in defence of the time served spark

[MDJ]

We are getting a lot of stick from short course guys at the moment telling us we are miserable old gits and part of an old boys club. I would like to apologise for taking 4 and a half years to become an electrician on block release at college and with on site training, to add also with a further 2 years under supervision to get approved status which then meant we could work alone. I appreciate times have changed and we are out of date and past it, taking 6 and a half years to get approved which is possible in 5 weeks today seems a little silly I know, we are living in yesterday years, we only know about things that today would not be seen much due to the invention of twin and earth and part pee building control regs and apologies again to the short course takers. We are not a bad bunch even if our old city and guild qualifcations are considered to be laughable in todays high tech exam courses. It wasn't our fault the Achievment mesurement and city and guilds were around back then, apologies for being out of date and out of touch, we may be past it but we did have it once and may still be able to work on Domestic properties today with further training.

Profound apologies from us the older generation who didn't do Modern short courses .

 

[7029 dave]

IMO, I think early 1980's and generations before had best times out of this industry,!! geez all them yesterdays lol, bet it was a mare though working in the early 70's with that copper crisis, all that ali yuk.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

And when I say ruin, I mean it will be filled with cheap under qualified idiots doing the job we gave up years to learn.

That means less money, less pride in our workmanship, and opens the doors to foreigners that cant speak a word of english charging £50 per day for 12 hours work. YOU CANT LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY ON £50 PER DAY. We should expect more and we deserve more.

Sweden is a great example of this. You need to go to college for 5 years, and then work as an electrician for 10 years, then do a 2 year business course before you can open an electrical business. They get paid loads, and are very respected. That is what this country should aim for, whether you lot like it or not. People can die or their house burn down through something very simple, electrics should not be taken lightly.

Good post.

 

[egg67]

Part P is a good thing with it you can sum up all we do in 22 pages ishh, and it has given some training people the charge to make a new course that thay can get lots money for, as for all us plebs that have spent 3 to 5 years learning think we must have wasted time, now days you can do a 5 week thing that will teach you all you need to know and then go out to big wold have a little problem then post on here get answers go back in a few days and try to fix it, TIME served man would have fixed it before he left the first time as he has been trained in fault finding, spent years fixing cable to walls(before he or she was aloud to look at a CU) and was shown to run cables in a real house not a unit that has wood walls and is made for banging up to impress to the people you are paying £5000, to make you compertnot and want to be able to put on there website that they have a 99% pass rate

 

[Lagentium]

I have no problem with the lads doing a five day course aslong as they stick to what they know and do it well, people have to earn money for their families and it's a way of doing so. I've seen some electricians mate whose work make the sparks they are working with look daft also. I think you never stop learning and somebody who is closed to a learning environment is no good at all. Having said that I haven't grafted my nuts off since leaving school and going to college for foreign labour to drive down my own worth, as I know what I'm worth!! I get slightly frustrated when I drive by a large project that is ongoing down the road from me and see all the European number plates in the car park.

 

[egg67]

that it, part P, 17 ed you read read it you do it, then let someone fix it that knows what thay are doing

 

[HappyHippyDad]

You know my views on Electrical Trainee’s and competence.

Look in a mirror.

I do.. every day... and I'm oh so handsome

 

[Knobhead]

IMO, I think early 1980's and generations before had best times out of this industry,!! geez all them yesterdays lol, bet it was a mare though working in the early 70's with that copper crisis, all that ali yuk.

Tell me about it! Bloody awfull stuff. My first big job on the works as an apprentice, all Al cables.

But I can assure you the plant still hasn’t spontaneously combusted even though the 14[SUP]th[/SUP] was in place then. We just ignored them, they were for amateur house bashers. We were real electricians and worked to M&Q.

 

[Pete999]

it was tongue in cheek, badge is a very sarcastic fella, I like his humour lol

In that case Badged sorry, you are bloody warped though

 

[Geordie Spark]

burnt... steak.... bloody philistine.... steaks should be rare to medium rare.

..... and the gristle should be trimmed off first!!!

 

[Badged01]

Im disappointed Pete, I had you down as standing shoulder to shoulder with me driving Part "P" forward within the industry. Together on the picket line if need be! Am I to take it you now don't support Part "P"?

 

[mayfair]

I feel that the time and investment required to give someone full training now just aint going to happen as companies cut more and more corners. However I feel that 4 years is probably a bit long maybe 2 years could get you the tiltle time served and then those that continue something like master electrician (sound a bit yankeefied) but I think a couple of years at tech whilst working on the job would poss be enough. another possibility could be class 1-2-3 electrician with provisions on type of work per class that you can undertake .

 

[imago]

Surely no one is simple minded enough to think all time served electricians are brilliant and all short course electricians are rubbish?

Just thinking back and coming up with a rough figure I reckon 20% of the time served blokes I have worked with or seen working have been poor at best. Of that 20% some have been downright dangerous, one to the point where he was thrown off site. All of them had a JIB card to wave about too.

I guess it all comes down to people, some are conscientious, some don't give a ----.

 

[Pete999]

Im disappointed Pete, I had you down as standing shoulder to shoulder with me driving Part "P" forward within the industry. Together on the picket line if need be! Am I to take it you now don't support Part "P"?

I need to learn who's taking the urine and I agree with others I like your sense of humor lol I'll watch it in future.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Mike, I could not have put that over any better, hooray to you, times have moved on, BUT what it is, is what it is!!!. I am proud to have the C&G 236, 3 years at college day release (didn't do C course), further 2years as improver to gain approved. This new breed is of a different generation, not their fault, and I have meet some bloody good one's, also a few rough old badgers too of our era, maybe we are grumpy old gits? I don't care and will never change my work ethic.!!

And what is wrong with being a grumpy old git???

Anybody here have a problem with that?? :angry_smile:

 

[telectrix]

badged is a well known taker of urine. almost in my class. give him a year or 2.....