thinking of training with train 4 trade skills

[ads fixer]

hey,
I'm thinking of training with these guys doing an NVQ level 3, it's going to take up to 2 years and cost 6 grand. I've got concerns, I've heard that a lot of these courses don't really prepare you for the job and employers aren't that keen on giving jobs to graduates- can anyone tell me how accurate this is please?? thanks adam

 

[Dave 85]

This particular topic has been discussed time and time again here - even in the short term i have been a member of this forum annoying everyone. :hurray:

However it always comes back to the same old thing, its a real chicken and egg scenario. You cant get the work (or do the work) because your inexperienced/unqualified, yet you cant get the experience without having done the work or hold the relevant paper work.

So every young lad and his dog are scrabbling around trying to get on board with a time served spark and hang around him all day watching what hes doing and trying to learn the actual skills necessary to carry out electrical work. But the lads cant get this either - who wants a spotty 18 year old stuck to your face all day when you have jobs to get done? Not many people i can tell you. So trying to break into the trade is hard hard hard work, harder still picking up good, repeat, bill paying work because the competition is immense.

If your too old and already have commitments financially, such as sprogs, mortgage or rent, a girlfriend (by the far the most costly), subscriptions to housewife weekly, whatever, taking the time out of your work to go and re-train for lengthy periods, or drop your hourly wage to £0.46p or whatever it is apprentices are paid these days just isnt feasible. Yet short courses DO NOT teach you what you need to know to get balls-deep, *pardon the expression* into work properly. Likelihood is you will turn up to a job and...

a)brown your pants,
b)make a total hash of what your doing leaving the house with potentially unsafe work being completed
c)both of the above simultaneously

I firmly believe there is no real answer to this - the one thing that is however 100% essential, is the correct knowledge and suitable experience. Both of which take time to acquire. Go to bed and put down your jackie collins novel oi oi, and pick up the regs, OSG, GN3 whatever it is, and read read read. Then when you do land your first job, you can start work confidently knowing where your at. Short courses just churn lads out ASAP, take your £6large and then drag the next batch in. You will learn, dont get me wrong, but you wont learn with your hands. That is where the graft and skill is, that is where you will go wrong without the experience. Knowledge is power, but without knowing how to chase a wall or run your cable, there wont be any power....:dunce:

Completely agree with all of the above

 

[wade88]

Completely agree with all of the above

.....that never happens! How is old sunny high wycombe? I lived there for 4 years on London road but moved back to guildford 18 months ago. I miss the place a little

 

[craigj85]

Don't spend 6 grand on a theory based course that won't get you anywhere. I spent a few hundred quid on a night course doing a 2352 city and guilds (you will do an updated version) which lasted 12 months and used this to show an employer I was serious. I got on with a contractor as an apprentice and got on a training scheme with JTL, they put you through your traing and portfolio and then put you in for an AM2 after 4 years or so. You have to get on-site experience or you'll be wasting your time and a lot of money. No employer will look at you without experience. You need a training provider and an employer. you'll have a better chance getting on with a big contractor plus they'll cover a wider range of work which will make your apprenticeship easier.

 

[Dan]

Just bumping this to bring all contributors to the attention of all the threads we have on our forums about Train 4 Trade Skills.

There have been A LOT of people who feel they have been missold courses by Train 4 Trade Skills. Many taking legal action.

Please see this for electrical course threads on our sparky forum: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=t..._cp.r_qf.&fp=37fc7606ff53045&biw=1500&bih=958
This for plumbing course threads on our plumbing forum: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=t..._cp.r_qf.&fp=37fc7606ff53045&biw=1500&bih=958

 

[willf]

Definitely go the college route. It takes longer but is cheaper and you will be taken a little more seriously by employers. Not only that but any local contractors looking for apprentices will contact their local college first not some online training company.

 

[bartkusal]

I wonder is anyone see 3 and a half year difference between posts 8 and 9, the OP is probably finishing his level 5 engineering diploma by now...

 

[ed-ectrician]

Do it at a local college, I second (third, fourth?!) this one. I was lucky enough to work with a bloke part time at the same time as doing my level 3 and it paid off. I learnt a bit from doing the course and you have to do it to get ahead but the real learning is putting it into practice on the tools.

First fix, they don't teach you that in college - all that stuff is stuff you learn on the tools. I still don't understand why they spend so long on pointless stuff at college and then don't teach you how houses are put together and how you plan your cable routes etc. Work as a mate or even just building labourer for a bit and do the course side by side. When you've got a bit of experience and can hold your own in a conversation about the regs go and hassle the sparks to work for them!