Thinking of training to be a sparky, please post your thoughts

[yorksparky]

Hi. I am considering working towards becoming a qualified electrician. I plan to take the 17th edition course, a place near me do a 3 day course for £540. And then look for somewhere that will take me on as a trainee. What advice do people have? is the 17th edition a good place to start? I have GCSEs, 3 A levels, currently doing a university course that I dont enjoy and will probably drop out of. I have no electrical qualifications yet. Please share your thoughts!

Thanks,

yorksparky

 

[Engineer54]

I think you'll be an absolute fool to throw in your Degree training!! Far better to continue and if you want to be more biased towards the electrical side of things, think about an electrical/electronic HND/HNC part time study to run in parallel with your degree. The opportunities open to you when all your studies are complete, will far outweigh anything you could hope to achieve, even with meaningful C&G, and NVQs AM2 etc, (let alone with just the useless C&G's that these ''quick fix'' training centres want to sell you) which will take you around good 2 years or more to gain anyway!!

You're young, so you want pull your socks-up and get yourself ''motivated'' NOW, because it will be a dam sight harder as you get older, and probably too late then anyway, as you'll also have a family to provide for... I'm afraid the Real World is a lot harder place than most think, when they are young.

 

[RISElectrical]

P.S. a 17th edition 3 day course can be had for £300

 

[highspark]

The simple answer here is don't bother! Nobody is taking on and if they are they want lads with experience on the cheap. The only other way you will get in is cash in hand passing tools to a boss.

 

[RISElectrical]

Lots of people are only taking on year 3 apprentices now. maybe its not financially viable to take on year 1s apparently and because colleges are saying that you only need practical experience for NVQ3 then no point taking on until year 3 so they at least have a theoretical knowledge to start with.

 

[yorksparky]

Ok again thanks for all who gave input. Yes Im sure a degree is great to have... if you have the determination to finish it and get a good grade. I have lost my enthusiasm for all the theory and no practical work. I would love to get a degree but its not for me. Also of my friends who have graduated, they are either earning minimum wage, or "on placement" (working for nothing).

Currently Im driving a morris minor, which is ok for local trips but its too much trouble if I want serious reliable transport. Im thinking a volvo 240 or 850 estate, which can be had for less than the value of the minor anyway! Be sad to see it go though, great little car.

Guy across the road from me has said he may have a job for me this week, just to come along and test me out. We shall see.

Thanks again,

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Generally you have to take other courses before you take 17th edition.
What are your mid-long term plans? Go self employed or work for a company?

Either way, deciding to become a sparky these days does not magically put 30-40k a year on your plate. There are thousands of 'all training and no experience sparkies out there and noone wants em'
Personally Ive always said, if I were gonna take someone on to work for me, the ideal guy would have been a domestic electricians mate for a few years with NO qualifications. Quals are just gonna mean I have to pay him more.

My most important bit of advice is this: Find out weather you will have work to walk into before spending time and money on training. Dont just expect to do a few weeks/months/years at college and have everyone throw money at you, it wont happen.
I had 2 freinds who were willing to use me as a mate on a casual basis lined up before I decided to become a sparky.
I know plenty of people who have spent hundreds/thousands on training and ended up doing completely unrelated jobs.

Rubbish!!....i did my 17th edition and my 2392 BEFORE i went to college....this gave me a head start over the other guys on my course....so you dont need to `take other courses before you take 17th edition`....to the O/P....if i were you i would go down the college route as has already been suggested....

 

[yorksparky]

I think there are usually two versions of the 17th edition courses, an "update" course if you already have the 16th edition and are already an electrician, and then there is the complete course that assumes you have little to no previous knowledge. The end qualification is the same.

 

[Knobhead]

Think you’ll find there’s no update course now the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] amendment came in.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I think there are usually two versions of the 17th edition courses, an "update" course if you already have the 16th edition and are already an electrician, and then there is the complete course that assumes you have little to no previous knowledge. The end qualification is the same.

but dont just think...right then i have the C&G2382...i guess i am now an electrician.....you aint!...and its THIS that the short course providers dont let on....to be recognised as an electrician in this country you need to be a holder of the C&G 2330 levels 2 and 3, NVQ C&G 2356 and the AM2...stuff like the 17th edition course and the C&G 2391 you can do afterwards....but theres nothing to say you cant do the 17th edition course and inspection and testing courses first..before the 2330....it just isn`t usually done that way....thats all.....at the end of it ...its your choice what you do and how you go about it....

 

[yorksparky]

Im aware that the 17th edition course does not make you an electrician. I was considering it to get a start and seem more appealing to employers. But based on what people have said on the forum I am now going to apply to some local colleges for the apprenticeship scheme instead, and look for some work locally if I can find it as the college courses tend not to start until september.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Im aware that the 17th edition course does not make you an electrician. I was considering it to get a start and seem more appealing to employers. But based on what people have said on the forum I am now going to apply to some local colleges for the apprenticeship scheme instead, and look for some work locally if I can find it as the college courses tend not to start until september.

a wise choice you made this day...

 

[yorksparky]

I hope so! parents wont be happy about me jumping ship. But you only live once.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

they can say what they like.....its your choice....so be a man and make it.....never mind anyone else and what they think....

 

[RISElectrical]

Then set about paying your parents back for Uni haha

 

[Adam W]

Rubbish!!....i did my 17th edition and my 2392 BEFORE i went to college....this gave me a head start over the other guys on my course....so you dont need to `take other courses before you take 17th edition`....to the O/P....if i were you i would go down the college route as has already been suggested....

Depends which college you go to. Mine wanted evidence of a 'full' course before enrolling on the 17th edition.