You know reading these posts it looks like Electrical Trainee v Timed Served but that's not how I see it looks to me the problem is the ever growing monster that basically must be fed and it does not care where it gets its money from and yes I mean the Schemies who in my view have saturated and diluted the trade. Now I realise that apprenticeships are no longer going about and there are guys wanting to enter the trade as mature trainers fine but the current environment where people have no hope with regards to jobs are saying thats it I am going to change my life and all the schemes are bothered about is selling them courses and registering them.
Now that premise sounds ok but the problem we have is the title electrician so in my view the Scheme system can be good as say a modern apprenticeship system were an Individual does 6 months training and then are grade as Domestic electricians with supervision from the Scheme.
I haven't read this whole thread, yet, so apologies in advance ...... To nail my colours to the mast ..... I'm possibly what many on here would term a Electrical Trainee (except that my course was spread out over 24 months of home study with training/assessment weeks rather than as an intensive course - That's by the by though, I think). I'm what I'd describe as a reasonably intelligent 50 year old, who spent most of my life in IT. Way back when, I was taken out of school as a 15 year old by my Dad and started work as an apprentice fitter - I lasted 18 months - I hated it and, if I'm honest, I was crap, so I quit and went back to school. BUT in my time in this firm .... I very much understood the value of apprenticeships, the honesty of work, the respect for those who know more than you do (they're not ALWAYS older by the way!) and the value and importance of turning out the highest quality work you can to the best of your ability............
So fast forward 30 odd years - I sign up to a training scheme, with reservations, and I'm a last training week away from 'qualifying' (deliberate quotes). The quality of the training on-site has been very very good, but I'm not a mug - I've been on site for a very small amount of time, learning from the masters, so to speak. I've worked very very hard to pass the exams I have during the course (2382-20, Part P and 2377). The first (2382) I'm proud of passing - I got ONE question wrong and that was a typo, the second (Regs) is useful only in that it makes me think whenever I'm on a new job as to what is good practice, the last (PAT Testing), I'll never use. I'll certainly follow this up with a Testing C&G 2391 level 3 or similar in the next 9 months or so. Do I consider myself to be a '
qualified electrician'? Of course I don't!!!!! But I certainly DO consider myself good enough to do most (important, this!) Domestic electrical work using the technical principles I've learned over the last 2 years and aligning these with the principles embedded into me over 30 years ago. I'm an honest person. I would never, EVER, knowingly endanger anyone in work that I'd do - I'm one of these people we talk about that would lie awake at night worrying if I think I've done something wrong. My point, at last, is that when I think the time is right for me to be assessed to join a CPS, when I've gained enough experience in the field, worked with experienced guys I know, got good advice on here and elsewhere - at LEAST another year ahead IMO, when I've been paid by clients and I've paid Building Control and NIC qualified guys to sign off my jobs as correct so the customer can get the certification they deserve, why should I be penalised by not being allowed to join an exclusive self-cert club because I haven't been trained 'in the right way'? To me that doesn't make sense. If I get assessed by NIC or Elecsafe or whatever they're going to be called, and I pass, and I get assessed every year, and pass, then what exactly is the problem? If they say 'Sorry, we're not even going to assess you because .....' then that's just not right IMO. I GET and agree with what they're trying to do, but there are good guys who will fall through the gaps, and not just those with Grandfather rights.
