Newbie

[All Jobs]

Hi everyone, new to the site. Need some help if anyone can advise. Been a builder self employed for about 6 years now. Do a lot of kitchens and bathrooms. Understand basics of wiring, what you can and cant do. My sparkie checks and certifies my work, for example if I move sockets, change lighting in a refitted kitchen etc. He is about to retire and say to me to get myself qualified. Now I have hit the minefield!

Have contacted NAPIT and they say, become a member of Napit, get some of your work assessed. Do the Electricians Certificate of Competence Course. You will then be qualified to work in a residential property from the consumer unit out. They say do the 17th edition within 12 months of qualifying. The girl on the phone seemed to know what she was talking about, and I clarified member, assess, competence course back to her and she say "yes".

Does this make sense to anyone only I thought I would have to do a Part P course first.

Also I thought I would have to do 17th edition course before I became certified,

Any help or advise would be appreciated, I dont want to blow 1700 quid and find I do not have anything at the end of it.

Cheers

 

[ezzzekiel]

Sounds about right although shouldnt be allowed in my opinion

 

[All Jobs]

Interested in your opinion of it ezzzekiel, what is best way for me my friend?

 

[SirKit Breaker]

It dont stop at £1700 All jobs, theres the small matter of test equipment, books and blah blah blah, so another grand, and then the cost of keeping up as and when they get rewritten. There must be a local sparky who can help you out to save you wasting all this cash.

Cheers...........Howard

 

[Spudnik]

Hi AJ and welcome to the forums.

I agree with the chaps above, in so much that it really doesnt stop there, especially with tools, insurance, test equipment, yearly scheme memberships etc etc.

The 17th edition course is reasonably straight forward, but only really if you are already aware of the regs and how the book works.

Must admit, if i was in your shoes, i would try and find the services of another local spark.

Good luck.

 

[jar]

Hi there if you google, "worker catches on fire". it will lead to a construction magazine report about an accident.
Are you sure you want to do electrical work when you are not a qualified electrician.
This will become more common if the deskilling of our industry is allowed to happen.
Electricians should do electricians work.

 

[All Jobs]

Appreciate above views, but am confused by what is said. Have been interested in electrics ever since I was a kid. Only work I do now is with approval of my sparkie who certifies the work. he is confident in what I do, thats how we do it. I would never do anything which I am unsure about. I never do any works without his know how, he is always briefed on what I need to do and we discuss the way to do it.

I want to get myself qualified, I do not hold any qualifications in the building game, just know from what I have been taught hands on.

I have made enquiries to Napit as above, just want views of people on this forum if this is my best way to get qualified, as Napit have said.

Perhaps I wrote things down wrong in my first post, basically, I want to train and become an electrician. Your continued views would be appreciated. Many thanks in advance. Cheers All Jobs

 

[ezzzekiel]

The part p schemes are interested in one thing only membership revenue they will allow anyone membership with very little vetting.
Quite often a two week course is a minimum requirement and the standards and level of skill of a lot of registered members is frankly appalling.

This is not directed at the op i have no idea of your level of competence just a general opinion of where partp has so far led us

 

[All Jobs]

Thanks ezzzekiel, appreciate what you say. But my thoughts are, we have all got to start somewhere. That is why I am trying to do the best for myself by using Napit, doing their courses, getting registered with them. Just trying to find out from my post if what they said to me today makes sense to all you qualified sparkies who have been in the game for some time. Its the order of how they say to do it, Register, Assessment by one of their blokes on work I have done, do Competence Course, get qualification, do 17th edition within a year? Cheers for all your help out there, been interesting so far. Keep the replies coming in please. Does anyone suggest another way of getting qualified? Cheers, All Jobs

 

[ezzzekiel]

I would study and sit the regs course early on (not difficult) then do the 2391 which will give you some credability within the industry ( quite a tough exam but with plenty of study can be done)

Been a napit member for years and they pretty much do what they say on the tin

But remember at the end of the day you sign the certs so the buck stops with you
Best of luck with it all