Interested in becoming an Electrician....

[JxMxT]

I am stuck in a crap office job and want to become an electrician. I need advice on how to go about it such as what courses to take and whether or not there are specific qualifications I need to have to be able to work on peoples homes/industrial estates/building sites.

I'm only 22, ( so I feel time is on my side ) and I'm currently in an office job which is rather dead-end to put it bluntly. There isn't much it can lead into.

I know there is a college near me ( College of North West London ) that have a number of courses to become an electrician, so thats okay. It isn't too far from where I live so getting there won't be a problem.

and Money for the course ( £1,800 ) I believe, won't be a problem either.

I'm just overly eager to know what to do and how to do it.

ANY replies are much appreciated.

Electrical Installations - Level 1 - College of North West London (CNWL) - Course Search This is the course I'm currently looking at.

 

[theone8181]

So thats why some people are ****ed off about these week long part p courses then. I don't see how you can clock up the experience needed.

 

[theone8181]

You don't need the NVQ3 at all. Its all scaremongering out there saying you need it. You don't.

It is not a requiremnt by any of the schemes and they are far more important than the JIB.

The ECA who are the reason behind the JIB's notoriety in this trade don't even ask you to have it to join them.

As my inspector said.....Learning how to bend conduit is not sparking. A labourer can do containment not a spark!

If you want to make real money get of the tools and in to testing. That is where you will find real sparks!

Looking on the JIB website, to be classed as a technician, electrician or approved electrician it says you need nvq 3. I am now really confused as i talked to a woman at a company called atl and she said all i need is part p and the 17th edition courses.

 

[brucelee]

Whats ATL mate best asking JIB what they require

 

[theone8181]

Whats ATL mate best asking JIB what they require

Just one of the many, many places when you can do a part p. I've rung my local college tutor and he confirmed what I already thought in that you need to do the 2357 to get started in the industry, so I figure I can do this course for 1 day a week, work for free as an electricians mate for a day or 2 and have a part time job to help pay the bills. There goes all my free time though

 

[brucelee]

The woman at ATL was probably referring to the fact to register and enrol for a Scheem Ie ELECSA, NICEIC etc you only need the 2382-10 at the moment to get Domestic Installer status
Have you only one college local and is this college no longer running 2330 lv2 and 3

the 2357 think you have to gain employment in the industry before they accept you this is what i was told but C&G change there requirments and courses like the wind
they kept telling me 2330 was ending 31.3.11 right up that day and then a day later got a aplology saying it had been extended after all

I knew it was being extended even the tutors and c&g didnt know what is happening
so how do they expect us to know whats needed or happening
some colleges are running the 2357 some are still running the 2330 like the one i am going to I contacted every college within 1hrs drive and got conflicting info from each on what was happening and what criteria you have to meet to enrol

Mate if you can do the 2357 then this will be the latest qual you can get but practical experience is worth more

I was considering the 2357 as i didnt finish my apprenticeship but was told need to be working in the industry and there wouldnt be funding like there was for 2330
thanks to the torys cuts and labours mess

I have been trying to get qualifications for 25 yrs for
similar quals to a apprentice but told to old ,no funding,training or any help whatsoever due to age and now in last few yrs being a carer for my mrs
I am trying to set up self employed work from home and still provided care when i can
but there has been no help ended up having to pay £4k for a private course
for 6 week training
C&G2382-10
2377-200
2393 building regs
and logic full scope electrical LV A and defined scopes B,C
megger 1552
ck toolkit
BS7671
OSG
and a large folder with all course notes
A very large rip off really
wish i had known i could have gone to college for lv2 and 3 2330 as this worth more

then more on books and last year i did 2391 at bury college for £540 part funded by college from a redundancy fund or something? and local skills shop so only had to pay £140 a result
but in case the self employed thing doesnt work out employers still ask for 2330 or apprenticeship or the older quals forget there number I had been trying all colleges since finishing 2391 to get on a course for lv3 2330 or both lv2 and 3 but couldnt get one until 31.3.11 the last day of registration at 3.30pm so had to drive in rush hr to get there register enrol pay the fee found out i didnt have to pay full fee after all as i could get funding amazing only been asking for 25 yr lol
then when i went to start on the 21st april found out they only returned all the students to lv2 because of c&G extending as they were fast tracked through lv2 to enrol before 31.3.11
leaving me with no course until sept then i got me fuees returned and in sept would possibly have had to pay full fees which could be as much as £1600
no way been to college sorted it out and now start june ????? instead of sept and again only have to pay £120
At last some luck and now i am about to register with elecsa which is £444, PLI also and indemnity
and all other costs with setting up
I have also paid £780 to register for a NVQ lv3 which will be hard to complete

 

[theone8181]

The reason they only do the 2357 and not the 2330 anymore is due to the government stopping the funding. The tutor told me that while it would only cost me upto £1500 depending on benefits and stuff, but it costs the college £4000 to run it so you can see why they only run the courses if they have funding. I'm sure if I offer to work for a sparky for free they wont mind.

Edit, the tutor also said that while you need to be in a work environment for assessments (c&g decided you cant be assessed in a simulated environment), c&g have realised that this makes life akward for over 25's trying to get into the electrical industry they are thinking of changing it. Like you say they change very often.

 

[skirby]

If it's any help here are some links to posts on my blog:
List of current C&G courses with some prices. There's also a link at the bottom of that page to Learning Lounge that may be of interest- City & Guilds Electrician’s Qualifications and C&G Electrical Courses

This one is for apprentices and trainees- Apprentice Electricians Looking For Jobs.

Good Luck.

 

[skirby]

This has been a good thread full of useful info for anyone wanting to become an electrician. As already stated above, a newly qualified electrician would need C&G2357 and NVQ3, and also would be asked by many employers if they also had an AM2 qualification. These are general requirements for getting a JIB ECS Gold ID card which should really be what all electricians are aiming for so they can work almost anywhere.
Of course there are other specialist qualifications like CompEX would be needed for hazardous areas, Solar Thermal & PV and Part P which has already been covered above. But the basics for a fully qualified electrician should be what's required for the ECS ID card.
If anyone reading this in the future needs an overview on getting started in the electrical industry they may find my free guide- Electrician's Focus: How To Become An Electrician in the UK- Free ebook guide by Steve Kirby useful.
It's great to be an electrician- but sometimes it's not easy. Especially at the beginning. Good luck!

 

[zsoltimatrix]

There has been many changes for 2013.

C&G 2330 is no more, 2391 is no more...

As always on the S P A R K Y F A C T S website you will find a very detailed guide that will explain everything you need to know in order to become an electrician.

 

[MDJ]

I always say it...you don't need the NVQ3 to make it in this game. Others will make you believe its a must. The JIB card never did me any favours. If you can get on the course and funded...why not....if its coming out your own pocket forget it...why bother

I can't imagine an employer taking a newly so called qualified man seriously as a spark without an NVQ level 3 today, I wouldn't, older sparks are different as qualifications required today have changed from years ago, the exams are easier today, so the grade needs to be a minimum NVQ3 IMO, and the JIB grade card is what most Employers still consider as proof of Grading, not all I know.

 

[MDJ]

Looking on the JIB website, to be classed as a technician, electrician or approved electrician it says you need nvq 3. I am now really confused as i talked to a woman at a company called atl and she said all i need is part p and the 17th edition courses.

Don't be confused, go with your instinct, the woman is a fool, you will have merit with your future work mates if you become NVQ level 3 accredited, without it they will consider you an electricicans mate, it is different today from years ago, the exams have changed and requirements different, don't let her kid you otherwise.