JIB Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) JIB Card? nvq lv3 £1500?? this would technically make me a better electrician???

[Mikey_G]

HI all im a 27 year old sparks, have had own company for four years and have had a downturn in work, so having to look for jobs and call agencies i discover i need a JIB Card to get a job, so i send off all my certs including 2391, 17th and my last 3 elecsa approved contractor certs, applying for an approved electrician card. Weeks later, what do i recieve?? a white card with electrical labourer on the front and qualifications zero on the back???? after numerous phone calls to JIB i discover i need to do an NVQ which is basically a few photos signed off by an employer?? but im self employed?? and colleges want £1500 quid for two site visits and for me to fill out a portfolio and apparently can take 12 months to complete??? all this for a peice of plastic??? i cant afford to be out of work for that length of time and what the hell does a few photos prove anyway?? doesnt even prove i did the work?? surely being inspected and assessed by a elecsa inspector every year shows that my work is up to standard?? i wrote a long letter to JIB explaining my situation and that i have extended experience in all fields of electrical work and can provide references from governing bodies and customers. They said theyll forward on my letter with my certs to be re-graded.
6 weeks later i recieve a duplicate of the same labourers card and with no covering letter explaining why they have graded me as a labourer and why my 17th and 2391 arent displayed on it.
I am struggling to get work without this card and looks like im gonna have to do this nvq but does anyone know of anywhere doing the nvq fast track? I live in crawley west sussex. need it done asap, cant afford to go on like this!! any help is extremely appreciated.

 

[Mikey_G]

no mate i did mine through the local college. i just got straight on with it a hammered the evidence forward as i was booked onto the assessors course 3 months afterwards so i needed the nvq first. i will see if i can get a link for you

nice one, i know crawley college are offering the 2356 for around £900 but im not sure how long it will take. can i use evidence from a job im working on for a agency??

 

[Mikey_G]

I repeat don't you need to be in employment before you can apply?

Ive spoken to someone that done theirs self employed and apparently u can do it. im working for a agency at mo so will try and get work signed by company im subbing for

 

[Phil]

I repeat don't you need to be in employment before you can apply?

no in a word you can do voluntarily work or self employed

 

[thekingiam]

no in a word you can do voluntarily work or self employed

Sorry if I sound a bit thick, what is voluntarily work.
My work usually comes from agencys and not very regular Iam unemployed at moment but want to join nvq3 before deadline.
What's easiest way around it?

 

[thekingiam]

I have 2360/1:2 2391 17th

 

[Phil]

Sorry if I sound a bit thick, what is voluntarily work.
My work usually comes from agencys and not very regular Iam unemployed at moment but want to join nvq3 before deadline.
What's easiest way around it?

ie unpaid work. if you can get someone to say you are working for free with them. but don`t forget when you go sign make sure you tell them. you are allowed to work for less than 16 hours a week without it affecting you. i have known a couple of students at college do it that way.

 

[Mikey_G]

Sorry if I sound a bit thick, what is voluntarily work.
My work usually comes from agencys and not very regular Iam unemployed at moment but want to join nvq3 before deadline.
What's easiest way around it?

he means even if u do some work for free, if u installed it then u can use it in nvq

 

[Mikey_G]

one other thing that concerns me is what if i collect evidence from the job im on and by the time i have a site visit the jobs finished and working for someone else? do they need to see job that evidence is from?

 

[Phil]

if you do it online mate you will upload it through quickstep. get plenty of pics while you are on the job. all in ppe boots hi vis and hard hat. i know you will feel like a plonker changing a plug socket all kitted up but just roll with it tick all the boxes and its job done

 

[thekingiam]

What if I tell providers I am self employed supply evidence from work ime doing on my house,which may use in future to obtain a domestic compliance thingy,would they need to visit me on site would it matter if was my girlfreinds property containing two flats.
Is this possible what Internet providers do this and a million other questions.

 

[Phil]

if your supplying evidence online it may be possible. there are 8 units that have to be done 3 ties and a certain criteria to them.

 

[thekingiam]

I doubt I could obtain all evidence from one job but I just want to apply before deadline I can always get evidence after.
My worry is being refused aplication before I start because of being unemployed,
on aplication could I state self employed or volentarily work?
How long before a visit is required ?

 

[thekingiam]

I have pics already from other jobs in hi vis etc pointing at work cAn I use some of them?


I thought I would need nvq3 at some time

 

[Phil]

the pics need to be taken with you in them and doing the work, rather than pointing.

 

[zsoltimatrix]

I have just finished my NVQ level 3. I did it in about 4 months, on my workplace with JTL. First job written down with pictures as proof, seccond job fully observed and a third one mixture of both written and observed. All in all, a lot of work but... JIB requieres it so must be done. I also did the AM2 as well.