Am I kidding myself?

[torrens75]

38 years old.

Have:

2330 lv2 ( 2330 level 3 completed by May 13 )
17th Edition

Worked as a mate between 08-10, then took the job i am currently in as was permanent & local.

One of the main reasons i left the electrical game was that I was fed up of doing the whole agency thing and the "clique" system they have, and that the general electrical "ethos" i.e "Its not what you know, its who you know".

A "friend" that I got a start for in 2008 ( he was out of work at the time), befriended one of the electricians on the site, and they became good friends, alhough i know my "friend" was merely using him as a "contact".

He hasnt been out of work in the last 2 years, mainly due to this "friend". It sickens me how the system works in the electrical subby game, agencies give work to people they prefer, subbys only get their "mates" on jobs, even if they dont have a clue.

I have nearly done 3 years at college, and I know for a fact that come the summer I wont get a mates/improver job any easier because i have 2330 level 2/3 and 17th. What a waste of 3 years.

Employers/agencies just dont care what qualifications you have ( not that legally you need any to call yourself an electrician!!), they just want to know what you know from experience, and if anyone can vouch for you.

To make matters worse I have read that Electricians are taking "mates/improvers" jobs because there is no work!!!!

To anyone who is thinking of going to night school to retrain as an electrician - dont bother, you may aswell spend your money on "buying" an electricians friendship, qualifications are NOT going to get you anywhere in the Electrical game, try plumbing.

 

[chrish_1977]

I have worked for agencies and have found it ok, sure some jobs were pants but others have been really good, a incinerator for instance, if you don't like it then don't do it. Don't knock people who want to train just because you have had a bad experience

 

[snowhead]

It's the same with mates and friends in all fields, whether subbying or direct employment.
It's called "Better the Devil you know".

It's tough out there in any area of employment at the moment, nothing particular with electricals.

 

[rattlehead85]

Couldn't agree more. Better the devil you know sums it up. What little work there is so cuthroat at the moment. Electricians cutting corners all over the place just to get jobs which forces them to do shoddy work. Personally i hate the situation all together and have questioned many times if it is worth carrying on sparking. Problem is though a career change into your late thirties is not an easy move.

 

[torrens75]

Couldn't agree more. Better the devil you know sums it up. What little work there is so cuthroat at the moment. Electricians cutting corners all over the place just to get jobs which forces them to do shoddy work. Personally i hate the situation all together and have questioned many times if it is worth carrying on sparking. Problem is though a career change into your late thirties is not an easy move.

Tell me about it!

 

[torrens75]

It's the same with mates and friends in all fields, whether subbying or direct employment.
It's called "Better the Devil you know".

It's tough out there in any area of employment at the moment, nothing particular with electricals.

? Better the devil you know means " better to stick with something you know, than change to something you dont"

Same with all mates/friends?

 

[oldtimer]

The other thing is the Electrical Trainee who need experience will take anything and that drives both standards and the industry down. I am sick to death with Schemies telling us we have a "massive" skills shortage well punching guys out after 5 weeks is unfair to them and down right negligent thing is they are too busy selling guys the "Dream" when the economical environment in the whole of europe would tell a blind man that we have abundant of sparks.

Also I am not having a pop at the guys who want to better themselves but there is one thing for sure we cannot go on like this

 

[not_today]

I have been reading threads like this with with great interest as i plan to retrain with the eventual gaol of becoming an electrician. I can safely say that all industries are as you describe. I worked in a school for several years and thought i had found my vocation and i can tell you that there is nothing more sole destroying than working for 4 years, attending an interview to find the other candidates are either ex pupils of the school or a relation to someone already employed at the school. you have no hope of a fair interview and you might as well leave with your dignity.

whilst i was working the school there was a vacancy for a assistant head and several teachers went for the post including several teachers who had travelled from London to attend. on the day of the interview, new timetables were sent around with the name of the new assistant head already in place. this was hours before the interviews had taken place. Someone discreetly passed the new timetable to the interviewees and i personally witnessed 2 teachers break down in tears at the injustice and humiliation of the whole thing. the interviewees who came from London left, threatening legal action which i personally think was justified. the next whole staff briefing we had the head introduced the new assistant head and 2 of the teachers who broke down in tears had to leave the room as they were so upset. you should have seen the smirk on the face of the new assistant head.

check out the definitions of these words:
1) cronyism
2) nepotism

 

[trev]

Cronyism and nepotism exist in all industrys and at all levels. My own experience, a guy I know who I wouldn't trust to turn on a light was out of work a few years back and on the bones of his backside, where I was working at the time we were looking for a few guys so I asked my gaffer if he would take this guy on on the proviso that he worked with me and I'd drag him kicking and screaming if necessary up to the required standard which he agreed to. After about a month he got a phone call about a fix and left, thanking me very much and promising that if I ever needed a favour.....
Well now the worm has turned and it's me that's looking for a full time fix now so I rang him to be told that there was nothing doing just now but if anything came up..... Well Mrs Trev bumped into his wife last week and asked how he was getting on "oh he's fine" she said "just started a 6 month contract and got 3 guys he knows fixed so that's him due a few favours when the time comes"
I'll see my day with him though.

 

[not_today]

my main worry is that i will spend several thousand pounds training and achieving the required standard only to find that its jobs for the boys and i have waisted my money.

is the electricians market really that saturated?

 

[trev]

my main worry is that i will spend several thousand pounds training and achieving the required standard only to find that its jobs for the boys and i have waisted my money.

is the electricians market really that saturated?

Unfortunately mate, yes. There's bloody good sparks that I know taking cleaning jobs just now because they can't get a fix.

 

[oldtimer]

my main worry is that i will spend several thousand pounds training and achieving the required standard only to find that its jobs for the boys and i have waisted my money.

is the electricians market really that saturated?

Its just not only saturated its on its knees with the Scheme Providers willing to badge anything with a heartbeat plus with our eastern European cousins and more to come next year me thinks that will wipe out any credibility we had left. In my view I just dont get it you guys are being told that there is a shortage and wages of £50k tells me you are being suckered as the old saying goes if it looks too good to be true it is plus the only way to survive is to diversify ie I am a time served Industrial / Commercial electrician that moved into fire/intruder alarms,then HVAC/BMS controls, then Building /Facilities maintenance and now self employed.

Dont get me wrong if you want to train up its your choice but we have problems with the sales driven Scheme providers who by their actions are diluting our skill base to such an extent you only have to look at the PAT testing environment where the EICR section is going the same way as the 50p per item or £60 for a EICR does not add up plus the Schemies in my view are assisting it instead of policing it

 

[not_today]

oh dear

 

[telectrix]

it's more than that. mate. it's supersarurated. i've been in the trade 30 years and never been so quiet in all my life.

 

[not_today]

fyi, i phoned able skills to enquire about their courses before xmas. i was told that there is a shortage of electricians and i would get work almost instantly after qualifying.

I was told all i needed to do to become an "electrician" was to do the 17 day part p course and i could set up with my own business. My parents are landlords/ property developers so i knew full well that it wasn't the case.

false hope and selling a dream come to mind.

i still havnt made my mind up if taking one of their courses is a good idea if i dont have a qualified electrician to work with. any advice for a hungry young go getter with fantastic people skills would be much appreciated.

also, is there any other discipline in the construction industry that is saturated? i have a genuine interest in electronics and technology, hence my desire to become a sparky.

cheers for the honest feedback chaps and i hope everything works out for you all

Sam