approved electrician??

[AWD]

want to register for a jib card, now what i can make out i can qualify for an approved electrician card?, i have 2330 level 2 and 3, 17th edition, 2391, 2392, also pat testing. i no it mentions about an nvq level 3 but i can get my company to vouch for me as i have worked for them for 2 years and been doing it since i was 16 so 6 years experience. advice please :teeth_smile:

 

[somersetsparks]

You will need nvq 3, unless you qualified before 1997? (don't quote me), and thats just to get an electrician card not approved. If your employer was to get you a 'conditional electricians' card, that would only be valid whilst in their employment.

 

[VoltzElectrical]

I may be wrong (but probably not) you will need the NVQ 3. Well worth doing even though it's a pain and a bit time consuming. I take it that you will be looking to get site work?

Let me give you some figures here.

I just spent 2 months working for an agency as a spark (gold card needed) on £14 an hour. Only 37 hours a week available. The difference in price between what I was on, and the rate I would have been on had I not had the card (mate/ improver) was more or less the same money my NVQ 3 cost (£800).

So when getting prices for the course, just bear in mind that in the business world, sometimes you have to 'speculate to accumulate'.

Jump through the hoops now, and you will reap the rewards over and over again in the future. As I said, mime paid for itself in only two months.

Still, in the real world of people who moan and refuse to bow down to the requirements, who is the real winner?

Get it done, get the card, don't look back.

 

[darkstar26]

voltz, i think you have defo hit the nail on the head. the nvq is a pain but you can rack it off fairly quick on the right jobs, money well spent i say

 

[Guest55]

as voltz says you need the nvq 3 - end of.
back doors to getting a gold card are now closed , even with an indentured apprenticeship you might not get the full grading without nvq 3.

in fact , much to my utter annoyance i cant even get an upgrade on my existing JIB card to technician grade if i do the 2396 without getting the nvq 3 as well.

im happy do to months of study for a design course but theres no way i can be arsed getting blokes on site to take pics of me fitting a mcb or writing out risk assessments on the dangers of stepladders. bunch of crap if you ask me :-D

 

[thekingiam]

it still amazes me that the jib are still not letting in over qualified time proven sparks getting this card unless they do the nvq3 aprentice scheme. would i be right in saying these days you need am2 as well or did they scrap that idea? i think jib needs to move with the times and realise that time served electricians that have proved competency to pass the theoretical exams should be given a bit of a chance without being nocked back at the first hurdle.
i thought the new exam structure incorperated the nvq3 so therefore should of been ongoing throughout the college course?
how many times are we going to get this question asked when training providers instead of selling there courses should be told the outlay and stages at the start of

 

[oldtimer]

Ok a history of approved card as I seen it in 1975 when i started my time you had to have your B or approved C&G qualification plus spend 2 years with the same firm to get your approved ticket before that you your employer could apply for it but again 2 years plus you had to show you could run a job now if you got your A or electricians C&G qualification but at the time go no further if you started your time in 1973 and did not pass any qualifications then you had to serve a 5th year as an improver to get your sparks tickets.
Now if you passed all of your exams your employer had the right to with hold your approved ticket for 1 year if he thought you were not up to it in other words you had to do 3 years after your electricians ticket to gain approved so to me the NVQ 3 is the B or approved C&G.

Now remember I live in Scotland where at the time unless you were a government worker ie PSA/DOE electricians labourer was a no no because if you could afford a labourer you could take on an apprentice only in the early 80s they changed the 2 years with an employer rule to 2 years with several employers plus the poor Yopper or Youth Oppertunity guys had to serve 5 years

 

[VoltzElectrical]

it still amazes me that the jib are still not letting in over qualified time proven sparks getting this card unless they do the nvq3 aprentice scheme. would i be right in saying these days you need am2 as well or did they scrap that idea? i think jib needs to move with the times and realise that time served electricians that have proved competency to pass the theoretical exams should be given a bit of a chance without being nocked back at the first hurdle.
i thought the new exam structure incorperated the nvq3 so therefore should of been ongoing throughout the college course?
how many times are we going to get this question asked when training providers instead of selling there courses should be told the outlay and stages at the start of

I needed the AM2, but there are companies out there that will administrate the NVQ without it. I take slight issue with your wording here about 'time served' sparks who have passed the 'theory' exams. The 'time-served' sparks have not just sat the theory, as the 'time-served' part also gives them the practical side of things too.

The people (like me) who have sat the theory side of things also need to prove the practical competency and that is what the NVQ is 'supposed' to do.

In my case, the NVQ was made up of 3 parts.

1. Underpinning knowledge, i.e. 2330 parts 2 and 3.

2. Site diary covering at least 2 jobs including planning, execution, and testing of different wiring systems.

3. AM2

Gold card awarded with employer verification and endorsement. In my case, i was self-employed but my 'employer' signed the forms confirming my abilities on site.

regards.

 

[VoltzElectrical]

Ok a history of approved card as I seen it in 1975 when i started my time you had to have your B or approved C&G qualification plus spend 2 years with the same firm to get your approved ticket before that you your employer could apply for it but again 2 years plus you had to show you could run a job now if you got your A or electricians C&G qualification but at the time go no further if you started your time in 1973 and did not pass any qualifications then you had to serve a 5th year as an improver to get your sparks tickets.
Now if you passed all of your exams your employer had the right to with hold your approved ticket for 1 year if he thought you were not up to it in other words you had to do 3 years after your electricians ticket to gain approved so to me the NVQ 3 is the B or approved C&G.

Now remember I live in Scotland where at the time unless you were a government worker ie PSA/DOE electricians labourer was a no no because if you could afford a labourer you could take on an apprentice only in the early 80s they changed the 2 years with an employer rule to 2 years with several employers plus the poor Yopper or Youth Oppertunity guys had to serve 5 years

As far as I know, the old system was A- spark B- approved spark, C -Technician.

To be honest, the system hasn't changed that much, it;s just the codings that confuse people.

So here goes.

Old system = 2360 part 1 now becomes 2330 level 2

2360 part 2 now becomes 2330 level 3

Under old system, 2360 part 1 had practical element, AM 1, now obsolete but can be taken as NVQ level 2 (I did this).

Under old and new system, 2360/2330 has practical element AM 2, revised, but still current and still a rigorous test!

so the underpinning knowledge element has changed coding, and perhaps style in the advent of an element of the multiple choice part. I stress here that there are extended question papers too.

That takes care of the A grade part, i.e. the minimum requirement for a 'sparks' card.

The old part 'B' is now the 2391 (actually been replaced in coding only) and with two years endorsement from a company will entitle the holder to apply for 'approved' status.

The part 'C' as far as I know is the design part, and this is where I will leave others to fill in here, or correct what I have asserted.

Please bear in mind, this is all (very hard to find) information, that I have pieced together from years in the trade and training. I hope it helps, and if I am wrong, then let's hope someone puts me straight because the college wouldn't give a straight answer!

Cheers.

Voltz

 

[thekingiam]

i new i should of worded it better.i am not up to date with what colleges are teaching now but as far as me personaly i did 2360 1, 2 2391-1 now no way would i expect or deserve an electricians card to work on heavy industrial work. i have worked as a mate since the 1990 s and an improover and worked for companies via father on passenger linners for years as suby electrician.done 17 th as well as wanted jib card, found out problem with 2360 via city and guilds then battle with city and guilds still on going also registered and paid for nvq that will expire soon if city and guilds don't sort this out.

 

[thekingiam]

are you saying all i need is am2 if sort 2360 with city and guild?:whatchutalkingabout

 

[thekingiam]

have elecsa domestic test comming up soon as the route to being a spark was becoming imposible to achieve.

- - - Updated - - -

have elecsa domestic test comming up soon as the route to being a spark was becoming imposible to achieve.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

My understanding back in 1988 and right up untill 2007 when the requirement to have the 2391 was brought in.
Not only was it a requirement to have held a gold card for two years, but to have also completed an Apprenticship with a JIB registered company.

 

[VoltzElectrical]

@thekingiam. Your best bet now is to do the NVQ with someone like Quickstep (there are others) and you won't need to do the AM2. That'll get you your gold card. What's the issue with C and G then ?

 

[oldtimer]

I dont know why it amazes you as I said they have said since 1975 you must have C&G qualifications now yes admittedly apprenticeships are a bit thin on the ground but what amazes me is that you guys that are trying to achieve a grading appear to be be coming here say 3 years later asking about how do I get a card so here is a bit advice when you start off yes get your qualifications enquire to the JIB what do they require so say they want a log book then find out if its a book or a a folder with loose sheets or what format they want once you find out how you need to fill it in then start completing in with in my view where,when,what done,who with including name and grade plus business name plus a digital camera is cheap so again record what you are doing and importantly back it up.

Yes things have changed but remember you need to manage this nobody will do it for you and as I have said before if you want to be a good electrician then you need to be disciplined and if you are saying well easy for you to say well that will not wash as it is about applying yourself. One example i found was guy banging on how hard it was to be an electrician yet he would not apply himself in fact he put it to one side a spent a week researching on what was going to be his next mobile phone upgrade so if you are like this let me save you time and money and advise you to find something else to do. Hard I know but Darwins Law is there for a reason