Domestic Electrician course sought

[Julian Moore]

Good afternoon.I am having a mid life crisis and wish to change career path as I have not been happy in my job for a long time
I am looking to do an electrical course in view to becoming a self employed domestic electrician. Im looking for a course long enough to give me the knowledge and skills needed,
Can anyone please tell me what course I should be looking for (is it part P) and if anyone could recommend any course providers too.
Many thanks
P.S Im in the midlands but willing to travel to do the course.Thank you so much in advance.

 

[Midwest]

Thank you very much for your messages.
Im presently driving trucks and the unsolvable nights working until midnight and being brain dead behind the wheel is doing my head in.
Im looking at a 16 week course as obviously it' impossible to learn much in 4 weeks, obviously 16 weeks is better but still only a start.
One of my concerns is how to advertise and get the work coming in when you start as due to my age I believe that self employment is the only way, starting with small jobs first

That will be your biggest problem, and whilst waiting for those jobs to come, you'll need to put food on the table.

I came back into the industry, five years ago after semi retiring. I used to advertise locally, but I don't think the jobs I got paid for it.

Most of my work comes from my son's business. Without that, think I'd be looking for other employment, which I still might have to.

PS, just about to pay my scheme fees, this year £534.

 

[JAWS]

Thank you very much for your messages.
Im presently driving trucks and the unsolvable nights working until midnight and being brain dead behind the wheel is doing my head in.
Im looking at a 16 week course as obviously it' impossible to learn much in 4 weeks, obviously 16 weeks is better but still only a start.
One of my concerns is how to advertise and get the work coming in when you start as due to my age I believe that self employment is the only way, starting with small jobs first

That will be the biggest hurdle.

How much will you know after a doing a Domestic installer course and how much work will you realistically have to turn away because you wont have the expertise to do the job.

Joining a CPS competent person scheme like Napit, or NICEIC would be a good move even then you will have someone come to your place of work to access your competence where you will have to have all the latest up to date testing equipment and insurances etc

This will only be wise once you get a bit of confidence and you feel competent to work. I know a few lads who seem to have done pretty well going down this route.

Its all about learning to walk rather then run, being an electrician can take many yrs to master I'm sure, and knowing your capabilities when you start out is key.

 

[JAWS]

Thank you very much for your messages.
Im presently driving trucks and the unsolvable nights working until midnight and being brain dead behind the wheel is doing my head in.
Im looking at a 16 week course as obviously it' impossible to learn much in 4 weeks, obviously 16 weeks is better but still only a start.
One of my concerns is how to advertise and get the work coming in when you start as due to my age I believe that self employment is the only way, starting with small jobs first

That will be the biggest hurdle.

How much will you know after a doing a Domestic installer course and how much work will you realistically have to turn away because you wont have the expertise to do the job.

Joining a CPS competent person scheme like Napit, or NICEIC would be a good move even then you will have someone come to your place of work to access your competence where you will have to have all the latest up to date testing equipment and insurances etc

This will only be wise once you get a bit of confidence and you feel competent to work. I know a few lads who seem to have done pretty well going down this route.

Its all about learning to walk rather then run, being an electrician can take many yrs to master I'm sure, and knowing your capabilities when you start out is key.

 

[Adam W]

I also started training 'later in life', at the ripe old age of 25. I thought I knew electrics but went into a 3 year course at the local college with an open mind anyway. At the end of the course I realised there was a lot I didn't know and I was way off putting my name on the side of a van; with very little experience I struggled to break into the industry, and that was without trying to dictate exactly what kind of work I'd be offered, how much training I'd need, what I'd learn on the course and what I'd be capable of at the end of it.

 

[Spoon]

'later in life'...25...

 

[rolyberkin]

It is difficult, you can run the gauntlet of Facebook and have idiots who want to pay you £500 for a rewire, try leaflet drops and adverts in local magazines etc. I went fully self employed in October and had three months when it was absolutely manic, then after Xmas I have been dead quiet, I am now at the point where I am starting to quote on some general building and handyman jobs. You can go down the route of trust a trader etc but in my local area there are about 30+ electricians on there and it all costs. It is not easy to start up, once your name gets out there I am sure (hope) it gets easier!

 

[Wilko]

Hi - I started out many moons ago working with dear old Dad, did apprenticeship and then moved out into office design work in related things. Coming back to installation later in life has been hard but fun. My thought is you need to get working experience, as its a practical craft. If you do it and like it then you'll be able to do the book learning part I reckon.

 

[Des 56]

I went fully self employed in October and had three months when it was absolutely manic, then after Xmas I have been dead quiet,

It is not easy to start up, once your name gets out there I am sure (hope) it gets easier!

Advertising can be costly and may be hit or miss generating work
Keep a positive outlook roly as far as quiet periods go,eventually you will find that past clients will tend to recommend you to their contacts, family members or friends,these may then become your clients passing on your name
It does take time but its like a self generating merry go round, the more you do,the more clients that are around creating your work
I have been self employed since the early 80s and have never needed to look for work,as you have experienced,your merry go round just needs a push every now and again

 

[WillWX]

Unfortunately, I don’t believe a short course is enough to just put you at a level where you’re happy to go and work on an electrical installation within someone’s home.

The company I worked for never got round to putting me through college, however I worked alongside an electrician for over 3 years, without that hands on experience and that guidance, I don’t beleive I’d be where I am now. The courses just don’t give you enough. When I did do the relevant courses, I was re learning everything I’d already learnt off my own back and was really surprised at how much I actually knew.

When doing the physical work, one thing leads to another and you find yourself reading up regs every day and learning off your own back, that alongside an experienced electrician as guidance, in my opinion is what’s needed to become “competent” enough to touch someone’s installation.

Sorry to come across negatively, but I hate the idea of someone chucking away a decent job and to not end up where they expect.

 

[telectrix]

agree. it's a all vety well to be able to quote the max. Xzs for a perticuler MCB, but if you can't run a cable from A to B in a compliant manner, it's no use.
edit: xcus trhe spelling. been up all nite, and had a beer brekky.

 

[satori]

The future is not as bright as it appears you think it will be.

On November 4th, 2016, I was made redundant, I knew it was coming and spent a lot of time (seriously, a lot, I had been 32 years in a desk-bound job) researching my future prospects. I decided that becoming an electrician would be a change, a chance to do something practical, and would be as lucrative as my previous job. I did a 16 week course with TradeSkills4U, I felt the course was comprehensive, well structured, and, at the end I had all of the qualifications to get my NVQ 3, and call myself an electrician - apart from the experience. I'm working toward the experience now, and it's going to take a while - I'm 9 months into what I think is going to be 3 years getting enough experience to be able to complete my NVQ 3 and only then be able to call myself an electrician. In the mean time I'm being paid as a labourer, and that doesn't pay what I'm used to. My redundancy is diminishing, it may not last the remainder of the three years.

You're talking about Domestic Installer, from my experience it's a job title looked down upon by electricians, you won't be an electrician and you'll be competing with people who know so much more than you, and have skills you'll never develop due to not having exposure to certain aspects of the job. From reading here, and talking to colleague sparks, as a Domestic Installers your best prospect will be to find employment with a kitchen fitting company, your prospects as self employed are virtually nil.

All of these companies offering courses are out to make money. Yes, you can get where you want to be, but the work involved is much, much, much more than these training companies will have you believe.

Have your eyes wide open before you commit yourself to anything.

 

[Pete E]

Im presently driving trucks and the unsolvable nights working until midnight and being brain dead behind the wheel is doing my head in.

I would love to do what you are doing, but feel I've left it way too late (I'm 52)....

Given that you are a qualified truck driver, I would think at least you could do driving agency work while getting yourself set up in the new career? The pay might not be brilliant, but it might be enough to keep the wolf from the door...

 

[Dave Rudderham]

I'm on the path now, even with experience in the Electronics, Data, Telecoms and Domestic/Light commercial I still opted for the full 2 years worth of Level 2 and 3. Level 2 was very easy for me, Level 3 was a little bit better, made me think more because I've done very little with 3-ph systems. I've still finished them months early. I just wanted the paperwork to back up the experience.