Difficult gaining experience.....

[Notyetaspark]

Hello everyone,

Could really do with some advice on the best way to go about continuing my learning to become an electrician.

Currently working with a local spark for the last 4 months but he can only give me 2/3 days per week if that. When I'm with him I feel I'm definitely learning but I'm 34 years of age with a family to support and 2/3 days a week wage just isn't sustainable for much longer.
Before this I worked as a mate on more commercial sites for about a year but didn't even get to look at a wire or anything to do with electrics really apart from a ---- load of plastic conduiting.
Is this how it is when trying to gain experience working commercial?
Seems like everyone gets assigned their role and that's all they will really do for the most part. No real learning gained from it to be honest.

Got my level 2 and 17th edition and want to work towards my gold card eventually but just don't feel I'm going to get the opportunity working as a mate on commercial sites.

How did some of you who were adult learners with no time to waste get there and if you had to do it again or if you was in my situation what route would you take?

Appreciate any feedback

 

[buzzlightyear]

easy with my feet !

 

[Darkwood]

Guys reign the attitude in or we will see a few holiday breaks, give constuctive advice be it negative or positive but stop the personal attacks and attemps to derail the thread, OP has asked the experienced for advice and what i am reading is dragging the forum down in some responses.. get off your high horses and either help or dont post@

 

[buzzlightyear]

sorry, darkwood but some times when people ask questions on this forum and don't some times give the answers ,some times their go on the defensive.



.

 

[westward10]

sorry, darkwood but some times when people ask questions on this forum and don't some times give the answers ,some times their go on the defensive.



.

Don't think it was aimed at you Buzz you always reply with the best intentions.

 

[buzzlightyear]

thanks Westwood, can not please every body .

 

[Billsays]

Don't think it was aimed at you Buzz you always reply with the best intentions.

I think that's exactly who it was aimed at, him and a few others make this place very hostile at times and very unwelcoming to genuine people who's only crime is that they know less than him.
Shame really as the forem is great apart from a cliquey few who can't wait to jump in with snide remarks and pathetic comments that make new posters think twice about coming back.

 

[Notyetaspark]

Any insurance he buys for electrical work will not be valid unless he is qualified and can prove competence

So what your saying is no electrician firm can have people work for them eg.. mates/apprentices without their own electrical insurance?

 

[Darkwood]

@buzz - I perused the thread and I posted on the general direction it was going, had it been the case anyone had gone beyond what we tolerate then we would have PM them first as it stood I decided a nudge would suffice... feel free to PM me if you need but forun rules are there to protect members regardless of background and or experience.

 

[Baker1988]

I feel for you notyetaspark I went down the same sort of route. I wanted to be come a sparky and started at 22 so I was to old to get a proper apprenticeship and had to fund my own college while working for agency's. I did my full technical certificate while working for agency's as a mate while going to college a day a week and it is difficult.

The best advice I can give I to just work hard show them you can do the easy stuff and keep asking to do harder stuff and they will start giving you it. I got my first big break by offering to work on weekends as most sparks for the agency I worked for would not do weekends so it was usually just me and 1 actual spark and that's where I started doing the proper work helping him and maby I was lucky as he actually tried to teach me unlike some sparks you see on site. That's why when ever I work with mates now I always try to teach them and not just tell them to do this and that but actually try to teach them the ins and outs or it and why we are actually doing it and if any problems come up try and get them to have a think what needs doing before I tell them what to do.

It's a hard road when your not employed as a apprentice but you will get there in the end and if your any thing like I was you will end up with a load of experiance in many different sectors of electrical installation.

Good luck.

Sorry for the essay.

 

[Notyetaspark]

I feel for you notyetaspark I went down the same sort of route. I wanted to be come a sparky and started at 22 so I was to old to get a proper apprenticeship and had to fund my own college while working for agency's. I did my full technical certificate while working for agency's as a mate while going to college a day a week and it is difficult.

The best advice I can give I to just work hard show them you can do the easy stuff and keep asking to do harder stuff and they will start giving you it. I got my first big break by offering to work on weekends as most sparks for the agency I worked for would not do weekends so it was usually just me and 1 actual spark and that's where I started doing the proper work helping him and maby I was lucky as he actually tried to teach me unlike some sparks you see on site. That's why when ever I work with mates now I always try to teach them and not just tell them to do this and that but actually try to teach them the ins and outs or it and why we are actually doing it and if any problems come up try and get them to have a think what needs doing before I tell them what to do.

It's a hard road when your not employed as a apprentice but you will get there in the end and if your any thing like I was you will end up with a load of experiance in many different sectors of electrical installation.

Good luck.

Sorry for the essay.

Don't be sorry for the essay mate
Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

[Mr.Smith]

Any decent spark will tell you that the first two years of your apprenticeship is simply grafting. Humping , chopping , fetching and learning the difference between a flanged coupling and a long stand.
The next two years is spent figuring stuff out , how not to do it and also how to fix your mistakes.
Your fifth year is filled with stress and learning to work on your own and realizing that you have to provide all the answers to problems that older sparks seem to know straight off the bat.
Throw in another 5 years learning to supervise / man manage / wipe arses and noses.
Then , when you reach the ten years into the trade sweet-spot , you realize how little you do know and then the real learning curve begins as you rub shoulders with international sparks and want to earn serious splash.
I'm over 30 years into this wonderful trade , learning everyday and never think that I know all this is to know.
Everyday is a school day. I just know the school workings a bit better than others.

 

[Joshua]

What I've noticed with the forum is there's a lot of guys here who feel the need to put the inexperienced guys down while trying to make themselves look like the ultimate sparks.
Best thing is to take on board what they've said and move on, sometimes their hearts are in the right place.

My advice to the OP is just stick at it. You've done the right thing by taking the cut in pay to better yourself. But don't expect anything to happen overnight. I was on minimum wage for 2 years doing everything you are and the likes of taking in the deliveries, loading out the sparks for first fix, going in their plots and tidying it up and when I was lucky I was allowed to do a telephone socket or 2 (impressive or what!?)

If you do it properly then expect to be earning well in 4 or so years. Compare sparking to cooking.
You can either be impatient and stick something in the microwave but if you take the time to prepare a decent meal then you'll be grateful for it afterwards.

Before you know it you'll be like me, up at 3am feeding a baby, posting messages on the forums and reading BS7671 because now you can't sleep

 

[GMES]

Guys, just to add to Darkwoods comments if you feel that you are getting unwarranted comments aimed at you then simply hit the report button rather than taking offence and having a go back at that member.
Also remember that you all have the ignore option, so instead of getting into a war of words with a particular member just go on their profile and click the ignore button, that way you won't see what they are saying.

 

[telectrix]

So what your saying is no electrician firm can have people work for them eg.. mates/apprentices without their own electrical insurance?

no.what was meant was that you need PL insurance for any jobs you do for yourself.aka foreigners/homers. as was also pointed out, though, if you are not considered competent, said insurance could be void.

 

[Notyetaspark]

no.what was meant was that you need PL insurance for any jobs you do for yourself.aka foreigners/homers. as was also pointed out, though, if you are not considered competent, said insurance could be void.

Thats what I sort of thought but he obviously didn't read the previous posts properly because not once did I say I was doing jobs for myself.

Thanks for clearing that up though mate.