Frightening figures

[Electricalserv]

There must be at least 5 enquiries about the domestic Installers course on here weekly. Do the maths thats 5 x 52...so you are looking at about 260 DI's per annum. Off here alone. Frightening figures!

 

[ian.settle1]

There must be at least 5 enquiries about the domestic Installers course on here weekly. Do the maths thats 5 x 52...so you are looking at about 260 DI's per annum. Off here alone. Frightening figures!

Most of them do the course and still haven't a clue after they have done it if you go by some of the posts that are posted by them.

 

[Paul.M]

Sign of the times, at least their researching it before handing over their hard earned cash on the promise of 50k a year.

All I can say to those looking at changing their occupation is to have a look at the qualifications you will receive at the end of your course and look for a job now and see if the promise of skills shortages and 50k pa are true.

 

[telectrix]

not a skills shortage. more of a work shortage. i.m seriously thinking of packing it in and going full time photographer. ( anybody getting married soon?)

 

[Adam W]

Are they researching it or looking for confirmation that they're making a lucrative move?
It seems half the ones who come on here argue that a fast track course is their only option; if we tell them their £7k will only get them certificates in 17th edition (looking stuff up in a book), PAT testing (looking stuff up in a book), building regs (looking stuff up in a book), and 2392 (basic introduction to testing) which they could get for a fraction of the price from a reputable college, they think we're being "elitist" and "snobby".

The worrying part for me is that obviously they won't be able to get a job with those short courses and the attitude that they know best due to their years in IT, so they'll go out and have a go on their own, ie guessing how to do things, which is potentially dangerous. This gives the industry a bad reputation, which means less work for the rest of us once the DIs give up and move on to being a driving instructor.

 

[Electricalserv]

Are they researching it or looking for confirmation that they're making a lucrative move?
It seems half the ones who come on here argue that a fast track course is their only option; if we tell them their £7k will only get them certificates in 17th edition (looking stuff up in a book), PAT testing (looking stuff up in a book), building regs (looking stuff up in a book), and 2392 (basic introduction to testing) which they could get for a fraction of the price from a reputable college, they think we're being "elitist" and "snobby".

The worrying part for me is that obviously they won't be able to get a job with those short courses and the attitude that they know best due to their years in IT, so they'll go out and have a go on their own, ie guessing how to do things, which is potentially dangerous. This gives the industry a bad reputation, which means less work for the rest of us once the DIs give up and move on to being a driving instructor.

The frightening thing is that they can start their own company with just those quals!

 

[mogga]

My thoughts exactly Electr ffs they can even join NAPY Nic Elesca ( no offence to member who are members but I will always have a SJIB card to prove my compatance and experiance )
Its the ones who "change of direction" from an unrelated buisness like IT Truckdriver ect ect to electrician that bug my boobies ones who Slide Sideways like those in related engineering or Mates who have decided to take the plunge I wish all the luck in the world BUT i have yet to hear of the 50-60K being earned year one straight out the blocks by a newcomer to the job

 

[sparkiegaz]

Don't need to be a qualified person to start own electrical company .... Just a competent person ,,,,,

 

[telectrix]

that lets me out then.......

 

[Adam W]

Don't need to be a qualified person to start own electrical company .... Just a competent person ,,,,,

Certain qualifications (eg 2356/2357 & 2391) imply competence. Yes you can have a competent person with no qualifications but the chances are they've had years of experience in the trade.
The competent persons' scheme assessments are hardly any kind of acid test - does anyone fail?

Mogga what gets my goat is the IT retrainees seem to think IT is a related field and if anything going from IT to electrics is a slide down!

 

[Paul.M]

Most advertised jobs are now asking for more and more quals to save time with fast trackers eg "must have 2391" for an installer position although they will never test anything. Another thing companies are asking for is 5+ years experience or apprentice trained. If this continues and more and more fast trackers come into the industry we are going to be in a right old state in the not so distant future.

Don't get me wrong I have nothing against people trying to better themselves but reality is that there are not enough jobs for the amount of electricians we have in our country. They are flooding a drowning market.

Let's face it the good times have been and gone and will not be returning for a long time. After this recession is over dose anyone think that the construction industry will go back into full flow like it was 4-5 years ago?

When money starts to get better for companies and individuals alike, the work that they have put off will start coming through. By this time the domestic side will be flooded with recently qualified sparks all fighting for the same work, undercutting one another or cutting corners to save a quick buck. This will push other sparks into the com/indust market. Yes a lot of shops will get refits, factories will upgrade there machines and things may get better for a few years but this will only last for so long. And whilst this post recession boom is taking place do you think training providers will not take advantage of it or that people will not sign up for a course due to them being sick of working in a call center?

This is my own personal opinion without being racist.

The government needs to understand that "love thy neighbour" is all very well but not to the destruction of our own family house. Let's close our boarders to European workers, we have the amount of quality tradesmen within our own shores. We all pay tax and NI back into the system to help us all get out of the mess that we are now in. Rant over.

 

[chiplard]

I only do domestic so cant comment on the commercial/industrial side of things but I don't think there is a need to worry about the so called fast trackers.

The majority of them wont make it as they will either get bored / fed up / not make enough money etc etc. The ones that do make it will do so by being good at what they do, want to do it and also get most of there work from recommendations. As recommendations are what keep you in work and not advertising.

This can in my opinion have a good effect on the industry as there will be more good electricians in the market thus forcing the existing 'bad' ones to find another career due to the lack of work.

 

[ian.settle1]

that lets me out then.......

Which one qualified, competent or both

 

[telectrix]

LOL. hope i'm both.as in qualified and competent. or is it continent?

 

[Paul.M]

I only do domestic so cant comment on the commercial/industrial side of things but I don't think there is a need to worry about the so called fast trackers.

The majority of them wont make it as they will either get bored / fed up / not make enough money etc etc. The ones that do make it will do so by being good at what they do, want to do it and also get most of there work from recommendations. As recommendations are what keep you in work and not advertising.

This can in my opinion have a good effect on the industry as there will be more good electricians in the market thus forcing the existing 'bad' ones to find another career due to the lack of work.

More competition = lowering/freezing your prices or wages. How much were people earning 3 years ago and what do you earn now? I bet its about the same although the cost of running a small business and the cost of living has increased.

I also work on the domestic side and I'm finding that people are only putting their hands in their pockets for work they really need doing or what they can't do themselves with a helpful leaflet from b&q. Just look in the electrical isle on any weekend of the year! Or the amount of Diyers on this forum playing with things that they don't understand, things that took us a lot of training to become qualified in this area. I don't mind giving help and advice to a certain point but I do find it frustrating knowing that I'm taking an electrians potential earnings away from them.

Anyway chiplard this is not a go at you so please don't take it that way but we are lossing the battle and enemy are sending in more troops.