becoming a sparky...

C

chrisgnewton

Hi guys, i am 25yrs old and have been concidering becoming a sparky for some time now and have now decided its time to do something about it, i currently work in a factory doing shift work and have a flat and car to pay for so finding it hard to be able to get to college, work and pay my bills.

I was just wondering if anyone knows of any good home learning/colleges,courses to look at doing etc?
or if anyone fancies a hard working, extriemly enthusiastic person who is desprate to learn the trade in the Leeds/Harrogate area ;)

any help would be greatly appreciated :)

Many Thanks

Chris
 
It's difficult to advise someone in your position mate, when there's bills to pay you need an income (as you know)
Things are tough out there in electric land and are probably going to get tougher in the short term. Being an old stick in the mud I'd advise you to steer clear of the "WE wil make you a sparky in a few weeks" courses, they will releive you of boatloads of cash and not give you anything really worthwhile in return (although some would argue with me on that point) as employers will probably not take much notice of you with those quals.
Best advice is to take a trip down to your local college and ask them how to enrol on City and Guilds 2330 and how much it will cost you. This route will take a hell of a lot longer but will be better for you in the long run.
Good luck mate
 
trev said:
It's difficult to advise someone in your position mate, when there's bills to pay you need an income (as you know)
Things are tough out there in electric land and are probably going to get tougher in the short term. Being an old stick in the mud I'd advise you to steer clear of the "WE wil make you a sparky in a few weeks" courses, they will releive you of boatloads of cash and not give you anything really worthwhile in return (although some would argue with me on that point) as employers will probably not take much notice of you with those quals.
Best advice is to take a trip down to your local college and ask them how to enrol on City and Guilds 2330 and how much it will cost you. This route will take a hell of a lot longer but will be better for you in the long run.
Good luck mate
Click to expand...

Good advice!
 
Being an electrician is a profession.... It's not quick or cheap to become one, regardless of what you may have been told. Most of us did a 4 year apprenticeship, along with day-release at College and lots of hands-on experience. Please don't go down the route of learning at home, taking a few exams and then go self-employed.... you will flounder.
My advice is to find a firm who will take you on, or think again.
 
Hi Chris. I agree with the guys in that the best route is the college route if you can do it, that's coming from someone who's gone the other route. The home learning is well and good, but having that tutor stood next to you is invaluable. And yes, the home learning route costs a small fortune in comparison to the college route. Also, as stated above, most employers want someone who's gone through the college system. Whatever you decide, good luck. :)
 
Also traing up in domestic electrics is only the tip of the type of work an electrician does plus dont take this the wrong way but in this current climate a lot of people like yourself are lookng into this and could be fresh meat to these so called training companies who make you feel that they care about you but in reality you are their cash cow so take care
 
Totally agree with oldtimer. I know that electrics looks easy.... pull a few wires in and connect up a CU, but I promise you, there is an awful lot to learn. These training schemes make out that in a few weeks you will have a qualification which is your key to big money and success. There is a good reason we have apprenticeships.
 
Yep I served my time as an industrial commercial spark never touched a house except for family I then moved on to alarms then HVAC BMS controls then Facilities maintenance and now small electrical repairs self employed and no I am not boasting as after 36 year every day is a school day and I am still sitting exams ie 14,15,16,17th editions I&T , 2377 II&TEE H&S
 
I just really can't see how a person can even learn how to use a set of tools properly in a few weeks, let alone electrical theory and application. When I think about how many mistakes I made on the tools during my apprenticeship (and still do from time to time if I'm honest), it chills me to the bone to think that guys are let loose in someone's home in a few weeks. I am not getting at anyone who has been told this is ok, but the Government has an awful lot to answer for....
 
I went the nightschool route at college. It took me three years, but the real key to success is finding a way to get experience. I was lucky cos my dad was a spark up to retirement, so I was able to work with him. Please, please disregard the 5 week courses as even being an option.
 
It always baffles me as to how to a lot of people doing a proper college course is absolutely out of the question because of other commitments - bills, mortgage, family etc yet their ultimate goal is to give up a steady job to become self-employed with little or no prior experience of what they're trying to do, which seems like a massive gamble.
As much as I enjoyed driving around doing small works I had to give it up to work in a factory doing a semi-electrical job 'to pay the bills'. If I could go back and do it all again, if I was looking at it as an investment in my future, if I were in the position where I couldn't retrain properly because I needed a steady job that badly to pay the bills I would just go straight to doing the factory job without wasting time and money on a half-bottomed attempt at retraining.

Remember to go self-employed you will need to buy tools, van, insurance, scheme membership etc which is a massive outlay, then there is no guarantee that you will get any work at all, which isn't going to pay the bills.
Likewise giving someone else 'a hand' is a nice idea but with no experience they won't want to pay you much more than minimum wage, and they'll want you to work on a casual basis with no sick pay, holiday pay, pension etc so they don't have to pay you when they haven't got much work on, which could be most of the time.
Again, this isn't going to pay the bills.

Welcome to the forum BTW!
 
At 25 the op is not too old to turn tack and try something else.unfotunately I don't think the sparky route is the one for him at the moment.ther is not enough work for experienced hands never mind trainees.
i agree with Adamw in the costs involved as well.think about all the hand tools you build up over the years and try to put a value on it, you would cack your pants if you tried to buy it all from scratch.never mind access equipment, testers,vans, power tools insurance etc etc etc.ther is no fast track to experience unfortunately,you either have it or you don't and without said experience your gonna get found out rapidly.as old timer pointed out domestic sparking is one bit of the sparky pie not the whole thing.
i get a bit peeved with some of the posts on here telling everyone they've got 2391 17th blah blah blah n the asking how to fix an immersion heater...do hey not show that in Electrical Trainee land?
sorry op i wouldn't bother at the moment.If I had to do a college course I would do a neebosh h&s might open a few doors to a better career.good luck
 
I think what we are al missing is 20 years you could not do this yet we are getting like the USA where you hold down 3 jobs and go to nightschool as well the only problem is everybody is trying to do this
 
oldtimer said:
I think what we are al missing is 20 years you could not do this yet we are getting like the USA where you hold down 3 jobs and go to nightschool as well the only problem is everybody is trying to do this
Click to expand...
Problem is old that 20 years ago we had standards.not this government backed mish mash of domestic installer nonsense.do u think that if yo applied for niceic registration 20 year ago with minimal experience that you would be accepted???i think not.
20 year ago a good all round spark meant he had dipped his toe in the murky waters of all types of electrical work not just one.
we WERE top dogs on site due to the vast knowledge you were expected to have of all tpes of electrical work,structures etc and were respected. not any more tho,cos everyone thinks its a piece of Pish this sparky lark eh?
 
Guitarist said:
LOL, you know, whenever I tell someone I'm an electrician, they always say.... "there's good money in that" :)
Click to expand...
Same. They always say 'plumbers' as well. I've heard there's good money in that too. Apparently you can earn up to £50,747 doing that.
 
Slightly off topic but relevant to the standards point.
this week I did an inspection on a commercial property that the outfit I did my time with wired in 93.44circuits and not a fault on or grommet out of place.
goes to show what decent design materials and workmanship in the first place achieve.
compare the quality new build i did a a job on last week,probably wired by a chimpanzee
as I say standards
 
You only have to look at the joke that is kitchen fitting now. Two fitters come in for a few days, mess around with the sockets, terminal block plastered over etc., then a "qualified" electrician comes in to "sign off" what they have done. And the "powers that be" just turn a blind eye.
 
Go for plumbing and central heating mate. Electricians industry is a load of crap at the moment and for the foreseeable future
 
Electrical Trainee= Five week wonder!
DI= Domestic Installer!
BESNA= Building Engineering Services "National Agreement"!
Mob= Rogue Company not adhering to nationally recognised terms and conditions!
JIB= Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry of England and Wales
SJIB= Scottish Joint Industry Board
Unite the Union= The official electricians union for the protection of terms and conditions, safety and training of electricians.
ECA= Electrical Contractors Association of England and Wales and represents the interests of member companies.
SELECT= Electrical Contractors Association of Scotland.
HASAWA1974etc= Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 etc. This is an Act of Parliament and is an enforcing law under legislation.
EAWR1989= Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. This is a set of regulations designed to help the HASAWA1974etc to be implemented in the electrical industry.
BS7671:2008= This is the 17th Edition Wiring Regulations and is the basic standards required to be met by all persons carrying out electrical work and is used by HASAWA1974etc in court to show whether or not electrical installations were installed to the basic requirements deemed necessary under law.
Approved Electrician= This is a JIB/SJIB grade of a fully qualified electrician with a minimum of two years on site experience and has a full working knowledge of the BS7671:2008, EAWR1989, HASAWA1974etc, The National Working Rules for the Electrical Contracting Industry, has the skills to carry out a full range of electrical activities as required in all sectors, can run jobs, train apprentices and above all else is deemed to be "competent" under the eyes of the law!
JIB/SJIB Rule book= This is the bible for electricians working for a member company.
Ragged Trousered Philanthropists= This is the construction bible for all!!!
SCAB=
After God had finished the rattlesnake, the toad, and the vampire, he had some awful substance left with which he made a scab.

A scab is a two-legged animal with a corkscrew soul, a water brain, a combination backbone of jelly and glue.

Where others have hearts, he carries a tumor of rotten principles.

When a scab comes down the street, men turn their backs and angels weep in heaven, and the devil shuts the gates of hell to keep him out.

No man (or woman) has a right to scab so long as there is a pool of water to drown his carcass in, or a rope long enough to hang his body with.

Judas was a gentleman compared with a scab. For betraying his master, he had character enough to hang himself. A scab has not.

Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage.

Judas sold his Savior for thirty pieces of silver.

Benedict Arnold sold his country for a promise of a commision in the british army.

The scab sells his birthright, country, his wife, his children and his fellowmen for an unfulfilled promise from his employer.

Esau was a traitor to himself; Judas was a traitor to his God; Benedict Arnold was a traitor to his country.

A scab is a traitor to his God, his country, his family and his class.

Author --- Jack London (1876-1916)

NO SCABS!​
 
firstly id like to thank everyone for their input/advice, some really helpfull and eye opening points. I work in a factory and we have a site services deparment, i asked the manager 'if i had the quals for a sparky but very little experiance, would you be tempted to take me on?' he was very reluctant to say yes just because of the lack of experiance, but like most of u said, you cant buy it or there is no fast track to get it. I feel its abit of a dead end down the sparky route, i also think im abit old for the apprenticeship? who wants to take on a 25yr old when they can have someone at 16? need to have a re-think mayber try get someone to give abit of an oldtimer a chance in wanting to learn a trade.

thanks everyone

chris
 
If you want to become a sparky then do it, but for the right reason - it needs to be more a labour of love than a means to get rich quick, which isn't going to happen.

As you say it's not going to be easy either. I'm not talking about 12 hour days pulling cables in the freezing cold with the icy wind blowing through where the windows will eventually go, or finishing work and spending a couple of hours reading through your college notes when you'd much rather be watching telly (although you'll probably have to do that as well), I mean spending 3 years at college, passing all your exams then sitting at home on the dole for 6 months (or maybe 2 years) wondering what it was all for until you finally get the opportunity of 2 weeks work as a 'mate' lugging stuff around and sweeping stuff up for minimum wage.

Yes I did that, along with a lot of other people on the forum, but it's the sort of thing you have to do in order to achieve your goal.
I was your age when I started training.
 
chrisgnewton said:
firstly id like to thank everyone for their input/advice, some really helpfull and eye opening points. I work in a factory and we have a site services deparment, i asked the manager 'if i had the quals for a sparky but very little experiance, would you be tempted to take me on?' he was very reluctant to say yes just because of the lack of experiance, but like most of u said, you cant buy it or there is no fast track to get it. I feel its abit of a dead end down the sparky route, i also think im abit old for the apprenticeship? who wants to take on a 25yr old when they can have someone at 16? need to have a re-think mayber try get someone to give abit of an oldtimer a chance in wanting to learn a trade.

thanks everyone

chris
Click to expand...

I'm 28 and just finishing my level 3. I've worked 7 days a week, most weeks, for two years to be able to do this job. I found someone to take me on and show me the ropes one day a week. I did That For about 18 months and I've now been working for him full time since January. Yea its hard but I'm dedicated and I love what I do. I leave work on a Friday and afternoon and already look forward to what's got to be done Monday morning.
 
its got nothing to do with wanting to be rich or working for myself...iv done some work with a mate of mine who has his own business and i like the fact nearly everyday is different and learning new things, constantly being busy and having to use my brain work out/solve problems. i worked for him for a few weeks while he had big projects and domestic work and to be honest couldnt wait to get back to work the next day. i really enjoyed it and knew its something i wanted to do as a career.
 
chrisgnewton said:
its got nothing to do with wanting to be rich or working for myself...iv done some work with a mate of mine who has his own business and i like the fact nearly everyday is different and learning new things, constantly being busy and having to use my brain work out/solve problems. i worked for him for a few weeks while he had big projects and domestic work and to be honest couldnt wait to get back to work the next day. i really enjoyed it and knew its something i wanted to do as a career.
Click to expand...

So then y can't you go out with him one day a week whilst having a full time job to pay the bills. Two nights at college and in three years you would have your level 3, a host of tools and enough experience
 
trev said:
It's difficult to advise someone in your position mate, when there's bills to pay you need an income (as you know)
Things are tough out there in electric land and are probably going to get tougher in the short term. Being an old stick in the mud I'd advise you to steer clear of the "WE wil make you a sparky in a few weeks" courses, they will releive you of boatloads of cash and not give you anything really worthwhile in return (although some would argue with me on that point) as employers will probably not take much notice of you with those quals.
Best advice is to take a trip down to your local college and ask them how to enrol on City and Guilds 2330 and how much it will cost you. This route will take a hell of a lot longer but will be better for you in the long run.
Good luck mate
Click to expand...

Everything he said. I'm just coming to the end of that route. After a fair few years and a few thousand quid.
 

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