Military Electrician

[jonnyhammond]

Hi Guys

Im just after some general info. Im an electrician in the Army but ill shortly making the transition to "civvie street"
Im after doing a few courses and wondered what would be the best direction to go in? Obviously the 2394/5 (new 2391 qualification) would be great but with a decent knowledge of my trade but little experience im hesitant about doing it. I already have my 17th edition and the 2369 Electrical installation work services equivilant to 2360 electrical installation work

Do you guys know if the "Domestic Installation Workshop 4141-01" qualification offered by 'trade skills 4 u' carries much weight on a CV??
(Domestic Installation Workshop C&G 4141-01)

Any other info (OR A JOB?!) would be greatly appreciated. Are there many military sparks that have successfully made the transition that you know of?

Im 26 and looking to settle in the London area.

Thanks!​

 

[ExArmy]

You can not expect people to do a 5 year apprenticeship if all they will be doing is domestic work. It simply isn't necessary and it would be a huge waste of everyone's time.

yeah ok, there's a fair point there, 5 years is a bit long if somebody only wants to do domestic. but do you not think it's a bit extreme to trim the course down to 18 days (less than 2% of 5 years)??
I reckon if you keep going, this time next your you lot will have out a 5 day short course, then that might be ridiculous enough for someone to do something about it

 

[SPARTYKUS]

And make sure you go to a local college, you'll pay a tenth of what these corporates will charge you!

Yes! Did my 2391 at night school with other working-in-the-day sparks. Some were doing it for 3rd time. Cost £260 in all , for the 10 weeks at college & the two exams. Anymore than hat is a rip off

 

[Knobhead]

I had a “gas engineer” (wet head) to do a compulsory gas check on my flat. After he finished and had realised he was in the wrong flat we had a chat over a cup of tea.

We joke about wet heads. They are in hysterics, laughing about the way the electrical trade has gone. He did say the only fly in the ointment as far as he was concerned was, British Gas! I can’t print what he said, but it wasn’t very complimentary. It went along the lines of “they write the rules as it suits them”.

All the joking aside, domestic electricians are regarded as a farce due to the dumbing down of the trade by the schemes and the training centres.

As to what we are going to do about industrial electricians? I’ll be honest, I just don’t know.
I dread to think what my training cost. My wages certainly didn’t add a great deal to the cost. The collage fees and the shear time and effort put in by my seniors must have cost a small fortune.
I did become an approved trainer, so I paid a bit back.



PS I got the certificate for my gas install even though he was in the wrong flat! He was well in to the job when he asked where the meter was. It’s not in the most logical position so I had to show him. I had marked it as mine, Flat “A”. Eeerr I’m supposed to be doing flat “B”! Ooopps!
Before anyone says anything, I know of electricians that rewired the wrong house!
A classic, right house number, right street, wrong town!

 

[The Persian]

Hi Guys

Im just after some general info. Im an electrician in the Army but ill shortly making the transition to "civvie street"
Im after doing a few courses and wondered what would be the best direction to go in? Obviously the 2394/5 (new 2391 qualification) would be great but with a decent knowledge of my trade but little experience im hesitant about doing it. I already have my 17th edition and the 2369 Electrical installation work services equivilant to 2360 electrical installation work

Do you guys know if the "Domestic Installation Workshop 4141-01" qualification offered by 'trade skills 4 u' carries much weight on a CV??
(Domestic Installation Workshop C&G 4141-01)

Any other info (OR A JOB?!) would be greatly appreciated. Are there many military sparks that have successfully made the transition that you know of?

Im 26 and looking to settle in the London area.

Thanks!​

I used to be an Army Electrician in the Royal Engineers, I left with Part2 and the C cert, then I did the 2391 on my resettlement back in 2001. Since then I have worked on site for many years as an NICEIC QS, taught at a few different colleges, as well as at ATL, RSME, and CTP Aldershot. I have taught every electrical course and renewable course, and have every electrical qual, including HND, renewable quals, and teaching quals. I have a JIB gold card, member of IET and IFL. I have been there and done it. You have no need to do any basic domestic course, do the 2394/5, do the NVQ 2356 through XS training now, before they have no more places. This will get you the JIB gold card, then take it from there.

 

[ExArmy]

I used to be an Army Electrician in the Royal Engineers, Part 1 & 2 and the C cert, I did the 2391 on my resettlement back in 2001. Since then I have worked on site for many years as an NICEIC QS, taught at few different colleges, ATL, RSME, and CTP Aldershot. I have taught every electrical course and renewable course, and have every electrical qual, including HND, renewable quals, and teaching quals. I have a JIB gold card, member of IET and IFL. I have been there and done it. You have no need to do any basic domestic course, do the 2394/5, do the NVQ 2356 through XS training now, before they have no more places. This will get you the JIB gold card, then take it from there.

wow are they still doing that? i remember a big hoo har about there being a cut off date and the qual was going to finish, then it got extended for another 12 months only, that was at least 2 years ago!

 

[The Persian]

XS training pre-registered students, as student 1, student 2, student 3, and so on. Once you pay the money for the course they change your name. You have 3 years to complete, so anyone who signs up now have 2.5 years to complete, as the cut off date to sign up was 6 months ago.

 

[ipf]

Going back a bit I know, but just a couple of points.
One fact is that these trade 'providers' are, generally, 'business men', to coin a phrase, who, for the most part, have never had anything to do with our trade. As far as they are concerned, it is, or was, an opportunity to make money. Legislation giving them such opportunity, at whose expence?

An example of the results of these qualified domestic installers is one which regularly rears it's ugly head. Some numpty gas provider 'engineer' informing an unsuspecting customer that their earth bonding is incorrect and dangerous due to the fact it is not connected locally to their meter.....outside the occupied premises.
Called back to 3 installations for this reason.

 

[ExArmy]

XS training pre-registered students, as student 1, student 2, student 3, and so on. Once you pay the money for the course they change your name. You have 3 years to complete, so anyone who signs up now have 2.5 years to complete, as the cut off date to sign up was 6 months ago.

oh i see. that was clever of them!