So confused by different courses to be an electrician!!!

[peehead]

Hey guys and girls. this is my first post as I'm a newbie (yay), I wish to become an electrician doing electrics in peoples house businesses etc but searching on google has turned up so many things and so many courses but nothing is so straight forward as to what qualification I need exactly.

i would like to learn from home but not nessecary but any company reffererls would be good. I live in aldershot hampshire.

please help...

 

[accordfire]

Hey guys and girls. this is my first post as I'm a newbie (yay), I wish to become an electrician doing electrics in peoples house businesses etc but searching on google has turned up so many things and so many courses but nothing is so straight forward as to what qualification I need exactly.

i would like to learn from home but not nessecary but any company reffererls would be good. I live in aldershot hampshire.

please help...

Welcome, firstly.

Not a good idea really to try to learn to be an electrician at home - you need practical skills, experience and training too.

First, best bet would be to talk to your local colleges to find out what's on offer near you - C&G2330 or the one replacing it (I forget - 2356 I think) would be a good start - though I think for the 2330 replacement you also need to be working in the industry in some way.

You *can* sign up to what we affectionately term "five week wonder" courses around here - many offer a twenty odd day intensive package of courses, which are aimed at providing you with 2385, Part P, and 2391 (Testing) among other bits n bobs - thought the reason we call them five week wonders is that whilst that may give you the "qualifications", it doesn't give you any (much) experience - the on site knowledge needed to know you're doing it all safely, not cutting corners, and not leaving something not covered in those courses potentially unsafe.

By all means - do a five week wonder course, but while you're doing that, get on touch with every electrician's firm you can and try to get a job with them for the experience.

I don't know many of the firms in Aldershot, but a Google search will give a list you can phone, or go and see (with a well prepared CV, and promoting the fact that you're taking the initiative by paying your own courses).....but that also is a tough field at the moment, with a lot of "almost" and newly qualified guys chasing the same few vacancies. Don't be put off if it's what you really want to do though - just get ready to slog it out, and keep on at the companies that look best to you.

 

[Paul.M]

Farnbourgh college in aldershot only dose nvq3 and the 17th. You need 2330 level 2 (or similar) and the 17th ed. Maybe call them and ask what colleges in your area do what you need, arrange to meet and go through your options to suit you. Good luck.

Accordfire beat me to it and gave a much better answer. Leave me alone, I've got man flew.

 

[Besim10]

Hey guys and girls. this is my first post as I'm a newbie (yay), I wish to become an electrician doing electrics in peoples house businesses etc but searching on google has turned up so many things and so many courses but nothing is so straight forward as to what qualification I need exactly.

i would like to learn from home but not nessecary but any company reffererls would be good. I live in aldershot hampshire.

please help...

If you want to be an approved electrician you would need the following:-

C&G 2330 L2
C&G 2330 L3
C&G 2356 NVQ3
C&G 2382 17th edition
part p to sign off domestic or 2391 to do that and more including periodic testing

I suggest you only look at providers/colleges offering this training

The '5 week wonder courses' accordfire talks about will train and certify you to work in domestic only but will not really prepare you for the industry like these qualifications will. They are designed for those who already have experience and want basic certification. You can call yourself an electrician but in reality you'll be a domestic installer.