Becoming a Domestic Installer

[ben9790]

Hi All,I'd like to get the qualifications needed to become a domestic installer and self certify/sign off my own work. I'm currently a security engineer so do have a good knowledge of electronics. I've looked at multiple courses from the likes of Able Skils and trade skills for you etc.My question is, have any of you guys taken such courses, were they any good and which ones are the best?Any input would be appreciated. Thanks. Ben.

 

[davesparks]

The best course you can do is an apprenticeship, the other 'short courses' you have mentioned will just take as much money from you as they can and leave you with enough knowledge to be a danger to yourself and others.

 

[muzza1]

The best course you can do is an apprenticeship, the other 'short courses' you have mentioned will just take as much money from you as they can and leave you with enough knowledge to be a danger to yourself and others.

Well said Dave, 480 quid a year to call myself a spark (over 20 years exp!) if i'd known when i was training that i'd have to cough up nearly 500 quid a year to go to work i'd have picked a wet trade. What i do is basically all i know as the bills don't stop coming, just hate having to pay so much on top of everything else (rant over, sorry chaps)

 

[GMES]

Stay in yourcurrent job if possible, do a proper course and gain your core quals while working alongside a experiencedspark at weekends etc and you will become a proper Electrician. Look at it this way could you do the job your doing at the moment with only a few weeks training in a classroom!!

 

[markc123]

Well said Dave, 480 quid a year to call myself a spark (over 20 years exp!) if i'd known when i was training that i'd have to cough up nearly 500 quid a year to go to work i'd have picked a wet trade. What i do is basically all i know as the bills don't stop coming, just hate having to pay so much on top of everything else (rant over, sorry chaps)

480 quid ? And the rest ... insurances, your van and it's costs, calibration, tax, IR ....... And clients wonder why sparks charge so much, because we're getting fingered left right and centre from bills.

 

[Pete999]

The best course you can do is an apprenticeship, the other 'short courses' you have mentioned will just take as much money from you as they can and leave you with enough knowledge to be a danger to yourself and others.

Well said Dave, isn't that how CU fires can start (inexperienced installers)

 

[Spoon]

Hi ben,
Have a read of this post. http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk...ler-course-training-urgent-2.html#post1144906
Post 22 is very useful.

 

[spynage]

I did one of these short courses with PASS training in stockton about 4 years ago. You don't learn alot of practical on the job training but they teach you everything you need to know to take the next step to become a Domestic Installer. You can sign up with the NICEIC and the buck really stops with them. They are the ones that decide how competent you are to practice as an electrician .
Worth doing. I would say as far as competency of the trainees is concerned that it sure beats having unqualified polish builders putting in your electrics which I come across with depressing frequency as a jobbing DI around London. I feel quite the expert these days.
Being a DI is pretty great all in all. Your success will depend upon how conscientious you are and how much effort your willing to put in to your further education.

I will say though that I've been renovating houses for nearly 10 years before i became qualified so I had familiarised myself to a great extent with domestic electrical's and I wasn't completely wet behind the ears. I was surprised however at the quality of the participants on my training course. To be fair though the majority of them were kitchen fitters sent by their companies to become part p trained and certified as 'competent persons'. Scary to think of some of them becoming registered electricians.

 

[sparkydave16]

There is never a quick way to "learn" the trade, but there are quick ways to get the qualifications if you already have a lot of experience

 

[flashh]

To Throw my pennies worth in! Here comes my life story :bulb2: , I was working for a delivery firm at 18, saved up and paid for my 3+ years at college to do the 2330 level 2 and 3, whilst gaining this I went to work for a local firm which I don't rewires and lots of commercial work, swimming pools, special locations ect!

I was there for around a year or so, got offered a good opportunity from a firm which my brother works for to put in supplies for stairs lifts ect , money was fantastic, nice van, Ipad , they paid for everything, including 2 COURSES

They first put me through a PART P "COURSE" HAHA :svengo:
Secondly they put me through a 2392 course, which let me self certify new builds ect,

I done the courses, it was for a very well known training course provider ,, they taught me absolutely nothing, they basically spoon fed us the answers and had no actual experience what the real thing is like; nothing like having an "entire" house in front of you on a piece of MDF to test, (that does not make you competent at testing)

The 2330 course I done, I said for a long time "what a waste of time" but I think back now and to be honest , it was totally worth it, a lot of work, maths and late nights, because what you don't realise is that you will be doing a job and "that thing" you did in college would be useful to know now! and it happens!

Fortunately for me, I gave my old firm a ring after 2-3 months, and they gave me my job back, back to average money and the rest of it, but I'm actually learning from the best paying my dues,

Not really sure if I answered any questions or helped at all, I was just off on a rant nearly haha !

FLASH ahahaAHAHAhahahah saviour of the ......

 

[flashh]

just realised how old this post was, :frown2: