How to become a sparky

[adam673673]

Hi all, first post here.

My name is Adam, and im a alcho...wait, wrong fourm.

My name is Adam, im 21 and want to be a proffesional electrician. Living in Essex with my wife but wanting to move somwhere west.

What is the best way to go about it? I'm currently unemployed and have no training on the matter. Ive looked at various websites wanting 6k for a training program...which is alot when ive found all the qualificaions and training at my local college for 2k and in a shorter time period. (certificates being c&g 2382-10 lvl 3, 2392-10 lvl 2, 2931-10 lvl 3, 2377-12 lvl 3 and EAL lvl 2).

I could jump straight in to it all but have no previous experience apart from wiring the odd plug! Would jumping straight in to the courses be too hard? If not then what certificate is best to start with?

How do i go about the experience route? Just ask companies to take me on with no experience and train me up?

Help needed!

Thanks guys,

Adam

 

[desertbootz]

Re: How to become a skarky

Adam

You've probably noticed there isn't enough work for those who are qualified at the moment. Might do well to wait until things pick up and then hit on some local companies for the experience. As for moving West, there's less work here than where you are.
Have you thought of joining one of the M&E or Building Service providors? They've been known to take on the older types and even train them up, however, as they are getting spanked financially along with the rest of us you might be better of looking for a job scooping up rocking horse ****.

And that ladies and gentlemen is my century :O)

 

[Damo666]

Re: How to become a skarky

Hi Mate welcome to the forum, I am in a similar boat to you execpt I have just completed the courses you mentioned, things are really tough I am in Yorkshire and offering to work a couple of days a week for free, but think positive the current climate wont last forever and at least in a year when things are better you will be qualified on paper just need some practical help good luck and dont give up if its what you want

 

[skystorm]

Re: How to become a skarky

Hi Mate I would go to college, do the courses and get the qauls ,After that start to knock on doors to try and get hands on by the time all this credit crunch is over they will need the trades back,good luck

 

[patricklondon]

Re: How to become a skarky

as sky storm says. i did mine a few years ago starting in part time evening courses. its a little slower but you can maintain an income of sorts until you qualify and things pick up just dont expect quick results its a gradual process with experience/money increasing over time. saying that you could do much worse and best of luck

 

[wanabe sparky]

Re: How to become a skarky

Hi mate like a fool i have signed on with train 4 trade skills for 6k and realised its a con,to say I am gutted is a understatement,does anyone no where i can do this at college for less money and is there any success stories at all fron train 4 trade skills many thanks for any help

 

[Mac]

Hi all, first post here.

My name is Adam, and im a alcho...wait, wrong fourm.

My name is Adam, im 21 and want to be a proffesional electrician. Living in Essex with my wife but wanting to move somwhere west.

What is the best way to go about it? I'm currently unemployed and have no training on the matter. Ive looked at various websites wanting 6k for a training program...which is alot when ive found all the qualificaions and training at my local college for 2k and in a shorter time period. (certificates being c&g 2382-10 lvl 3, 2392-10 lvl 2, 2931-10 lvl 3, 2377-12 lvl 3 and EAL lvl 2).

I could jump straight in to it all but have no previous experience apart from wiring the odd plug! Would jumping straight in to the courses be too hard? If not then what certificate is best to start with?

How do i go about the experience route? Just ask companies to take me on with no experience and train me up?

Help needed!

Thanks guys,

Adam

Try writing to the local sparks in your area and offering your services for free to gain hands on experience and try and do the college route.A lot cheaper in the long run.

 

[Besim10]

Maybe if you want to become a professional electrician you should be looking at the C&G 2330 and the 2356, coupled with the part p and the 2382. This will train you in domestic, commercial and industrial environments. The courses you mentioned only have domestic elements and you will not be a qualified "electrician".

Hopefully this helps

 

[adam673673]

Maybe if you want to become a professional electrician you should be looking at the C&G 2330 and the 2356, coupled with the part p and the 2382. This will train you in domestic, commercial and industrial environments. The courses you mentioned only have domestic elements and you will not be a qualified "electrician".

Hopefully this helps

Having looked in to it thurther i have decided to take my c and g lvl 2 at college next year, which is a day a week for 2 years and i will try to gain experience at the same time. But i cant start untill september now. I can then move on to lvl 3 or other areas as you said as i will have the basic understanding.

thank you all for your help.

adam

 

[Besim10]

Good decision, the 2330 L2 + L3 will take you far. Just make sure your local college is not oversubscribed as this can be fairly common. Good luck to you

 

[dimspark]

Maybe if you want to become a professional electrician you should be looking at the C&G 2330 and the 2356, coupled with the part p and the 2382. This will train you in domestic, commercial and industrial environments. The courses you mentioned only have domestic elements and you will not be a qualified "electrician".

Hopefully this helps

I'm in the process of booking a course with Access2Trade Careers who offer exactly the same qualifications as Adam mentioned above.I'm just about to pen a £6k cheque and they have assured me that the qualifications gained will make me a qualified electrician and enable me to work on 3 phase, although only shifts and changes, not full scale new installs.
Is the info they have given me incorrect Besim? I don't want to spend all of this money and find out i've made a mistake!

 

[johnnyb]

I'm in the process of booking a course with Access2Trade Careers who offer exactly the same qualifications as Adam mentioned above.I'm just about to pen a £6k cheque and they have assured me that the qualifications gained will make me a qualified electrician and enable me to work on 3 phase, although only shifts and changes, not full scale new installs.
Is the info they have given me incorrect Besim? I don't want to spend all of this money and find out i've made a mistake!

Big mistake if you write that cheque my mate, i,m sure you can get the courses cheaper than that, but eh who am i, perhaps the younger lads will know better then me.

 

[Besim10]

Refer to my post in another thread replying to your message. A domestic installer course will allow you to make modifications in a domestic dwelling and with part p you will be able to test and sign off the notifyable installations you make. One of the theory modules is basic understanding of 3 phase supplies. However you will not be able to touch any commercial premises such as offices and shops, nor will you be able to work in factories, warehouses etc... You cannot go into a maintenence role either. Not having the knowledge and confidence is one thing but the paperwork will be essential. The only exception to this rule is if you are having your hand held in these environments but you will still eventually need something other than the 17th edition to earn semi decent money. With that course you will only be able to do house bashing my friend.

My advice is either sign up to college and stick out the 3 years training or go with a company offering the 2330 and NVQ3. If you do however still go down the domestic installer route, there are companies selling it for half the money you have been offered.

 

[dimspark]

Thanks for taking the time to help Besim. The problem for me is gaining the practical experience, and access 2 trade will give me that. I'm going to look into the 2330 to do at the same time but your post has made me rethink my options. I appreciate the help!

 

[patricklondon]

the class room setting will not be considered by anyone in the industry as real practicle experience. yes it is practic;e to an extent but be careful of overestimating its worth. its the first step

 

[Besim10]

Totally agree with PatrickLondon.

Dimspark, what do you mean by Access 2 Trade will give you practical experience?

 

[dimspark]

I'm in the networking trade and have been cabling for 10 years or so. On a daily basis i'm installing tray work, putting up 3 compartment trunking, routing cables etc.
I'm often in the position to accept electrical work but obviously don't have the skills or qualifications to quote for the jobs.
Access 2 trade will go through the basics of electrical wiring, how to wire a fuse board, how to change lighting circuits etc,This is what I need to learn but I can't afford to work for free with an electrician for a couple of years as I'd be out of business. It will also give me the following qualifications EAL VRQ Level 2, City & Guilds 2382-10(17th Edition), City & Guilds 2392-10 Level 2, City & Guilds 2391-10 Level 3 and City & Guilds 2377-12.Can't see how else I can become a qualified electrician whilst trying to run a small business without taking up 1 of these fast track courses, i'm also expecting our first baby in a couple of months so don't really want to travel to far from Birmingham for the course.
Maybe i'm after something that doesn't really exist!!??

 

[supasparxs]

I'm in the networking trade and have been cabling for 10 years or so. On a daily basis i'm installing tray work, putting up 3 compartment trunking, routing cables etc.
I'm often in the position to accept electrical work but obviously don't have the skills or qualifications to quote for the jobs.
Access 2 trade will go through the basics of electrical wiring, how to wire a fuse board, how to change lighting circuits etc,This is what I need to learn but I can't afford to work for free with an electrician for a couple of years as I'd be out of business. It will also give me the following qualifications EAL VRQ Level 2, City & Guilds 2382-10(17th Edition), City & Guilds 2392-10 Level 2, City & Guilds 2391-10 Level 3 and City & Guilds 2377-12.Can't see how else I can become a qualified electrician whilst trying to run a small business without taking up 1 of these fast track courses, i'm also expecting our first baby in a couple of months so don't really want to travel to far from Birmingham for the course.
Maybe i'm after something that doesn't really exist!!??

Richard Branson is not an airline pilot
Henry Ford never built a car

what you could do is employ an electrician who has the skills and experience to quote and design jobs and until the work starts coming in he will be able to work on the tools installing cable tray and structured wiring.

The hardest part of running a business is getting the customers, if you already have a customer base your laughing

BTW congratulations on your first baby

 

[dimspark]

Cheers supaspraxs, and thanks for the congrats!
I already use a local electrical firm and this is what has convinced me to try to follow this route. They seem to charge twice as much as me for half the work!!!
At the moment work is quite slow so employing a sparky could be a very dangerous move, and because things are slow this is the perfect time for me to get my head down and do some studying!
Like the examples though, never knew Henry Ford had never built a car

 

[Besim10]

I'm in the networking trade and have been cabling for 10 years or so. On a daily basis i'm installing tray work, putting up 3 compartment trunking, routing cables etc.
I'm often in the position to accept electrical work but obviously don't have the skills or qualifications to quote for the jobs.
Access 2 trade will go through the basics of electrical wiring, how to wire a fuse board, how to change lighting circuits etc,This is what I need to learn but I can't afford to work for free with an electrician for a couple of years as I'd be out of business. It will also give me the following qualifications EAL VRQ Level 2, City & Guilds 2382-10(17th Edition), City & Guilds 2392-10 Level 2, City & Guilds 2391-10 Level 3 and City & Guilds 2377-12.Can't see how else I can become a qualified electrician whilst trying to run a small business without taking up 1 of these fast track courses, i'm also expecting our first baby in a couple of months so don't really want to travel to far from Birmingham for the course.
Maybe i'm after something that doesn't really exist!!??

1. You wont be a qualified electrician with the course you have listed
2. You can do the 2330 with a fast track company, colleges aren't the only ones who offer it
3. There are private training providers in Birmingham running the 2330
4. Don't get mugged off as their are companies offering what you have listed for around £3k, not the £6k you were quoted

The work you are being offered, would it be deemed as commercial, industrual or domestic environments?

 

[dimspark]

I've got quite a few customers based in warehouses, offices, schools and hotels. Potentially could get work off all of them. I'll search out some providers of fast rack courses in brum that do the 2330, not having much luck at the moment though!! Thanks again for the advice mate

 

[patricklondon]

dont mean to discourage just a bit of realism about courses. what about subbing in a sparks rather than full time employing, probably much easier accounting too.
ps ive my second due in jan and im in the process of going self employed and trying to learn plumbing at night school to multi skill etc so i know its not easy.
keep on keeping on

 

[Besim10]

I've got quite a few customers based in warehouses, offices, schools and hotels. Potentially could get work off all of them. I'll search out some providers of fast rack courses in brum that do the 2330, not having much luck at the moment though!! Thanks again for the advice mate

None of that work could be satisfied by a domestic course my friend.
Maybe try googling 'City and Guilds 2330 Birmingham'