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

[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?)

 

[p11jor]

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.

 

[rmc86uk]

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.

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[chrisjh]

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

 

[p11jor]

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

 

[chrisjh]

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

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

 

[p11jor]

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

 

[chrisjh]

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

 

[p11jor]

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

 

[Engineer54]

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.....

 

[malcolmsanford]

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.

 

[p11jor]

Explain??? Some of you lot have massive problems in someone changing a socket face after a couple of months, I think you should far more important things to care about, I just made the comment "whilst you are still doing your 2330" and there we go the electric police are straight out there jumping all over it

 

[somersetsparks]

I agree with malcolm, I feel lucky that I got an apprenticeship with one of the old national firms who have sparks of all ages from 16 -65 and bloody hell have they got experience! I think working with a big group of people also improves the quality of work, as all your work is always being seen by your colleagues and nobody wants to be called rough!

The best thing I can say, in my opinion, to the OP is that there is a lot more out there then just domestic electrics, after you work for a bigger company on bigger jobs you change your mind about wanting to be an independant sparks.
Go for the big companies send off your c.v. and try to get a proper apprenticeship, (I will p.m. you the detasils of the comapny I work for, they run a comprehensive apprentice scheme) it ain't gonna be easy at the mo, but it will be well worth it!

Good Luck!

 

[Engineer54]

Explain??? Some of you lot have massive problems in someone changing a socket face after a couple of months, I think you should far more important things to care about, I just made the comment "whilst you are still doing your 2330" and there we go the electric police are straight out there jumping all over it

Nothing to do with a trainee fitting/changing a socket outlet, if he's under supervision, but when you tell a guy that he will be an electrician by January, and that he can start off on his own, get registered with a scam outfit and thus making decisions on electrical work off his own back, all with just a few short months of training, then Quite rightly the electrical police, (if that's what you want to call it) have every right to be jumping all over it ...as you put it!!! ...It's a Nonsense, full stop!!!

 

[rmc86uk]

Agreed!

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[p11jor]

Did I say by January?? Infact did I say be a electrician at all in my post?? If you read properly I said text about ask for some voluntary experience labouring.......then when he starts his collage come January the firm he would be working for he would be able to at least changed a socket face.....it's called a "instructed person"