First Steps To Becoming A Domestic Electrician?

[davelee]

So guys I'm looking into becoming a sparky, domestic installer to start with to be precise, now I know a lot of you will be time served and shoot me down for asking but I'm 32 now and want to change my life plans regarding my job.

Now I've some experience in helping my buddy who did an apprenticeship and I'm about to purchase and study the yellow bible 17th edition regs book

what at would be the choice for the theory course you guys would recommend me look into first? I am currently working and I am not in the electricians trade so I have cash to put in and could book a few weeks off to do smaller courses

I have seen a combination of courses for example...

city and guilds 4141-01 looks basic but it's a qualification
city and guilds 2392-10 inspection and testing

i value all your help and input but I'd like to know what the minimum would be to get me into a job and then I would increase my knowledge and training further


thanks guys

 

[davesparks]

Yes mate but i take home not a whole lot more than 50 quid a day now as a security maniger at a supermarket
I would happily labour for someone who was paying me even minimum wage as long as i was learning a trade.

You won't learn much of a trade by labouring.
The apprentices will be learning the trade and the labourers will be cleaning up their mess.


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[davelee]

You won't learn much of a trade by labouring.
The apprentices will be learning the trade and the labourers will be cleaning up their mess.


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I kinda get that but if there taking on labourer they wouldnt have an apprentice would they? I wouldnt wanna blow my own trupet but im a fast learner and ive gone for city amd guilds qualifications in the jobs ive been in to further better myself. I am keen and i have a thurst for knowledge and want to know how and more importantly why things are done the way they are

 

[davesparks]

I kinda get that but if there taking on labourer they wouldnt have an apprentice would they? I wouldnt wanna blow my own trupet but im a fast learner and ive gone for city amd guilds qualifications in the jobs ive been in to further better myself. I am keen and i have a thurst for knowledge and want to know how and more importantly why things are done the way they are

Yes they would have apprentices and labourers. Apprentices are not labourers and should never be treated as such.
The fact that you have suggested an apprentice could be treated as a labourer inspires me to give you no help at all.


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[Adam W]

You won't learn much of a trade by labouring.
The apprentices will be learning the trade and the labourers will be cleaning up their mess.


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I think it depends on the site and that person's situation - I couldn't get an apprenticeship so had to go the adult trainee way gaining experience working as a mate. On a few sites I was paired up with an electrician to learn stuff, while there were other mates who were literally just given the labouring jobs.
Other sites I was treated like crap.

 

[Adam W]

.....also my first car was a scrapyard fiat uno

Did you save up and buy the whole car or did you try to buy a bit of it with each pay packet?

 

[davelee]

It was £100 that was 15years ago it ran and was roadworth...complete...maybe not i did have to do the head gasket on it tho....:45:

 

[davelee]

I think it depends on the site and that person's situation - I couldn't get an apprenticeship so had to go the adult trainee way gaining experience working as a mate. On a few sites I was paired up with an electrician to learn stuff, while there were other mates who were literally just given the labouring jobs.
Other sites I was treated like crap.

But now your qualified and loving it? How old were you went you started?

 

[Adam W]

It was £100 that was 15years ago it ran and was roadworth...complete...maybe not i did have to do the head gasket on it tho....:45:

So what you did there was you bought the car, then you bought an add-on to enhance it, you didn't buy a panel, a seat or a bit of the engine as and when you could, otherwise it would have cost a lot more, taken longer, and you may have had a load of parts missing at the end of it without realising it.

What I was getting at is it's the same with electrical courses - before you have anything you can add to you need to do the main course (2365), which will include everything contained in courses such as the 2392 and 2393, but it will relate better to everything else you're learning, for example you'll learn how to install circuits and learn how to test those circuits, not one or the other, and you'll learn how to install to regulations, not just hear some guy standing up and talking about them.

 

[Adam W]

But now your qualified and loving it? How old were you went you started?

I was 25 when I started. I was earning about £6.50/hr in a call centre which I hated. They wouldn't give me Mondays off to go to college so I told them to shove it and I did washing up in a restaurant for the first year until I could get work as an electricians mate, for £7.50/hr.
It wasn't easy, in fact when the recession hit it was particularly hard, but I stuck with it and did everything properly. It certainly wasn't a 'fast-track', it took me twice as long as an apprenticeship because I didn't have a company to guide me through it, but it gave me a greater sense of satisfaction at the end of it.