Newbie seeks help!

[Honda]

Hi everybody!

I'm a mechanic who's looking for a change of scene and a new challenge, been asked by a mate to do some domestic work and am aware I need new qualifications. Looking at 15-20 day Domestic Installer courses, can anybody tell me if they're any good?

Many thanks!

 

[Leesparkykent]

hi everybody!

I'm a mechanic who's looking for a change of scene and a new challenge, been asked by a mate to do some domestic work and am aware i need new qualifications. Looking at 15-20 day domestic installer courses,can anybody tell me if they're any good?

Many thanks!

​no!!!!

 

[Simonslimline]

​no!!!!

As above.

Either 2365 L2 & L3 then NVQ3 & AM2.

Or the 2357 which is all the above as one course/apprenticeship.

Best of luck with it.

 

[Honda]

Thanks for the replies, but can you tell me why not to consider these courses? I'm not looking to become an electrician overnight, just want to be able to self-certify some small works.

 

[Engineer54]

[

QUOTE=Honda;1094363]Thanks for the replies, but can you tell me why not to consider these courses? I'm not looking to become an electrician overnight, just want to be able to self-certify some small works.[/QUOTE]

How long was your apprenticeship to become a mechanic?? Now equate that into how the hell you can condense a 3 to 4 year electrical apprenticeship into 17 day's/5 weeks!! Now if you have any common sense at all, you'll ''KNOW'' that it can't be done.


There is no such thing as a part trained Electrician, no matter what you've been told, you are either fully qualified or you're NOT!! What you are suggesting above, is exactly thinking that you can become an electrician overnight. Do you honestly even remotely think you would be capable of self certifying anything by taking one of these totally ridiculous short courses??

 

[davesparks]

Thanks for the replies, but can you tell me why not to consider these courses? I'm not looking to become an electrician overnight, just want to be able to self-certify some small works.

The smallest jobs will often be far more involved in terms of knowledge and experience required. You will need experience of older wiring systems and practices to know what can or cannot be done to alter or extend them. You will also need to be able to work out what needs upgrading to ensure that the small works you do can comply with the regulations and be safe.
Plus of course for you to get a valid insurance policy to carry out electrical work you will need to be able to prove competence.

 

[Honda]

[How long was your apprenticeship to become a mechanic?? Now equate that into how the hell you can condense a 3 to 4 year electrical apprenticeship into 17 day's/5 weeks!! Now if you have any common sense at all, you'll ''KNOW'' that it can't be done.


There is no such thing as a part trained Electrician, no matter what you've been told, you are either fully qualified or you're NOT!! What you are suggesting above, is exactly thinking that you can become an electrician overnight. Do you honestly even remotely think you would be capable of self certifying anything by taking one of these totally ridiculous short courses??

My apprenticeship was three years, I would say less than a third of which was spent learning. It was great for the garages who got cheap labour, the tutors counting the days until retirement and the college who got their places filled, not so great for the apprentices though.

I get the feeling you're concerned about dumbing-down of your profession. If I Assume that is the case, you're not alone - I am too in mine, but there's very little you or I can do about it - I don't agree with it but I might as well make the best of it if I can't change it.

Again, I just need to do small works like changing sockets without the delay and expense of getting somebody else to certify what I have done every time I take a screwdriver to an electrical component.

Now, insurance. How do I "prove competence" to an insurer? I take it it's by registering with one of the schemes that charge you hundreds of pounds per year, if so, I take it completion of a short course will enable me to do so, or am I completely wrong?

 

[davesparks]

Again, I just need to do small works like changing sockets without the delay and expense of getting somebody else to certify what I have done every time I take a screwdriver to an electrical component.

Now, insurance. How do I "prove competence" to an insurer? I take it it's by registering with one of the schemes that charge you hundreds of pounds per year, if so, I take it completion of a short course will enable me to do so, or am I completely wrong?

Registering with a scheme doesn't prove anything, you won't know what proves your competence until they are investigating a claim and decide your policy is void due to you not being properly qualified.

 

[IrishSpark]

My apprenticeship was three years, I would say less than a third of which was spent learning.

So if you spent about a year out of 3 learning to be a mechanic how could you spend a month learning 4years worth of electrical? And outta curiosity what did you do for the other 2 years?? The day you stop learning is the day you retire, any good spark will tell you that!
Stick to the engines and leave electrics to those who are fully trained!!

 

[Honda]

Well thank you all for your time - if nothing else (especially to IrishSpark, whose wit and humour genuinely made me keep a straight face, thank you sir/madam).

I Decided to seek advice from some electricians I have worked alongside in various roles and all three of them said go for it, so I will.

Somewhat disturbingly, the common theme in this thread seems to be protectionism. It reminds me of mechanics who look down on tyre fitters, yet moan whenever they're asked to change a tyre - they're always the ones that accuse the tyre guys of taking their jobs.

Still, people like that are everywhere, I suppose.

Be lucky.

 

[Paul.M]

The replies above have a lot of merit Honda. Just ask how long it took your 3 electrician friends to become qualified and able to work by themselves? Bet it was not 3-4 weeks!

These "short courses" were set up to teach existing electricians from other sectors of the industry like mechanical engineers/electricians, Armed forces electrician (different quals to us), maintenance electricians, medium & high voltage electricians etc etc etc. It teaches the Domestic side of the regs, not how to be an Electrician. I assume the course your thinking about taking involves a Part-P course? This is not a qualification and is not recognized with the industry.

This course will not make you an electrician, save your money. Loads of people have fell for the same advertising as yourself and wasted time and money following a dream that will never happen. The best you can achieve with this 3-4 week course is to become an Electricians Labourer that has to have constant supervision from a qualified Electrician at all times, even to change a socket! So the answer to your question is NO. Sorry but it is the truth.

 

[Engineer54]

Well thank you all for your time - if nothing else (especially to IrishSpark, whose wit and humour genuinely made me keep a straight face, thank you sir/madam).

I Decided to seek advice from some electricians I have worked alongside in various roles and all three of them said go for it, so I will.

Somewhat disturbingly, the common theme in this thread seems to be protectionism. It reminds me of mechanics who look down on tyre fitters, yet moan whenever they're asked to change a tyre - they're always the ones that accuse the tyre guys of taking their jobs.

Still, people like that are everywhere, I suppose.

Be lucky.

Typical, a wannabe comes on here asking for advice, get's that good advice, but somehow he knows better than those qualified electricians that gave him that good advice.

What's the betting he's been getting advice from other Electrical Trainee, eg the blind leading the blind, He'll deny it of course!! Because no self respecting qualified electrician would ever advise anyone to take a course that leaves the candidate fundamentally clueless in both the technical side of things as well as the practical side. God help the homeowners/customers that employ you, there the one's that need to be Lucky!!

 

[IrishSpark]

What's the betting he's been getting advice from other Electrical Trainee, eg the blind leading the blind, He'll deny it of course!!

Took the words right out of my mouth. No chance in hell did he ask a fully qualified apprentice trained electrician if a 3week course was a good idea. But then again lads we are dealing with a genius here(don't forget in less than a year this guy knew everything there was to know about mechanicing which is surely some kind of world record!) so maybe learning a full 4yeae apprenticeship in 3weeks isn't beyond him, although most likely is.
My bet is that he asked the guy who first asked him to do the work of that course was ok, but that in itself screams alarm bells. Who the hell in their right mind would go ask a mechanic if he can go qualify as a spark to do work for him, it's not like there's not enough suitably qualified sparks around, especially in London!