Advice on qualifications

[specks]

Hi,

Im new here so hello!

I am looking for some advice on electrical qualifications. Heres my status. I am in the last few months of my electrical HND at college. I work in an electrical environment which requires me to test 230/415v equipment. I currently work alongside a trained electrician who checks my work. When I left school I was unable to get a place on an apprenticeship and as of this I went on the BTEC route of ONC, HNC, and now HND. I started when I was 20 and am now 25. As I test electrical equipment and fill out NICEIC reports (monitored by my colleague) I really want to take the relevent exam to gain an 'approved' electrical qualification. I don't really do the installation side and am interested in the test and inspection side. What is the best route for me? I have asked at local colleges to be told I need to sit the 3 year 'apprentice' course then sit the test and inspection exam. If there a faster way?

Thanks for any help.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

If you are at the back end of a HND, then i would say the 2391 (2394 and 2395 as it is changing to) will suffice. I would chuck in the 17th edition as well, cos for some reason penpushers who recruit electricians think that the 17th is the be all and end all qualification.

the 2391 if you can still register is a 4 day course, the 2394 and 2395 are both 4 day courses.

Cheers..........Howard

 

[specks]

Thanks for the reply. The world of electrical qualifications can be confusing. My local college offer the 2931 and 17th which is good. Where does this put me in terms of calling myself an electrician? Ultimately I would like to be fully 'competent' to fill in the NICEIC reports alone. Would these two suffice?

 

[Spazz]

I am currently in the same situation

Give NAPIT or NICEIC a call and tell them what you have and they will tell you exactly what course you have to do and everything else.

Your situation sounds like mine - their reply to me was:
Register with them
You have 1 year to undertake the 17th Edition
You then have a further 1 year to undertake the inspect and test of Electrical Installations

You can take the assessment as soon as they can fit you in

From personal experience and help from all them members on here you need a lot of experience in testing and inspecting and have the equipment before and know how to use it.



Give NAPIT or NICEIC a call and they will be more than happy to help.

For the info of everyone else I started my 17th Edition today and booked on the Inspect/Test straight after then going for my assessment - thanks again everyone

 

[Spazz]

You can start working as a sparky now, but you have to go through LABC (Local Authority Building Control)
or if you only do one job you can use that for your assessment with NAPIT or NICEIC. (2 jobs with NICEIC and 1 with NAPIT)

 

[specks]

Excellent thank you for the help.

I will ring them tomorrow, to enquire and register. My colleges next start date for 17th edition is in May which falls good with me (HND ends in May so wont be overloaded with work) and then hopefully on to test and inspection.

Cheers again

PS good luck with your course!

 

[SirKit Breaker]

The top and bottom of it all is this. You do not need any electrical qualifications to call yourself an Electrician. However it may be a bit of an obstacle if you seek work as an Electrician without any.

You can complete Electrical Certificates etc as long as you know what you are doing. If you know how to do the paperwork and which paperwork you need to do, then you will probably have the relevant practical skill anyway.

The key to it all is "Competence". As long as you are competent as defined in the Electricity at Work Regs 1989 and BS7671:2008 (2011), then you have no real problems, as neither mention you must have this that and the other.

There are some excellent Electricians about ( and no doubt some of the more knowledgable people in here) who have never been near an apprenticeship, they journeymen, who have learnt their trade by experience, but will have picked up the basic C&G quals as they went. This doesn't make them unskilled. I did my time as an Aircraft Sparky, the rest i taught myself with the benefit of others.

In my opinion if you have enough knowledge and some good experience to get through the 2391, then i would say Yes you are an Electrician in theory, then its all down to experience. You will never guess your way through the 2391, but i think it could be passed by study and self teaching, so whilst it is a cracking qual to get, it is not infallible. Experience on the other hand is different.

Cheers..........Howard

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Check out the following site:
Electrical Qualifications - Electrician Adult Trainee Route information

 

[specks]

I just got off the phone to the NECIEC. The guy said to initially register I need to at least complete my 17th edition in full. I can then register but I won't be approved until they have assessed one minor and one major job. As I have been shadowing for the last 4-5 years he was happy with accepting I have the basic skills and to demostrate them to the NICEIC assessor. Once satisfactory, I am registered with the advised option to complete test and inspection. My local college offers the 17th in May which is ideal for me. Does this sound about right? If so I think this is the route for me.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I just got off the phone to the NECIEC. The guy said to initially register I need to at least complete my 17th edition in full. I can then register but I won't be approved until they have assessed one minor and one major job. As I have been shadowing for the last 4-5 years he was happy with accepting I have the basic skills and to demostrate them to the NICEIC assessor. Once satisfactory, I am registered with the advised option to complete test and inspection. My local college offers the 17th in May which is ideal for me. Does this sound about right? If so I think this is the route for me.

Did he also mention that you will need,

The latest Regs book and OSG £100
Memo of The Electricity at Work Regs £10
GS38 compliant and calibrated Test Instruments £500 to £1000
Public Liability Insurance for £2,000,000. £100
NICEIC Reg fee about £500.
Plus the other bits and bats i forgot to mention

Cheers...........Howard