still work as an electrical labourer/ along them lines?

I have my JIB ECS card


I need to keep working .. I really cannot afford to be an apprentice.
The company I have been working for has gone bust,
And the people that took us over practically sacked the lot of us; I was earning very good money for my inexperienced position...
Im having problems at home, and was going to move out in the next month/2 but everythings gone down hill...


please guys help me out.
I just want a straightforward path to get qualified asap

 

[swparksey]

Your best route is evenings ImO. the apprenticeship rate is just over 2 quid per hour minimum. Then it's up to the employer to make it up,

You already have 2 years experience so have a better start than most.

Good luck.

 

[Adam W]

Problem is that we get them sent to us pre college and pre qualifications, we usually finish them at the end of the 3 years if they cannot cut it, even if they have passed their exams which many have !

Why don't you send them on a 5 week course instead? Just the same but quicker, apparently.

:S
Can't anyone just provide me a list of the courses I need to pursue?
Really want to get the Electrician stuff out of the way, might pursue a serious career in Electrical Engineering...

C&G 2330 or 2357 would be a good place to start if you want to be an electrician. You could do that on day release, evenings, or try to do it via distance learning which will be a lot harder.
You don't have to be an electrician before moving on to being an electrical engineer, you'd just do an HNC/HND in electrical engineering instead.
The problem you'll find is getting someone to take you on, seeing as there isn't much work around at the moment. Depending on your age you may be able to work as a 'mate' or 'adult trainee' which will involve more 'getting in with it' rather than being shown what to do, but you'll get paid more.

 

[sedgy34]

i've a feeling the OP has not the patience for the normal route.

the op should go to college and get the bits of his jigsaw to put it all together, he has a good start if hes been working already below is what he wants!
I want to become qualified

 

[swparksey]

Why don't you send them on a 5 week course instead? Just the same but quicker, apparently.

Ok Adam.

Anyway Tilko

Here is an idea for you,

Book on a fast track training course and do:
C&G 2382
A 5 Day domestic installers course if you want to be a DI
Then do your 2391.

Start working for yourself if you feel confident, and start your C&G 2357 NVQ3
Or Find work with a spark as a mate / apprentice

All this should take less then 12 months
Then sign on with a OU degree, you should get funding towards this if your on a low income i.e apprentice.
This will take about 3 years to complete if you wanted a degree.
Otherwise do your 2330 via distance learning or night school, if your keen you will probably get it completed in half the time they offer.

End result between 12 - 24 months fully qualified.

Good luck and I apologise for the way this turned into a Electrical Trainee bashing thread, its understandable that people get upset, when they do 5 day course and start working for themselves taking work of these guys who spend 3 years learning the basics.
Ahh well life sucks somtimes.

 

[Adam W]

Ok Adam.

So what's the answer then?
If you think fast track training courses are so great why do you send your new starters to college for 3 years and not a training centre for 5 weeks?

 

[robsparky1975]

the college route can be done evenings. do it while you've got a day job.

It was my only way,3 years evenings,long days those were but worth it,and i cant believe that there is no difference between Electrical Trainee course and the 3 years which is quite thorough on theory as well as practical.

 

[swparksey]

So what's the answer then?

I think you have a problem fella, the time has come to drop it.

When did I say they were "so great" ?
I said they have a place.

 

[Tilko Misiek]

Ok thanks for all the support guys.

Gonna go college and sign up for J633C2P C&G 2330 Electrical Installation Level 2.
I think its a 1 year evening course (still havnt been to open evening), and the total for 1 year is £1,778. :dizzy2:


I was also wondering about getting a career in cable jointing
what path must I take?

Ive seen this ad for apprentices @ the UK Power Network website.

Technically Experienced Apprentice Scheme
Job Ref:03689
Statusublic
Business Group:HSS&TT
Career Area:Apprenticeships
Location:Bury St Edmunds, Stevenage, King's Lynn, Cambridge, Norwich, Colchester, Purfleet, Hemel Hempstead, Enfield, London Flexible
Salary Range20,029
Typeermanent (External)
Date Published:30 May 2012
Closing Date:01 July 2012


The UK Power Networks Apprenticeship Programme, endorsed by E&U Skills and Accredited by the IET, provides the opportunity for individuals to become fully trained, qualified and competent “craft” persons, specifically in jointing, overhead lines and fitting, through training inputs, skills practice, field experience and qualification achievements.

The programme is approximately 2 years in duration and Trainees will work towards achievement of a Certificate in Electrical Power Engineering and a QCF Diploma in Electrical Power Engineering whilst gaining skills, knowledge, understanding and experience in their chosen craft.

Do I need any qualifications before hand? Is the salary above what you will receive during the apprenticeship?
There isn't anyone I can even contact about such things so Im asking here.


thanks for all the help.

 

[Risteard]

In fact after doing an electrical engineering degree and clocking up 15 years of experience he's not even a 'Electrical Trainee' at all and should be disqualified as such, therefore blowing swparksey's argument out of the water.

We could call him a twenty year wonder!

 

[Tilko Misiek]

Ok thanks for all the support guys.

Gonna go college and sign up for J633C2P C&G 2330 Electrical Installation Level 2.
I think its a 1 year evening course (still havnt been to open evening), and the total for 1 year is £1,778. :dizzy2:


I was also wondering about getting a career in cable jointing
what path must I take?

Ive seen this ad for apprentices @ the UK Power Network website.



Do I need any qualifications before hand? Is the salary above what you will receive during the apprenticeship?
There isn't anyone I can even contact about such things so Im asking here.


thanks for all the help.

bump!!

 

[Guest55]

Cable jointing eh ? reasonably well paid and challenging work but you'll be spending your days stood in a muddy hole in the rain lol.
Yep , the £20K is your starting wage as a trainee.
As for quals , any technical training & experience will go in your favour but you'll have to sit an aptitude test of some sort to get picked.

 

[Dave 85]

I've not read all this thread but just gonna point out that there is a middle ground between a 5 weeker and 4 years of night/day release. I'm pretty sure some training centres allow you to fast track the 2330, 2391, 17th ed and NVQ in the space of about 8 months (full time with a few weeks off) My mate did it and although it cost him 10k (I paid about 2.5K for night college 2330 L2&3 + 17th) he came out of it with very good technical knowledge (completely abstract of course because he still had very little practical knowledge but that can only be gained in the work place).

This guy seems to want to work for a firm so I'd def say get the full quals one way or another. If he wanted to go self employed, doing domestic, and was already competent and knowledgable (which he should be after 2 yrs experience) I'd probably say he'd get away with the 5 weeker, although its always nice to have a proper qual.

 

[Dave 85]

There seems to be a general attitude during all these Electrical Trainee bashing threads that a Electrical Trainee automatically is someone with no experience and a 2330er is someone with experience. ?????????????????

The fact is, its experience that makes a sparky.
With regard to 5 week courses, we are really talking about being a domestic installer not an all round electrician capable of any role industrial commercial etc.
If you ask me, if a guy is clever and determined and has a few years experience on the tools, he will be just as good a domestic installer with a 5 week course than he will be with a (largely irrelevant to domestic installing) 2330.

Now the argument that all domestic installers should also, for some unknown reason, be capable of designing factory installations etc etc is just complete and utter balls.....

No, somone straight out of an office job whos just done a 5 week course is not going to be an even remotely competent electrician.

But the exact same thing can be said of the same guy doing the 2330.

And noones giving out apprenticeships anymore.