3rd Year Apprentice seeks advice urgently :(

SparkyBhoy · Apr 7, 2011

Alright everyone, i just registered on here for this one post. Im a third year apprentice from glasgow and i can sit my trade test anytime after september, as far as my tradetest goes i feel i am not ready for it although i have passed all my college work to date.
My problem is this for the first two years i worked with a large electrical company which to say the least prioritised their apprentices more as an outlet fdor cheap labour rather than viewing them as there next tier of workers for the future. Basically for my first two years all i done was containment.
8 months ago i moved to a smaller company as i was laid off continually for 5 months. I thought this was going to a new begining for me as i knew time was counting down to my trade test. Unfortunatley for me within this smaller company i tend to be continually labouring or carrying out other building tasks not relevant to my trade.
I now feel to be able to be a competant time served electrician i have no alternative but to train myself be it through the uses of books, internet, or whatever it takes.
I feel disolusioned with the time i have spent training to be an electrician as i have continually through time keeping and effort kept my end of the deal.
I am worried and concerned that if i do not act fast that the last 3 years will have been for nothing and i will be lost to the trade ending up with nothing.

Can anyone advise me what my next step should be. All advice welcome thanks in advance.

Liamsparks · Apr 7, 2011

Are you following the C&G path with 2330 onwards ending with a level 3 and NVQ level 3?

Electricalserv · Apr 7, 2011

SparkyBhoy said:
Alright everyone, i just registered on here for this one post. Im a third year apprentice from glasgow and i can sit my trade test anytime after september, as far as my tradetest goes i feel i am not ready for it although i have passed all my college work to date.
My problem is this for the first two years i worked with a large electrical company which to say the least prioritised their apprentices more as an outlet fdor cheap labour rather than viewing them as there next tier of workers for the future. Basically for my first two years all i done was containment.
8 months ago i moved to a smaller company as i was laid off continually for 5 months. I thought this was going to a new begining for me as i knew time was counting down to my trade test. Unfortunatley for me within this smaller company i tend to be continually labouring or carrying out other building tasks not relevant to my trade.
I now feel to be able to be a competant time served electrician i have no alternative but to train myself be it through the uses of books, internet, or whatever it takes.
I feel disolusioned with the time i have spent training to be an electrician as i have continually through time keeping and effort kept my end of the deal.
I am worried and concerned that if i do not act fast that the last 3 years will have been for nothing and i will be lost to the trade ending up with nothing.

Can anyone advise me what my next step should be. All advice welcome thanks in advance.

I really don't understand what a trade test is....Here in england I don't think we have it... Is it similar to the NVQ3?

You have actually brought up a legitimate problem within the industry. Lots of these apprentices don't actually get taught. They are there as stated as cheap labour, chaseing all day and feching to and fro from the van, with the promise of an apprentiship. I never done an apprentiship, but I did work right the way through college with a company. My boss used to leave me to do rewires on my own after 3 months of being introduced to the game. Alot of my collegues in college used to say thats not right he is breaking the law you are not fully qualified to do it alone. But this is what I used to say to them....At least I am getting the hands on experience, installing all circuits and not just chaseing all day. I said I bet some of you just bend conduit for a living and many of them said yeh thats what we mainly do.

So the moral of this story is, just because you have the offer of an apprentiship don't sit back for years when you know you are not being taught.

As for you give the exam ago and if you fail resit it until you pass.

SparkyBhoy · Apr 7, 2011

I'm not sure what that is i think the scottish setup is different, the college qualification at the end is a NVQ level 3 but its not city and guilds its SECTT that runs our training programme.

VoltzElectrical · Apr 7, 2011

trade test will be the AM2? surely you did that Electricalserv?

SparkyBhoy · Apr 7, 2011

Basically the set up here is 1st year: 19 weeks at college 7 practical 12 theory. Also we get issued with a log book we have to fill out with tasks that we have carried out: 2 health and saftey 2 wiring systems 2 wiring enclosures

2nd year: 12 weeks college all theory, same again with the logbook while were not at college

3rd year: 1 week of college for testing and inspection, again same with the logbook + a live test and dead test entry

then 6 months after this you can sit your trade test, for this you go to a college on your date and complete a practical instrallation in a booth with all the different types of wiring and various electrical accesories, thats its basically

Electricalserv · Apr 7, 2011

VoltzElectrical said:
trade test will be the AM2? surely you did that Electricalserv?

No never done AM2, couldn't afford it and employer was never willing to pay for any of my training.

Wiredspark · Apr 9, 2011

SparkyBhoy said:
Basically the set up here is 1st year: 19 weeks at college 7 practical 12 theory. Also we get issued with a log book we have to fill out with tasks that we have carried out: 2 health and saftey 2 wiring systems 2 wiring enclosures

2nd year: 12 weeks college all theory, same again with the logbook while were not at college

3rd year: 1 week of college for testing and inspection, again same with the logbook + a live test and dead test entry

then 6 months after this you can sit your trade test, for this you go to a college on your date and complete a practical instrallation in a booth with all the different types of wiring and various electrical accesories, thats its basically

Its called FICA here in Scotland.

Are you still in employment? Speak with your training officer from SECTT and tell him about your concerns, hes there to help you through the course, and WILL have come across your problem before, its rife. You dont want to end up a metal muncher all your life.

malcolmsanford · Apr 9, 2011

SparkyBhoy said:
Alright everyone, i just registered on here for this one post. Im a third year apprentice from glasgow and i can sit my trade test anytime after september, as far as my tradetest goes i feel i am not ready for it although i have passed all my college work to date.
My problem is this for the first two years i worked with a large electrical company which to say the least prioritised their apprentices more as an outlet fdor cheap labour rather than viewing them as there next tier of workers for the future. Basically for my first two years all i done was containment.
8 months ago i moved to a smaller company as i was laid off continually for 5 months. I thought this was going to a new begining for me as i knew time was counting down to my trade test. Unfortunatley for me within this smaller company i tend to be continually labouring or carrying out other building tasks not relevant to my trade.
I now feel to be able to be a competant time served electrician i have no alternative but to train myself be it through the uses of books, internet, or whatever it takes.
I feel disolusioned with the time i have spent training to be an electrician as i have continually through time keeping and effort kept my end of the deal.
I am worried and concerned that if i do not act fast that the last 3 years will have been for nothing and i will be lost to the trade ending up with nothing.

Can anyone advise me what my next step should be. All advice welcome thanks in advance.

You have just described 9 out of 10 apprenticeships. I fully understand your worries, I think every apprentice as had the same. You feel that your not ready and that you have just done 3 or 4 years as cheap labour.

Ok you say you have done a lot of containment, can you honestly say that you never run cable in those containment in those 3 years. Can you also say that you have never connected up socket outlets, the occasional light or spur. Depending on your type of work, never connected up a small motor or a switch isolator.

Yes you may not have done much if any testing, or connected up inside a DB or CU but nor did I until I was a 1st year Sparks on the tools.

I posted on here before how about 4 months before the end of my apprenticeship I was called into the deputy engineers office and had the talk about how I was going on the tools, it was the most frightening thing I faced. Unfortunately your apprenticeship was distrupted by redundency, but tell your tutors how worried you are and I'm sure they will help.

Jonesy83 · Apr 9, 2011

before i did my am2 i revised what needs to be done youl also find other forums aswell as this one where people have discused what needs to be done then devise an action plan in your head for example ill get this done 1st then that will be 2nd then this will be 3rd ect till you get to do the last 1 i did the old am2 test as its changed
as regards to the theory im pretty sure the new am2 has a small written exam in try and get your hands on some example questions and revise youve worked years to get to this point so revise revise and more revision its great sense of achievement once its done out the way

elektrisien · Apr 13, 2011

Yes, Sparkybhoy, I think you have the right idea, You should train yourself as far as possible. Use this forum, google anything you dont understand, youtube etc. You have many resources avaliable. Good luck !

baldelectrician · Apr 13, 2011

sb

I have an apprentice (who is good), he will be starting college in August

If I can help you I will. I can not offer you any apprenticesip stuff, but I do a lot of inspection and testing.
if you need some testing experience pm me or email me

ps Who is your training officer- i will see our local training officer at the SELECT meeting tomorrow

Let me know if i can help
[email protected]

cheers
stewart

glasgowbiker42 · Apr 13, 2011

just out of curiosity, the first company you were with were not from out stirling way?

previouse post is correct in some much that your best course of action is to speak with your training officer who will no doubt be no stranger to your concerns.