Electrical Qualifications

[johnboy6083]

there seems to be a lot of confusion regarding electrical qualifications. I hope i can help a little.

C&G courses:

2360. this is also known as part 1&2, course A&B ect, This used to be the industry standard course for electricians. It was an all encompassing course that included paractical training and assesment.

232. This is an electriical engineering qualification, that is still the core qualification of tradesmen in the power industry. I beleive that some factories ect still train their staff to this qualification also

2330. This is the newer version of the 236. It is a 2 part qualification. Level 2 and Level 3. Its primarily theory based, although practical training is given. this is less involved than the 236, as a lot of the course content was dropped from the older qualification.

Course C/Part 3: This qualification was part of the 2360, and was optional. This was required for technician grading, and represented a step into electrical design and engineering. No longer available.

2391. Inspection, testing and verification of electrical installations. This course was intended for experienced electricians who wished to become approved electriciansd on the JIB grading scheme. Its aim is to give electricains a firm understanding of the practical and theory elements of testing electrical installations. This course taught periodic inspections & Initial verifications. This course is at level 3.

2392: Initial verifocation of electrical installations Level 2. As the 2391 experienced a high failure rate due to its difficulty, the 2392 was introduced as a stop gap for those new to electrical inspection and testing. Superceded by 2394 (although 2394 is at level 3)

2395: Periodic inspection of electriocal installations. This course is as 2391, but only covers periodic inspections, and the Electric Installation Condition Reporting

2400: Electrical design and verification. This course is designed for electricians who wish to have a better understanding of electrical circuit design. Superceded by2391-20, and then 2396.

 

[Dan]

Awesome post! Thank you!

 

[Floody]

sticky !!

 

[Marvo]

Thanks for the info, being non-UK based the qualifications system confuses the hell out of me.

What would the typical training route be for a full 3 year apprentice and what would it be for the new fast-track course learners (I'm not sure if the City and Guilds course offerings applies to the fast-track part p route)?

 

[johnboy6083]

for a full apprentice it would be the new diploma at college (2357 maybe?), along side key skills which is basic maths and english really. Somebody like Widdler or SirKitBreaker would be much better placed to answer this than me, and also to add to the OP above

 

[Sparky Ninja]

The current City and Guilds route is as follows;

3 years.

2330 (coming to an end) & NVQ 3
2356 & NVQ 3
2357 - which includes NVQ 3

On completion of the technical certificate and the evidence of experience with the NVQ you are then ready to roam as an electrician.

As an electrician you then have professional development qualifications, some essential, some optional.

2377 = Pat Course - There are 2 courses (2377-22 & 2377-32) and both should be the progressive learning for competent electricians, unfortunately any tom dick and harry is doing these courses.
2382 = 17th Edition
2392 = Level 2 Course on the Initial Verification of Domestic Installations (closing this December)
2393 = Level 3 Certificate in understanding the application of the building regulations around an electricians work - Covers the key approved documents most relevant to an electricians day to day work - Approved documents A, B, E, F, L, M & P (closing in December)
2394 = Level 3 Course on the Initial Verification of Electrical Installations (including commercial)
2395 = Level 3 Course on the Periodic Inspection and Testing of existing installations
2396 = The new designers course (increased to Level 4 under the new QCF structure)

PV Course = If applicable to your work

If you achieve all these whilst gaining experience along the way, then progression will be either the HNC/HND or a new direction altogether.





As for the quick access guys, it's currently:

2382
Ring NICEIC, NAPIT or whoever, part with cash and you're in.
Once on board you may be requested to show competence in testing and inspection.


It's supposed to be something along the lines of:
Attend workshop and basic introductions,
2382
Part P course- C&G do not run one. EAL , Logic etc do.
2392 to test your domestic scope limited installation work.
Then the 2395 if you wish to carry out periodics of existing installations.

In April next year it will all change. The EAS Committee has enforced a new minimum requirement for Qualifying Supervisors to be an NVQ Level 3 or equivalent. So any individual who wishes to do the career change after this date will need to achieve an NVQ Level 3.
However there is currently no course or market for the domestic NVQ Level 3, and so this has now been created. It is currently suggested to be under the course number 2397, however it may be subject to change. It will require approximately 204 guided learning hours for each person combined with some on site assessments of installations they have carried.
It is likely to include the scope of the existing 2392 and 2393 in its structure, hence their expiration.

 

[johnboy6083]

i wish that the course C was still available. Im currently doing HNC, but from what im told it doesnt cover electrical installation design any more, and i beleive that the 2391-20 (and by extension 2396, which i beleive is the samecourse rebadged) isnt in depth enough. I didnt find the 2391-20 challenging regarding the theory (and im no expert), and the project was just time consuming. It doesnt teach design of motor circuits, power factor correction design, lighting design, real terms discrimination ect.
I need the HNC to prove that i have engineering knowledge, but the route ill likely be going in will be using skills & knowledge i either already have, or will gain from my own research. Im not saying that im not learning, because i am, at a rapid rate (my head hurts at the end of college days), but i dont beleive that there is a comprehensive course for full electrical installation design.

 

[northstar]

Hi all any info on the 2365 ? how good is it ?

 

[Sparky Ninja]

Hi all any info on the 2365 ? how good is it ?

About these qualifications

These qualifications are intended for those who want to gain the knowledge and abilities that will enable them to progress onto an
Electrotechnical Apprenticeship programme or help you gain the underlying knowledge to progress onto an electrotechnical NVQ


Who are they for?

The Level 2 qualification is designed for new entrants to the industry, providing them with the basic skills and experience they need.
The Level 3 qualification is aimed at those who have already completed the Level 2 qualification or with some relevant experience and knowledge of the industry


This is a craft qualification and so on completion you would not be recognised as a qualified electrician.

 

[Guest123]

An informative website.....

Electrical Qualifications - Qualifications needed to train to become an electrician in the UK

 

[lee17th]

Good post, I'm doing the 2330 level 2 & 3, and there was about 4 practical sessions we didn't do,having said that, there was still a fair bit,although it's never enough. Apparently according to our tutor, the new version of this course has even less practical!

 

[rsp84]

About these qualifications

These qualifications are intended for those who want to gain the knowledge and abilities that will enable them to progress onto an
Electrotechnical Apprenticeship programme or help you gain the underlying knowledge to progress onto an electrotechnical NVQ


Who are they for?

The Level 2 qualification is designed for new entrants to the industry, providing them with the basic skills and experience they need.
The Level 3 qualification is aimed at those who have already completed the Level 2 qualification or with some relevant experience and knowledge of the industry


This is a craft qualification and so on completion you would not be recognised as a qualified electrician.

S
o what follows from the 2365? I mean in order to work towards the qualified electrician status. Am I right in thinking that alongside the level 2, 2365, you could do 17th ed, and sign up to someone like elecsa?

 

[Sarz11]

This is really helpful thank you

 

[happysteve]

I thought I would update this thread because (a) it's a sticky in the trainee section, and (b) there's an article in Wiring Matters magazine about all this.

I am not going to cut and paste the article here (for copyright reasons) so if you're interested in this, then follow the link directly:

Wiring Matters - City & Guilds courses: an introduction

I think it would be ok to summarise the article, though (so the text below is NOT the full article).

Trainee Qualifications

2357 (Level 3)
This is the qualification that currently allows the learner to gain approval as an electrician. It is a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) and is part of the current recognised apprenticeship scheme.

2357 usually take three to four years to complete. Successful candidates are eligible for Joint Industry Board (JIB) Gold Card Status.

2365 (Levels 2 and 3)
This is known as the ‘Tech Cert’ and is intended for those not currently employed within the industry but who wish to be in the future. It is a knowledge-only qualification with limited ‘off-site’ practical assessment.

Students who gain employment may transfer their knowledge skills to 2357 and complete the performance units of the NVQ on site, as well as an AM2, to become qualified electricians. This qualification typically takes one year to complete each level.


Consolidation-type qualifications

2356 (Level 3)
This is a performance-only NVQ intended for those who have completed an old ‘Tech Cert’ qualification, such as 2360 or 2330, and have been working in the industry without full recognition for a length of time.

2397 (Level 3)
This is known as the ‘Qualified Supervisor’ qualification and leads to recognition by the JIB for Gold Card Domestic Electrician status. It is intended for those who have experience working in the domestic installation environment, but little in the form of formal qualifications.


Continued Professional Development (CPD) qualifications
These are qualifications known as ‘short courses’ intended to enhance, develop and validate industry skills.

2396 (Level 4)
This course is for designers of electrical installations for the purpose of enhancing their skills. This course is typically taught over five days.

2394 and 2395 (Level 3)
These two qualifications replaced 2391 (Inspection and Testing) following consultation with industry bodies who were voicing concerns. As a result, 2391 was split into 2394 (Initial Verification) and 2395 (Periodic Inspection and Testing). These courses are typically taught over five days each or seven when taking both at the same time.

2382 (also known as the 17th Edition Course) (Level 3)
This is an open book, online, multiple-choice examination on BS 7671: Requirements of Electrical Installations, which tests the ability to find and understand information in BS 7671. This course is typically taught over three days.

2377 (Level 3)
This is an open book, online, multiple-choice examination and practical demonstration on Portable Appliance Testing (PAT). This course is typically taught over two days.

2919 (Level 3)
This is an open book, online, multiple-choice examination and practical demonstration on the installation of electric vehicle charging points. This qualification has two parts. One is for installing in domestic locations and the other is for on-street and commercial locations. Each unit is typically taught over five days.

2393 (Level 3)
This is a qualification based on the building regulations and is an open book, online, multiple-choice assessment. It is intended to demonstrate that candidates have an understanding of the different parts of the building regulations and their impact on work covered under Part P. This course is typically taught over one day.

2392 (Level 2)
This qualification is intended for those who wish to gain confidence and understanding in the field of inspection and testing but perhaps lack experience. It is not an industry-recognised qualification, which is why it is at level 2. This course is typically taught over four days.

As I say, I recommend you go to the original article if you're interested: there is a lot more descriptive text about each qualification than I have selectively quoted above, as well as some stuff about what the different "levels" mean.

Hope this is helpful