Are there any reputable electrical installation training companies in the UK other than FE colleges?

[simon_Somerset]

Hi All,
I am new to to the forum, so please forgive the dumb questions if you have heard them all before!

Are there any known reputable electrical installation training companies in the UK other than FE colleges?

I have had a few calls and online meetings with NewTradesCollege (NTC-college - https://ntc-college.co.uk/ but I think it also goes under the name of Tradescollege.org)

and also Access Training: Electrical Courses | Become an Electrician | Access Training - https://www.accesstraininguk.co.uk/electrical-courses.

Any good/bad info on these or any other training organisation would be gratefully received I am not currenty in the trade but hope to be one day!

 

[Lister1987]

Our sponsors @XS Training wouldn't be a bad place to start

 

[derek]

There is information on legalbegals about New Trades Career, also known as Green 360 ltd and Engineering Real Results. Many criticisms seem to be about having to sign a finance agreement which you still have to pay off even if you cannot continue the course for any reason.
That's aside from the allegations of mis-selling that some customers claim.

 

[FatAlan]

If you search some of the names of course providers on here you will find plenty of feed back. I used Access Training a few years back. Served a purpose but the training was s**t and certainly not worth the money. Haven’t heard any recent feedback on them though. 2365 via local college was far more useful.

 

[simon_Somerset]

There is information on legalbegals about New Trades Career, also known as Green 360 ltd and Engineering Real Results. Many criticisms seem to be about having to sign a finance agreement which you still have to pay off even if you cannot continue the course for any reason.
That's aside from the allegations of mis-selling that some customers claim.

Thanks Derek, I am very grateful for all info good or bad, as I am sure you can appreciate getting into a new trade from scratch is not easy ( I am prepared for that having been a mature student already!) so any pitfalls I can avoid along the way are good to know about in advance!
Si.

 

[simon_Somerset]

If you search some of the names of course providers on here you will find plenty of feed back. I used Access Training a few years back. Served a purpose but the training was s**t and certainly not worth the money. Haven’t heard any recent feedback on them though. 2365 via local college was far more useful.

Many thanks for the info Alan, all good to know. As you can no doubt appreciate it is a bit daunting to take up a new career in middle age, so I am doing as much research as I can before parting with any cash..I am sure there may be at least one genuine training organisation out there that I could use, but so far I haven't found that many folk with positive stories to tell, either in terms of the quality of training or value for money.
Si.

 

[FatAlan]

I was well into my 50’s when I embarked on this lark. I did six months worth of weekends with Access Training which got me 17th Edition back then, Logic Certification Domestic Installer, basic G&G insect and test followed by 2394& 5 which was the level 3 initial certification and inspect & test for EICR’s. They also chucked in Pat testing and building regs for sparks. It served a purpose but the facilities and practical work were poor and there were major issues between tutors and the management. Most students turning up rapidly became disillusioned when they realised that on completion of the course they wouldn’t be ‘qualified electricians’ so there was a high level of spin on their marketing. From a practical point of view, I found a year of night classes at my local college doing 2365 was more useful although I did find myself teaching some of the other students as the guy supervising the practical side wasn’t a time served spark and was chasing his backside trying to keep up with demonstrations and answering questions. Ideally the next move will be 2365 L3 and on to AM2 if I can find the time and money. Getting practical experience is the key though as all the theory and classroom work won’t prepare you for trying to make sense of what’s gone on before in old installations and DIY specials..which is half the fun for me plus the excuse to buy lots of new toys. Good luck.

 

[simon_Somerset]

I was well into my 50’s when I embarked on this lark. I did six months worth of weekends with Access Training which got me 17th Edition back then, Logic Certification Domestic Installer, basic G&G insect and test followed by 2394& 5 which was the level 3 initial certification and inspect & test for EICR’s. They also chucked in Pat testing and building regs for sparks. It served a purpose but the facilities and practical work were poor and there were major issues between tutors and the management. Most students turning up rapidly became disillusioned when they realised that on completion of the course they wouldn’t be ‘qualified electricians’ so there was a high level of spin on their marketing. From a practical point of view, I found a year of night classes at my local college doing 2365 was more useful although I did find myself teaching some of the other students as the guy supervising the practical side wasn’t a time served spark and was chasing his backside trying to keep up with demonstrations and answering questions. Ideally the next move will be 2365 L3 and on to AM2 if I can find the time and money. Getting practical experience is the key though as all the theory and classroom work won’t prepare you for trying to make sense of what’s gone on before in old installations and DIY specials..which is half the fun for me plus the excuse to buy lots of new toys. Good luck.

Thanks Alan, nothing like a bit of personal experience! I should mention I am also well into my 50s, so that bodes well knowing that it can be done with a bit of effort. I am interested in a career move into electrics for a number reasons, but in any case more knowledge is always useful to have I think. As I already have an engineering degree (which I did later in life as well) I am reasonably confident I can do the book learning part, so for me its more about getting my hands on the hardware and tools and building my confidence in the practical side, plus getting my head around the regulatory side of things, which seems a bit daunting, but I am definitely up for a challenge. Will keep you posted!