JIB cards

[BIRD'S ELECTRICAL]

Hi all.
I am a NAPIT electrician with a lot of city and guilds certificates.
However, I am disgusted that my qualifications and experience mean diddly squat in attaining a gold card. All I'm told is I don't have the more recent NVQ level 3 qualifications, nor an AM3.
I can see why AM3 would be beneficial, but does my experience and references have no value. I have done far more than any AM3 course can offer ; installation in various formats, inspect and test, fault fibfld and rectify. And to be honest, working in a whole range of domestic, commercial and industrial environments, it highlights the unrealistic scenarios that are set up during an am3.
Does anyone know of any way to get a JIB card other than having to pay lots of money to get some qualifications I already have, despite being some years ago.

 

[SJD]

Do you actually need a JIB gold card? I appreciate some people do, but I've never applied for one for similar reasons, I know I likely would only qualify for a somewhat derogatory 'labourer' card despite having a few C&G certs including inspection & testing. I've not found it a problem, but I guess it depends on the type of sites you work on.

 

[littlespark]

I did the same with SJIB… haven’t renewed it for well over a decade. Had approved spark status on that when I was working for a firm. I&T included.
Was out the game for those ten years but since going self employed, I’ve got my 18th Ed. Would need to do an H&S course to get it renewed.

Not having one hasn’t been a problem so far until now.
I did an eicr for a customer just to cover an extension he had done about 13 years ago and never got the certs at the time. Now he’s trying to sell the house but the council won’t give him a completion cert for the extension without a test cert. And they won’t accept mine if I don’t have the gold card.

 

[MJPD29]

The card means nothing. I've never had one and it's never made any difference to me. I've never been asked for one nor cane across a job that requires one. It's just another money making scheme, unless you absolutely require one i wouldn't bother.

 

[7029 dave]

I have never been JIB registered, however back in the 70's it was more or less a union card for working in closed shop's much like the print.

 

[BIRD'S ELECTRICAL]

Thanks for your replies. It is a money spinner. And I'm sure there are plenty of experienced sparkies out there whom don't have a jib card.
Just so disappointed the industry throws expensive hurdles in front of enthusiastic newer recruits.
So much for trying to solve the skills shortage.
The nvq thing really chuffs me off too.

 

[Dustydazzler]

JIB is a relic

 

[UNG]

JIB is a relic

No more than the NICEIC is

 

[Vortigern]

The guy/firm who trained me got me a JIB card forty years ago. Being a callow youth I just put it somewhere and did'nt even look at it, never seen it since. Never stopped me doing work. Gold card is needed on building sites I beleive. I just did not realise 'til much later in life that it may have served me better had I taken it seriously back then. But as I say I can't get one now as no NVQ 3 and AM3. I agree it is odd but I guess that is their standard and to be honest if you do have those things and employer can be as confident as possible he is not sending in a rogue tradesman. So it is fair enough in my book. I know my worth and abilities in the trade. I know I am not the best and certainly not the worst spark out there. I know theres guys and girls on here better than me for a fact. I always stay within my skillset and do the best work I can.

 

[UNG]

The guy/firm who trained me got me a JIB card forty years ago. Being a callow youth I just put it somewhere and did'nt even look at it, never seen it since. Never stopped me doing work. Gold card is needed on building sites I beleive. I just did not realise 'til much later in life that it may have served me better had I taken it seriously back then. But as I say I can't get one now as no NVQ 3 and AM3. I agree it is odd but I guess that is their standard and to be honest if you do have those things and employer can be as confident as possible he is not sending in a rogue tradesman. So it is fair enough in my book. I know my worth and abilities in the trade. I know I am not the best and certainly not the worst spark out there. I know theres guys and girls on here better than me for a fact. I always stay within my skillset and do the best work I can.

I'm in a similar position to you and spoke to the ECS people at Elex a few years ago. If you had a grade card that long ago then your information will be accessible to you on the ECS site as I found out mine was although they had my date of birth wrong which caused a slight problem, if I remember correctly you won't need the NQ 3 and AM2 although you will need the regs and H&S bits plus the fee to get the card

Reminds me of a conversation me and a mate were having with someone at wholesalers party this guy was quite a bit younger than me and my mate and the AM2 and NVQ3 were brought up my mate said he had only done the AM2 and was immediately told he was only part qualified I said I didn't have either as they weren't around when I finished my apprenticeship and I was told I wasn't qualified and shouldn't be doing electrical work

 

[Vortigern]

Fortunately I am retired as of this month officially so it no longer concerns me. When the Part P came out I thought overnight I can now no longer do domestic. I carried on for quite a few years in defiance of it. However I did finally get into a scheme, no problem I might add. I think people forget that experience is paramount in being a rounded and competent anything. I have seen more than a few "qualified" people who are pants on site.

 

[7029 dave]

LOL its is laughable, with my old quals C&G 236 parts 1/2. 42 years experience , would just about get a labourer's card if I was lucky. (madness)

 

[Abacus614]

LOL its is laughable, with my old quals C&G 236 parts 1/2. 42 years experience , would just about get a labourer's card if I was lucky. (madness)

Agreed. Back in 2019 I did my 2396 L4 design and smashed it, well I got a merit anyway. Along with my PT1 and PT2 18th Ed as well as 2391 and in the eyes of the JIB I'll get a labour's card cos I lack the NVQ3 and AM2. Where under grandfather's right I'd expect to reach Technician status.

I admit 20yrs ago I didn't really take my apprenticeship seriously and was just glad of the money and experience at the time. Academically I struggled with the maths, strangley its something that seems to come quite easy to me now. Perhaps it was just concentration I lacked when I was younger.

However saying that I know lads who meet all the requirements of the approved electrician gold card and they are just useless at the most basic things. I've even caught them on you tube! At times. And fault finding you can forget it.

JIB it's old outdated. in my opinion experience will trump must qualifications anyway. But it certainly doesn't help the time served.

My advise don't worry about it if you don't need it. It took me a while to get over it, but in my case it was more the fact I wanted it rather than needed it.

 

[MJPD29]

Agreed. Back in 2019 I did my 2396 L4 design and smashed it, well I got a merit anyway. Along with my PT1 and PT2 18th Ed as well as 2391 and in the eyes of the JIB I'll get a labour's card cos I lack the NVQ3 and AM2. Where under grandfather's right I'd expect to reach Technician status.

I admit 20yrs ago I didn't really take my apprenticeship seriously and was just glad of the money and experience at the time. Academically I struggled with the maths, strangley its something that seems to come quite easy to me now. Perhaps it was just concentration I lacked when I was younger.

However saying that I know lads who meet all the requirements of the approved electrician gold card and they are just useless at the most basic things. I've even caught them on you tube! At times. And fault finding you can forget it.

JIB it's old outdated. in my opinion experience will trump must qualifications anyway. But it certainly doesn't help the time served.

My advise don't worry about it if you don't need it. It took me a while to get over it, but in my case it was more the fact I wanted it rather than needed it.

I've met some complete and utter idiots with gold cards. As long as you tick the right boxes they'll give it out without checking anything else. It's not worth the plastic it's printed on I've never had one and never will its laughable that people demand them.

 

[pc1966]

I've met some complete and utter idiots with gold cards. As long as you tick the right boxes they'll give it out without checking anything else. It's not worth the plastic it's printed on I've never had one and never will its laughable that people demand them.

The same applies to many other qualifications: at best they are a first-level filter when checking folk for a job, but you really need to see them work to find out for sure.