Tradeskills4u: Bronze Domestic Installer Course

[ElectricBob]

I've been seriously considering doing the Bronze Domestic Installer Course offered by Tradeskills4u at their Warrington training center. My objective is to become qualified to safely and legally carry out electrical work in domestic properties. I'm not currently interested in commercial or industrial work.

I've had a look around this forum and can see that Tradeskills4u has previously been a hot topic of debate on here with some mixed feelings. I'm slightly concerned by some of the advertising on the Tradeskills4u website and was wondering what people thought about these specific claims that they make in relation to the Bronze Domestic Installer Course:

"This 18 day course includes the training you'll need to be a qualified Domestic Electrical Installer and register on a Domestic Installer Scheme"

Is it really the case that you can do this and then immediately register (and get on) a domestic installer scheme such as NICEIC (assuming you can provide 1 example of your work).

"The skills learnt on this course will enable you to carry out all kinds of installations in a domestic setting. Essentially you will be competent and safe to work on any kind of domestic project, be that a house re-wire, extension or simple jobs such as new sockets and light fittings"

"Once you have completed this course you will have the skills, knowledge and qualifications to enable you to find employment or work on a self employed basis as a domestic electrical installer. In fact the majority of people who train on this course go on to set up as self employed domestic electricians."

Are you really going to be competent enough to immediately set up on a self employed basis after completing the 18 day course? This also just seems too good to be true.

So, quality of the training that they allegedly provide aside, are these specific claims valid or are Tradeskills4u misleading customers in their advertising for this course?

 

[Andy78]

It's completely misleading, end of.

Ask yourself if you reasonably think whether years of learning can be crammed into 18 days ? Would you be happy if someone with 18 days training and no experience came to rewire your house ?

It is true that the NICEIC would entertain your membership, but they have been a huge driving force in the watering down of skills in favour of their profit for years now.

 

[westward10]

Lost for words, 18 days Andy says it all.

 

[Dan]

@Tradeskills4u - see what they mean, they should respond I'd have thought. They're a reputable firm. We have seen many come and go over the years and they've always had good feedback from what I can tell.

 

[Andy78]

@Tradeskills4u - see what they mean, they should respond I'd have thought. They're a reputable firm. We have seen many come and go over the years and they've always had good feedback from what I can tell.

They may be a reputable firm and I see from their website that they offer many different courses, but this particular course is misleading in the way it is designed and marketed in my opinion.

 

[Dan]

That's a totally fair comment matey. Not being a spark myself, I know nada other than what I read on here. Unlike the Train 4 Trade Skills type affair, these guys are usually always awesome.

18 days though. Surely the industry isn't setup to allow that?

 

[Andy78]

That's a totally fair comment matey. Not being a spark myself, I know nada other than what I read on here. Unlike the Train 4 Trade Skills type affair, these guys are usually always awesome.

18 days though. Surely the industry isn't setup to allow that?

Depends who you regard as the industry ? Those that do this course alone certainly would not gain employment as an electrician with any decent company, and would never be allowed on any large site to work as an electrician.

Note that on completion of this course they are offered a £50 discount on membership with a certsure scheme. This is a blatant collusion to get the maximum number of applicants through the doors of both the training centres and the schemes.

They encourage self employment for those that complete the course as they know if they seek employment they will find out they have been well and truly fleeced. Best for business to unleash them on the public directly.

 

[Des 56]

How does that course compare to a traditional route I wonder ?

example,
You could do a year full time in college
Follow that with a full day and an evening each week for the next three years
You could, whilst learning the practical, work under the close supervision of a time served electrician
Maybe after 4 years you could take your first real independent steps to become a competent sparks (hopefully whilst still maintaining access to those more experienced in much of what is practised)
After a few more years you may be in a position to impart your experience to the next dedicated student


The 18 day course would have to be very intense, your average practising spark would no doubt be relieved
he had not had to have taken that route
I think the 4 year effort was intense enough for most of them,compressing that effort into 18 days would be just too much for them to handle
Whimps all of them !

I suppose just concentrating on Domestic work, much of the practical skills may not be relevant,however,the theory is needed whatever sector one enters
In the end you have to make your own decision,good luck whatever

 

[sparkdog]

Essential tools to be an electrician big lump hammer & bolster chisel.

 

[Pete999]

It's completely misleading, end of.

Ask yourself if you reasonably think whether years of learning can be crammed into 18 days ? Would you be happy if someone with 18 days training and no experience came to rewire your house ?

It is true that the NICEIC would entertain your membership, but they have been a huge driving force in the watering down of skills in favour of their profit for years now.

Well said Andy 78

 

[Joshua]

To be honest the whole qualification system needs an overhaul, for example I've just finished my NVQ3 and I've got my Gold Card, I've been on site 6 years but I know there's still things I need to learn. There are others I've worked with that have next to no experience and have got their NVQ and Gold card because they knew how to take a picture and put it in a portfolio.

Then there's the time served sparks who may only have their 2330 or 2360 and 2391 but because they've not taken a few pictures they aren't called electricians. Surely the AM2 can demonstrate your practical competence much more than an NVQ Portfolio ever can.

 

[RM11541]

My personal feeling, having done the 2365, is that theses intensive courses give you a good intro and enable you to work as a mate/improver with some experience.

 

[westward10]

To be honest the whole qualification system needs an overhaul, for example I've just finished my NVQ3 and I've got my Gold Card, I've been on site 6 years but I know there's still things I need to learn. There are others I've worked with that have next to no experience and have got their NVQ and Gold card because they knew how to take a picture and put it in a portfolio.

Then there's the time served sparks who may only have their 2330 or 2360 and 2391 but because they've not taken a few pictures they aren't called electricians. Surely the AM2 can demonstrate your practical competence much more than an NVQ Portfolio ever can.

You say there are time served sparks, the skilled people of the industry in my opinion who because they haven't taken a few pics aren't called electricians, well what are they then and what makes an electrician.

 

[Joshua]

You say there are time served sparks, the skilled people of the industry in my opinion who because they haven't taken a few pics aren't called electricians, well what are they then and what makes an electrician.

I think if you have all your technical certs and testing qualifications along with the AM2 with a reference from an employer then you should be able to get your Gold card.

I've got my level 2 and 3 2330 and Level 3 NVQ with no AM2 and I've got a gold card.
In my opinion I still view myself as an advanced trainee because I haven't got my testing and I've not had enough experience with metal containment.

If they changed it so all you needed for a gold card is your technical certs, AM2, 17th Edition and Testing then I think it would separate the skilled electricians from the improvers. It's very easy to fabricate a good NVQ Portfolio, it's not as easy to pass the AM2 and Testing Qualification if you don't know what you're doing.

 

[Pete999]

You say there are time served sparks, the skilled people of the industry in my opinion who because they haven't taken a few pics aren't called electricians, well what are they then and what makes an electrician.

You say there are time served sparks, the skilled people of the industry in my opinion who because they haven't taken a few pics aren't called electricians, well what are they then and what makes an electrician.

Scandalous the way these training centers churn out DIs or Electricians on the basis of a few Photos in a Portfolio, time the training was overhauled, bring back proper Apprenticeships,