how many?

[thekingiam]

i was wondering why the forum has so many questions on what to do after someone leaves college to become an electrician surely the college should inform students before they start a course on becoming an electrician what they are letting themselves into?
i know the goalposts keep moving quite regularly so maybe when they finnish the course an update where all information is on the table.
i wonder how many people leave college and go it alone with no knowledge of part p etc.

 

[oldtimer]

The college is there to teach you not to advise on where you go next thats down to you ie I want to train up as an electrician because I want to go into the HVAC BMS controls environment or I want to do domestics or I want to go into alarms or I want to go into industrial work or I want to go int PV sytems. Plus it does not help that there is a glut of guys doing the same thing wanting to be an electrician in an already crowded market with the east europeans working for a lower rate/wage newbies working for apprentice wages and ex police/fireman or electricians who got a good retiral package but they are bored and want to start up a small business for beer money rates and you wonder why the college does not get involved.

 

[thekingiam]

ok i understand that there are different avenues to take thankyou... but surely it would only take 5 mins to go around the classroom ask what there agenda is going to be and point them in the right direction?
i know they might say its not there job to, but how many times do people take courses thinking thats all they need to do to be qualified? not realise the expense and training they will need after the course has finnished? or waist time and money doing a course that was not needed?

 

[oldtimer]

I hear what you say but the college will stay neutral and as for a waste of money well they will tell you its your dime your spending they will only offer a service. I wanted to be either an electrician or a TV repair man and I guy who was a TV repair man said you are wasting your time so I thought electrician I got my required 4-O levels and got a job with the Mathew Hall group only thing is I never seen domestic work as it was industrial commercial I was doing after 6-7 years got bored and went into alarms after 2 got bored and went into HVAC/BMS now I could go on but what I am trying to put over is that it is you in the driving seat on where you are going not the college but if you ask the a question then you may get a bland reply.

Also I see your point with regards to Part P (although it does not exist up here thank God) and yes there should be a road map but thats the Scheme providors fault as they have put their black magic spell over qualifications ie when I sat my C&G there was 2 Regulations & Principles now there is 2377,2391.230?,NVQ 3, level 2 and so on or in other words the more confusion the more you need them the more they can sell you so when you ask them for advise remember it aint impartial so ak what do you think I should do and the reply would be O you need a bla bla course and then another bla bla course and the good news for you is we can supply them a bit like a guy in a bank selling you a pension that he will make a lot of money on but will not be around when you find out what a waste of money it was.

Its all about timing the trade is being brought to its knees by the very people the Schemies who were meant to protect it and keep standards high plus the funny thing is there is no legal obligation to join a Schemie under European free trade as i see them no more as a self serving Quango's thats just takes and does not give

 

[Guest55]

i was wondering why the forum has so many questions on what to do after someone leaves college to become an electrician surely the college should inform students before they start a course on becoming an electrician what they are letting themselves into?

Sign of the times i'm afraid.
20 years ago - most electrician trainees were employed by companies , who would develop their careers and give guidance along the way and these trainees would usually remain with there emloyers for several years after finishing college.
Today - very few proper apprenticeships so trainees are going straight into being self-employed after finishing college so missing the guidance that an company would offer.

Thats how i see it anyway.

 

[sedgy34]

people finishing there courses are not educated, most leave as newly qualified people but then its see you around! there is no info to where they start looking for work etc or is it just common sense they would automatically look to companys for some work.

 

[ultinator]

Predicament still remains that the majority of vacancies are after experienced qualified sparks, or perhaps experienced, but most seem to shy away from just qualified due to the implications that the perhaps over confident inexperienced qualified people bring to the table.

Its a vicious circle at times....need job to get experience....need experience to get a job...

 

[YoungBart]

I guess I'm fairly lucky in the sense that I've finished college and am in employment, But it was never really explained to us in great detail about what to do next. I've now finished the bulk of my course (except the NVQ 3) and arent sure just I can do, (as highlighted in my recent post) But For the timebeing I'm in stable employment. I know some of the lads on my course who are apprentices for the council know 100% that they are gonna get the bullet once they are qualified, and that they are only there to increase the statistics for youth employment.

 

[Johnuk]

its is all about the nvq lvl 3, that make you a jib electrician, and if you got a aprenticership you dont have to pay for any of it, and you get payed a little to do it

 

[Guest111]

I think part of the problem is adverts you see in the sunday papers,you,ve all seen them "earn £40,000 plus per year,train with us as an electrician" then you get people spending their hard earned on a course,having no real idea of what the job entails and getting a massive shock at the end of it all when they find out that they know relatively very little and as a new starter are not going to be earning £40k plus per year.