Domestic Electrician

rugbylad · Mar 17, 2011

Does anyone think it would be worthwhile me doin a domestic installers course and setting up on my own as a domestic installer including PAT testing etc...

Any feedback would be appreciated!

VoltzElectrical · Mar 17, 2011

here is my two pennies worth and i welcome any thoughts. Firstly, as far as I know, as it now stands, you do NOT need to be a qualified electrician to do domestic work. You need to be registered with a scheme (cough) provider. The most they are asking for is 17th edition, and to prove COMPETENCY through a couple of jobs. This course that you propose to do is OBSCENE and should not be considered. Sell a kidney instead.

There will always be jobs for good electrician's mates. Stuff the domestic and get into commercial/ industrial and let your work show how good you are. You should be on at least £10 an hour doing that. And before you all contradict me, I know a good few people who RUN jobs and don't have their full ticket, and a some on £15 p/h because they are reliable, and competent. Larger firm will have their own qualifying manager to test etc.. and all you have to do is show up on time and work. Working for yourself is hard work. There is a lot to be said for letting someone else do al the running around, drumming up work, pricing/ tendering, buying materials, paying people, doing VAT/ PAYE/ Monthly returns. Go to work, get paid, go home. LIVE.

There will always be work for good electrician's mates. They do a good job, and deserve respect. They have a grading, and pay rate from the JIB to reflect the part they play in the whole industry.

Good luck. And please don't waste you're money on that course. PLEASE.

oldtimer · Mar 17, 2011

First of thats a hell of a lot of money but what I cannot figure out is you can self learn a lot of this for free but here is the catch some people sign up to these courses and expect to walk in joe public one day and walkout Sparky Joe the next dont get me wrong if someone wants to better themselves then fine but Darwins Law says only the determined will survive so i will say it again if you are thinking about this get yourself switched on and learn and that means switch off the telly and learn once you get into it you will learn self disaplin and advance from their if not the put telly on get yourself a cup of tea and some custard creams and let the books fall behinf the couch ie Darwins Law

VoltzElectrical · Mar 17, 2011

Old timer, you have some of it spot on. Learn it yourself at home. I'm interested on your opinion of what you show customers/ prospective 'employers' (in apostrophe because a person might be a subbie).

oldtimer · Mar 17, 2011

VoltzElectrical said:
Old timer, you have some of it spot on. Learn it yourself at home. I'm interested on your opinion of what you show customers/ prospective 'employers' (in apostrophe because a person might be a subbie).

I dont think I am picking you up here show what ?

augustusgloop · Mar 17, 2011

Words of wisdom. Old timer. I like it.

SMB · Mar 17, 2011

Rugbylad already has 7 years experience....god knows what he thinks he is going to get out of that 48 day course for his 7K.

The mind boggles.

VoltzElectrical · Mar 17, 2011

oldtimer said:
I dont think I am picking you up here show what ?

You can learn a lot of it for free. I agree, and applaud this sentiment of self discipline. This is the sort of thing a person should do when they are on a course of accreditation to supplement guided learning. Or if they have a particular interest in a subject. My question was 'how does a person demonstrate, or prove, a level of training or competence?' Surely accreditation of some sorts is necessary?

rmc86uk · Mar 18, 2011

VoltzElectrical said:
Go to work, get paid, go home. LIVE.

I totally agree, I can't understand why so many people are wanting to set up on their own. I don't think they understand the money and time it takes to run your own business. It kills me to go and work on site for a ten hours a day nevermind coming home and invoicing, chasing money, inputting test sheets! It scares me to think what it must be like for a contractor to find work for and pay lets say a 100 electricians a week plus support staff. That's why I leave that upto them and do as VoltzElectrical would do and turn up to work and get paid every week!