I want to become an Electrician - but how do I start?!

J

JakeJake

Hello everybody!

I have always wanted to do something hands on, like plumbing or an electrician as a career, but all of this C&G and everything else is confusing me!

My main goal is to become an independent electrician and work for myself - and was today advised by a lecturer at a local college to look into learning about Electrics in Central heating systems.

So... where do I start?

I've looked on my local college websites, (Stourbridge, Sandwell, Birmingham colleges and surrounding basically) and there are so many levels and numbers I dont know what one I need to start training as an electrician. Ultimately I would prefer an apprenticeship as its hands on experience and gets paid for as im 18 years old but I am willing to pay to get onto a college course if I have to.

If anyone could point me in the right direction, I would be extremely greatful!

Many thanks, and look forward to coming here often!
Thanks! :)

(I have around 11 GCSE's all A-C if this helps?)
 
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JakeJake said:
Hello everybody!

I have always wanted to do something hands on, like plumbing or an electrician as a career, but all of this C&G and everything else is confusing me!

My main goal is to become an independent electrician and work for myself - and was today advised by a lecturer at a local college to look into learning about Electrics in Central heating systems.

So... where do I start?

I've looked on my local college websites, (Stourbridge, Sandwell, Birmingham colleges and surrounding basically) and there are so many levels and numbers I dont know what one I need to start training as an electrician. Ultimately I would prefer an apprenticeship as its hands on experience and gets paid for as im 18 years old but I am willing to pay to get onto a college course if I have to.

If anyone could point me in the right direction, I would be extremely greatful!

Many thanks, and look forward to coming here often!
Thanks! :)

(I have around 11 GCSE's all A-C if this helps?)
Click to expand...

Well you definately have enough quals to start, providing you have maths and english in there.

You want to get on a the level 2 & 3 courses first. It was 2330 for me, not sure what it is now.
 
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Cheers Lenny (calming down now breathe breathe) I just pm'd one of the others about this but you have take action in the meantime. Well done. I will thank you profusely, as I'm sure others will too. (smiley face).
 
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The very harsh truth is you are unlikely to get an apprenticeship, I would suggest you sign up with a college to do the 2330 (or the latest number) start with that and continue to look for an apprenticeship, even if you have to restart to do an apprenticeship you would have some knowledge.

If you cannot get an apprenticeship then you will have to go right through 2330 then the 17th then try to get a job as an improver.

Enough for now. :D
 
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They haven't sponsored, that's the point. They're piggybacking, and have been removed . Quite rightly.

In response to OP. Get a start with a good electrical company. Getting a start is the subject of many a thread and will reward a search.

All the best.
 
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A sponsor pays to advertise on the forum which keeps the forum going AND most impotantly free to use.

When a rival comes along and posts his nonsense willy-nilly it is unfair to the paid up sponsor so his posts are deleted and his account is removed.
 
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I agree, so lets agree to let this 'agreeing' STOP before it turns into an argument.

This forum needs sponsors. AGREED.

TRADESKILLS did not sponsor the forum and then registered as a member and used this as a platform for free advertising.

This is piggybacking, and is wrong,

They have been removed, quite rightly.

YES this is the first of it's kind I have seen.

Can we agree any more????

Thanks to the forum.
 
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I know they did not sponsor, but there is a list at the side equally as bad!

I would have thought it would have been good for wholesalers / merchants / schemes etc etc
 
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VoltzElectrical said:
I agree, so lets agree to let this 'agreeing' STOP before it turns into an argument.

This forum needs sponsors. AGREED.

TRADESKILLS did not sponsor the forum and then registered as a member and used this as a platform for free advertising.

This is piggybacking, and is wrong,

They have been removed, quite rightly.

YES this is the first of it's kind I have seen.

Can we agree any more????

Thanks to the forum.
Click to expand...

I Agree :D
 
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Wow, thanks for all the replies so quickly!

Yeh, i think im going to look into the 2330 courses at my local college as as you said, apprenticeships are going to be too hard to come by - especially at these times.

Im going to give my local college a ring tomorrow and see if they can send me out an application pack :)

So one last question, do you all like your jobs?!

Thanks again to everyone who helped!
 
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VoltzElectrical said:
They haven't sponsored, that's the point. They're piggybacking, and have been removed . Quite rightly.

In response to OP. Get a start with a good electrical company. Getting a start is the subject of many a thread and will reward a search.

All the best.
Click to expand...

but they are sponsers it says so on the right ???
 
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think we need a red triangle in the corner if some one comes on advertising when they were not ment to be , like they did when chanel 4 came on air

As for training i have said a few times now dont rush your training no matter how tempting the quick courses are its not an easy trade and can take years of experiance go to collegew and contact as many local contractors as you can and try and get in with one of them , its like learning to drive once you have passed your test you then start to learn to drive good luck any way:rolleyes:
 
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Following on from the question. Im looking to become an electrician. What course shall I start with and what books shall I get so I can get a head start etc?
Any help would be brill
Cheers
 
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JakeJake said:
My main goal is to become an independent electrician and work for myself
Click to expand...

Hi Jake, it's really good that you are thinking to become an independent electrician at a young age. It means you have plenty of time to think and innovate and become the business owner with several or more people working for you by the time you become x years old. Good on you. You will however have some challenges as a young independent and unfortunately age and experience = trust and competence in the eyes of most people who will employ someone to come into their home to lift floors and chase walls if you decide to go down the domestic installation route. At a young age 21 I was doing private work repairing TV's and video's but electronic equipment repair is a different game altogether and at the time I was trusted with people's kit without question. Good luck and don't give up when faced with challenges.
 
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willparker2911 said:
Following on from the question. Im looking to become an electrician. What course shall I start with and what books shall I get so I can get a head start etc?
Any help would be brill
Cheers
Click to expand...
Hi Will, I think the course that may be needed is the City and Guilds 2357, unfortunately I dont have too much Knowledge of this course, but maybe someone here can offer more advice, the iee "on site guide" may be usefull too, again im sure others on here can advise more?
 
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hi you can still do C&G 2330 and they may help at colleg to locate a employer for a apprenticeship and you may also complete NVQ lv1,2,3 as well as 2330 lv1 ,2,3 some just do lv2 and 3
some are starting running the new qualification C&G 2357 which is both the 2330 and nvq combined with a newer unit for renewables i think
speak to a few colleges mate they will advise you better
 
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Hi there,

First thing first I would buy a simple book, like Collins domestic wiring and lighting, as you have a few months untill the September collage starts.
Then I would grab the yellow pages, get your mobile phone and text every number in the electrical section explaining you are looking for experience before collage starts maybe a day a week voluntry work. This will help you understand a domestic premisis, simple stuff like lifting flooring etc.
Then book yourself onto the 2330 level 2 part time which is one day a week two year course......
At the same time get on to your 10week 17th edition course which Is one evening per week.

I bet come January/febuary you will be competent enough to be out there completing minor electrical works.

Then I would get yourself some more reading material and understand testing. There is another great course you should do called the 2392 that is fundamental testing and inspecting again another short course...I did this recently over three days and got 100%.

By this point you could no problem at all be out there completing electrical installation work in domestic premises......

You could then apply to join NICEIC domestic installer scheme as you only need 17th edition to join, your 2392 will give you the edge of testing you will need, by this point you would have about 9 months to go on your two year level2 2330 course one day a week.

You may decide to carry on further to learn industrial or you may be happy house bashing.....this is something similar to what I had done but I was a joiner by trade so have vary good experience of the set up of a house, I.e lifting floorboards, drilling out joists, always had my eye on what sparks were upto!

I have not gone any further than 17th and 2392 and I am snowed under with work at the moment due to a little contract I had picked up.

I do have a plan to get 2391 and 2400 but I have set a much longer time scale to do this as I have got all I need at present.

Just go for it, you can do it. Good luck and let us know how you are getting along.
 
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So what your saying is after roughly four months of attending college one maybe two evenings a week this new learner will be able to go and carry out minor electrical works on their own

I don't think so.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
 
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Everyone has their own ideas of what a qualified Electrician is it seems.

I was under the impression that you need at least an NVQ 3 to call yourself a spark.

As for an apprenticeship go everywhere and apply there are ones out there and if your good you will get it.


Also if you could go to college without a job first I would but I was told as of this year you need to have a work placement as an apprentice to go to college as they wont take you on anymore as the NVQ and 3 are joined together now
 
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How long does it take you to learn how to change a socket face??

I wouldn't really call anyone a spark who hasnt gone all the way but you can call yourself a domestic installer
 
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p11jor said:
How long does it take you to learn how to change a socket face??

I wouldn't really call anyone a spark who hasnt gone all the way but you can call yourself a domestic installer
Click to expand...

I would think not too long but would I trust it completely? Probably not.

Its like with anything sure you don't have to be a full spark to bash someones house but would they do as good of a job as a full spark with lots of experience and be as safe. I am gonna say no

It should be you can't do anything till your fully qualified and thats it, not oh wait you have some exams under your belt let them loose on peoples houses
 
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Maybe you should send your concerns to NICEIC then who would let you in with just 17th

Or better still start your own governing body that only allows 2400s in

Give the lad a bit of confidence to start sparking not making him think he's about to start a PHD in medicine
 
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Maybe you should send your concerns to NICEIC then who would let you in with just 17th
Sounds like a good idea to me, if only more would

Or better still start your own governing body that only allows 2400s in
A bit far fetched maybe

Give the lad a bit of confidence to start sparking not making him think he's about to start a PHD in medicine
Not putting him off but not saying its easy either, Just like I would want the doctor who is treating me to fully not part qualifed, I would expect no less of an electrician or any skilled profession
 
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When I have to go the doctors I have no problem him sending me to the nurse to carry out a blood test.

The sparks do the dis board swaps etc and our mate if he is confident enough can put a nice new socket on, or change that cracked ceiling Rose or bit of earth sleeving
 
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Well!!! ....Reading this end of this thread, just tells me how far down that long slippery road, the electrical industry has slipped in the UK!!!

So this is what a so-called Domestic Electrical Installer is Then?? God help the real electricians.....
 
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The hoary old chesnut again. I agree that in a perfect situation the new recruits into our industry would like me and many others here be the old time served indentured apprentice which IMO was and still is the best way into the industry.

The trouble is that successive governments throughout my working life decided that we could not compete with the likes of first Eastern European coal and steel, and then the far east manufactering, and a concious effort was made to route our economy into a service sector base. Though how countries like Germany and France still maintained remnants of industrial output says a lot for these governments attitude.

So we lost all our industry and places where young lads could be trained as Electricians, Fitters, tool makers etc and no thought was made on how are we going to train the future electricians as fitters and tool makerrs were a thing of the past as far as governments were concerned.

The answer IMO was the sectionisation of the industry and our industry accepted this as in reality they had no choice. Which is why we now have fire alarm, CCTV/Alarms, Copex, MOCOPA, Emergency Lighting, Maintenance, UPS, BMS and the newest recruit the Domestic Installer.

So instead of a fully trained Electrician that was capable of doing the full gambit, we have specialist "Engineers" that are trained in their own specialities, but have no experience in other areas. Far be it you ask a BMS engineer to run a piece of trunking, or a fire alarm engineer to size up a circuit for a motor with a VSD, or the domestic installer to design and run a 3 phase ring main ............ our gevernments with the help of our industry don't want this. If they got a guy that could rewire a house, run conduit and trunking, design a 3 phase ring main, fit fire proof glands in a petrol station, size a motor VSD system and install a CCTV system, fault find on a production line, then he would want paying proper money .... far more than our service sector econmy can tolerate.

Bottom line, it will IMO never go back to where the majority of us want it to be. Trained and competent men doing a job, in it's stead we are going to dumb down the industry even further. Yes most likely I'am harking back to a by gone era, but I'm glad I came from that era, I suppose every generation feels the same about change, but there have been many great changes in my time, the loss of the electrical industry IMO is not one of them.
 
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