30 years old, career change. Want to retrain as an electrician!

[HODGE]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post. I was recently made redundant from my job of 8 years. Ive worked in the interior design industry for the past 10 years as a CAD designer/technician, but now fancy moving away from the desk to do a more hands on job.
I've thought about the job of electrician for quite a while, and now I think it is a perfect time for me to retrain.

However, I'm not really sure of the best route to take. Ive looked into a few training centre schemes such as New Career Skills and OLCI, but they are very expensive (£6000) and from what i've read on this forum, they dont really seem to offer a good service for the money.

Does anyone have any advice on which route to go, what qualifications are needed ? etc.

Maybe some of you are in the same situation as me.

Any advice is greatly appreciated

Adam

 

[ANGELASKILLS]

Hi

As 2391 is sat only on specific dates throughout the year, we run our courses close to the exam dates. We are currently full until 13th July. A 2391 with us is £550.00 inc vat. A £200 deposit will secure a booking and the balance can be paid on the start date of the course.

Angela

 

[bulliespark]

im live in north devon .
my local college is north devon college in barnstaple.
i have had no trouble getting my courses funded whatsoever.
i did'nt realise it was a different case around the country .

 

[bodge64]

me neither but i think i'll give that adult learning grant a go and if i get it backdated i could pay for the AM2.

 

[old dog]

2391 lambeth college £190 now that is cheap. kingston college £350
all tech colleges between £190 and £400
private training normally way above that
i dont like private training they have a well earned bad name
however £550 could be the best of a bad bunch
find out what price for a resit or is it included in price

 

[ron55]

Hi

I did the 17th, PAT, 2392, 2391, EAL and a few others in 2 weeks at Technique Training in Chesterfield. I thought they were good - however, and it's a big however, I am 51 and have a lot of experience. The courses are normally 4 or 6 weeks. I last worked as a spark in 1982 although I have done quite a few big jobs in between when I have needed to. I did the courses to bring myself up to date and get involved in inspection and testing.

The point here is that I think that without experience then all the course would teach you is to install and test. Fault finding - you wouldn't stand a chance and please don't take that as an insult. The intensive courses teach you to pass exams.

Cheers, Ron

 

[Victorcrane]

Hi

I did the 17th, PAT, 2392, 2391, EAL and a few others in 2 weeks at Technique Training in Chesterfield. I thought they were good - however, and it's a big however, I am 51 and have a lot of experience. The courses are normally 4 or 6 weeks. I last worked as a spark in 1982 although I have done quite a few big jobs in between when I have needed to. I did the courses to bring myself up to date and get involved in inspection and testing.

The point here is that I think that without experience then all the course would teach you is to install and test. Fault finding - you wouldn't stand a chance and please don't take that as an insult. The intensive courses teach you to pass exams.

Cheers, Ron

I couldn't agree more. I did an apprenticeship 15 years back but never finished it. Finally decided I'd made a mistake and went back to college full time aged 28 in 2007 and I can honestly say I'd consider it impossible to learn in such a short time the amount of information I have had to take in over the last 2 years. I'm now doing my final level 3 exams (got my 302 written in 3 hours as it happens) and there is simply no way a person could work to this level in such a short time. We've spent weeks upon weeks testing and faultfinding and you just can't learn it in days, or even weeks...

From what my tutors inform me these intensive courses give you the bare legal minimum required to call yourself this or that, but you're nowhere near an electrician. I paid under £2000 for my 2330 altogether. It's taken 2 years but I feel it's been absolutely worth it. Moving on to the 2391 in autumn. A long road but a worthwhile one.

 

[Studying spark]

hi mate

i am just getting all my quals together

if you are claiming working family tax credit you can get some of the courses paid for (2382,2391 and part p) but 2330 is none fundable but most colleges let you pay for it monthly.i'm paying £835 a year for it which is a lot less than 6 grand.

If you are on any type of benefit you should be able to get a reduced rate on the 2330 course. i am currently doing this course at a cost of £95 per year at weston college in somerset

 

[breakerman]

Tried that at my college and they told me the courses weren't government funded and had to pay full whack.Want to do my 2391-10 but can't get any reductions even thou i get jobseekers allowance

yep, that's the way it goes as the 2391-10 is an industry course(peaple in the industry do it) it's not publicly funded

 

[breakerman]

I couldn't agree more. I did an apprenticeship 15 years back but never finished it. Finally decided I'd made a mistake and went back to college full time aged 28 in 2007 and I can honestly say I'd consider it impossible to learn in such a short time the amount of information I have had to take in over the last 2 years. I'm now doing my final level 3 exams (got my 302 written in 3 hours as it happens) and there is simply no way a person could work to this level in such a short time. We've spent weeks upon weeks testing and faultfinding and you just can't learn it in days, or even weeks...

From what my tutors inform me these intensive courses give you the bare legal minimum required to call yourself this or that, but you're nowhere near an electrician. I paid under £2000 for my 2330 altogether. It's taken 2 years but I feel it's been absolutely worth it. Moving on to the 2391 in autumn. A long road but a worthwhile one.

i'm on my 2391 now..coudn't agree more