Everyone wants to be an electrican

[BlueToBits]

At least once every day I hear some politician or pundit saying that the UK has a serious skills shortage, we don't have enough tradesmen and we need to import European labour to keep the UK lights burning. (BBC1 "Question Time" last night and Radio Merseyside "The Philips Phone In" yesterday)
Is it just me who thinks these people are totally out of touch with the real world? Am I missing out on something? I've never known there be so many electricians fighting for so little work.
People seem to think that the Electrical industry is lined with gold and they need to abandon their chosen career and re-train to be a sparky.
I really don't understand it. Is our grass really that green?

 

[ste77]

For some of those coming across the grass is actually blue...as they havent had an eye test!!

 

[eds54]

You are not wrong i,m in the NICEIC and i get my annual inspection every 18 months or more

 

[Octopus]

The grass is greener because there is more manure here

 

[Stuuk1]

If they were to set foot on a typical building site in London they will soon discover that there are far too many Eastern European trades men working and not enough English men.

Many people will comment and say that the English are lazy, which is utter rubbish, the Eastern Europeans are just driving down the wages.

Politicians and Labour supporters just need to open their eyes and contemplate what they are letting their grand children in to..

I could go on all night... So ill just stop here!

 

[oldtimer]

You have to understand the Spin of it all ie the companies selling the "earn £54k a Year" dream are the one say we have a shortage where what they mean is we have a shortage of mugs o i mean customers who need to scrape £6k together to feather our nests thing is when you get your feet on the green grass just don't turn your back on the big bull thats in the field with you

 

[sparkdog]

I counted at least 12 electricians in the local rag all offering various deals like special rates for OAPS.Endless waffle"insured,certification,to 17th edition,competetive rates-----"All the things you have anyway if you are registered.Seem to be new ones almost every week.I don't bother with all that advert stuff myself it just annoys me.If Mrs customer calls and cancels because she now has someone else to do it like "Mr smooth talking brand new electrician with all his certs"I just think "Yippee Mrs go then see if I care."

 

[oldtimer]

Yea but when they call back you realise that you called their bluff and the other electrician is a figment of their imagination

 

[Dcf]

When I joined my scheme in 2006 the lad that interviewed me told me that they were "short" of 4500 time served sparks in Scotland at that time.he looked surprised when I raised my mono brow at that and told him no you are not. You are short of decent all rounders who don't need breast fed at every turn.you are nnot short of half trained muppets who learn bits of a trade and think that is all they need to know.given this was 6 odd years ago and it was really busy with work then it still stands just now. At least up here we are largely unaffected by the domestic installer nonsense that is plaguing you boys down south.
apart from the thread last week from an ex carpet fitter who now thinks he is a spark after 6 months and wants to team up with someone more experienced to show him the ropes !that one thread tells you all that is wrong with this trade

 

[UNG]

People seem to think that the Electrical industry is lined with gold and they need to abandon their chosen career and re-train to be a sparky.

Is a 5 week or 17 day course really re-training I think you are being a bit generous there