New Career Skills

[philp]

Hi I am thinking of becoming a domestic electrician. I'm past my prime(55) but have re-wired houses before. A company called New Career Skills seems like a good option for me; the course looks good, but the price looks very high to me? I'm worrried about being ripped off...when I first contacted the receptionist on the phone I asked the approximate price of the course and was told £6000 (although pricey it did seem to have many features that I feel I might need). Anyway an appointment was made for a gentleman to come around and explain more. I spoke to the guy on the phone and mentioned the £6000, to which he said that it depends how you pay and that it might only be 5500 if payed in full. He then came around and the price suddenly became £6795. Now for me this is a gamble, and I am fully aware of some of the pitfalls; however I have been working for myself for 25+ years (in software) and would like to continue to work for myself (seems a good idea to try). So really I am wondering if I would be being ripped off here? Has anyone else done the course or enrolled recently. Am I being conned here, or is this the approximate cost of the course? I must admit I like the flexibility of the course and the support they appear to give. Any comments welcome and thanks for reading this.

 

[VoltzElectrical]

Pardon me for asking, but why at 55 is that job you've done for 25 years so unappealing that you want to jack it to the tune of £6000 to earn a few hundred quid a week in a hard physical job that has done in many people by your age? Surely by the time you've done all the training and got the experience you need to be any real good at it...years, you'll be looking to retire anyway? Have you sat down and worked out how many jobs you'll have to do to break even the cost of re-training? And by the way, that course doesn't qualify you either! You need the city and guilds technical certificate level 3. And the 17th Edition regs.

To do what you want to do, just get the regs qualification, which is about £300 if you do the course over 8 evenings. Then some money for test equipment (which you'll need anyway), then £500 to register with a COMPETENT person scheme.

 

[alarm man]

Thanks everyone for your input. This course for me would be good, because I can continue working with my old job, whilst learning up about becoming an electrician. It also apparently gives me the opportunity to work with local electricians and get advice from my tutors anytime in the future whilst working as a domestic electrician. This might help me a little tinsy bit around the 5 week wonder. I'm not totally green (I have rewired three houses in the past), but I will never be able to compete with electricians with 10+ years experiance. But I am keen to give it a go. I think that if I do this, I will try and cap it to 6k. The work prospects worry me a little. All the hype that I have read says that we are short of electricians. A plumber friend of mine says that once qualified I should not have to much trouble getting work. In fact the last couple of weeks I have come across three people that need there housees re-wired (this only came up because I mentioned that I was thinking of becomming an electrician). Thats probably fluke!!! So is it really that bad out there???? Thanks so much for your time.

unless the oap home you will be moving into soon needs electrical work doing i wouldnt waste your money man..that was in jest before anyone starts..:shades_smile:

 

[devan]

i am currents doing the new career skills domestic installation course and believe me it is not a 5 week wonder course, it is a minimum of 9 months to complete the course and yes some of you will say i did 5 years at college and thats all fine and well but if you have the time and will power to complete it in 9 months go for it, i was really impressed after my first practical week, the tutors are always on hand if you need help and never look down on you for doing something stupid the theory also covers the new regulations and standards so you will be up-to-date with everything. i have been working in the construction industry a number of years now (not as an electrician) and believe me ive seen better work come out of guys that did a 9 month course that guys that have "40 years experience" my advise would be to call the centre and go in while there's a practical week going on and have a look dont just take other peoples word for it

 

[devan]

mate do some research before you post, you get your city and guilds plus your 17th edition qualification during week three of the course

 

[malcolmsanford]

Why is a domestic installers course taking you 9 months is it an hour a week ?

 

[the pict]

First things first, you are ONLY 55 second NO NO NO do not part with 6K if you want to go down that route 1st choice local tach college, or get something like the electa course home study stuff and see if you can get your head round the contents, do the 17th Ed exam at your nearest GOLA college, then the 2391 tough to pass but worth it, and at least with the home study course your only parting with a couple of hundred quid plus the books of course.
Pict

 

[Engineer54]

Think he would have made his decision by now guy's, the original post by the OP was 6 months ago!! So he either listened to the original posters. Or is now one of the multitude Electrical Trainee that now has some bit's of paper but not much else for his 6 grand or whatever is was!!!.... I know what i would have done with that 6 grand at his age. ...lol!!

 

[DNS1]

I took an interest in NCS a while back, but the hard sell REALLY put me off. Told them to get stuffed in the end.

Very glad I did as I found Able Skills in Dartford which do the same thing, but at a quarter of the price, don't demand huge sums up front, are much more flexible and do NOT promise you the whole of the electrical world.

 

[DNS1]

I noticed the OP was out of date, but thought I'd leave the above post for the benefit of anyone else looking at NCS... Any excuse to moan about their bullsh*t and pushy sales tactics!

 

[robsta]

Yes watch out for new career skills, they are a heavily sales orientated organisatin. Their electricians course is actually domestic only, not fully qualified, and they charge twice as much as other good training providers with high interest finance deals, steer clear is my advice !!

 

[robsta]

Quite right, they sell so hard because they have an inferior product, domestic installer only, and quite often claim this is a "qualified elctrician". Not true. The nvq3 is the only qualification, watch out for new career skills, a dodgy bunch

 

[robsta]

Quite right new career skills are a pushy , salesy, lying bunch. They claim that their domestic installer course is all you need to be properly qualified,. Rubbish ! Most other providers charge less than half for this course, the best option is the nvq3, which makes you fully qualified. Steer clear of new career skills

 

[shagbite]

are you replying to your own posts robsta? i'll give the loony bin a ring if you want.

 

[shagbite]

quite right, give the loony bin a ring.