What qualifications are required to work on domestic buildings?

[allthequestions]

Hi Everyone,

I would like to first start off with a little about myself, I am 19, live in Scotland, 3.5 Years through my apprenticeship as an electrical technician in the oil and gas industry. I currently have my HNC in electrical engineering and am about to complete my SVQ level 3 in electrical engineering.

I have always worked in the industry and never done any domestic work. I did a little bit on inspection and testing and the regulations while at college but nothing too detailed. I work with both 3 phase and single phase systems here. Also do plenty of work on other industrial stuff such as protection relays, high voltage equipment, generators, motors etc. I was wondering what courses/tests/qualifiactions would be required for me to work on domestic properties at the end of my apprenticeship in a few months? Feel free to tell me how you got into the industry and what qualifications etc you had when you started as all information would be helpful.

 

[Engineer54]

How can you complain about under-qualified installers working on domestic, and then argue against someone with the 'proper' training and qualifications going into domestic. It doesn't stack up.

Either you think that everyone working on electrics should be a fully qualified electrician or you don't.

If you read my posts here again, it most certainly does stack up as you put it!!

I think there is a bit of a major difference between being a fully trained installation electrician (eg C&G's/NVQ 3) and a HNC trained Technician/Junior Engineer, don't you??

C&G qualifications are and always have been classified as ''Tradesman'' qualifications, whereas the ONC/HNC - OND/HND are professional route biased qualifications overseen, administered and issued by a completely different authority.

 

[baldsparkies]

If you read my posts here again, it most certainly does stack up as you put it!!

I think there is a bit of a major difference between being a fully trained installation electrician (eg C&G's/NVQ 3) and a HNC trained Technician/Junior Engineer, don't you??

C&G qualifications are and always have been classified as ''Tradesman'' qualifications, whereas the ONC/HNC - OND/HND are professional route biased qualifications overseen, administered and issued by a completely different authority.

Totally agree.

As I remember (long time back)
When serving my apprenticeship, we attended day release and the City and Guilds 236.
The first 2 years were certified as 1st year part 1 2nd year part 2, and that was under the UEI banner, Union of electrical institutes.
I remember half a dozen lads being pulled out at this stage because they worked for a company covering domestic installations only.
The rest of us were commercial sparks and carried on for a further year which covered the C&G B certificate in electrical installation work. So 3 years to date.
A hand full of us decided to cover the C certificate, but we did this on our own backs, at evening classes, twice a week.
We were told by the college that this was a technical grade.
I remember as a young lad, that my mates were earning a small fortune with all the available overtime.
That was one reason why once I had the C cert, I decided to call it a day.
Other than the 2391 and those silly 16th edition and 17th edition courses, its as far as I have needed to go.
I do remember when getting the JIB approved gold card, that I was able to get the Site managers card because of the C cert.
Jib even wrote to me saying my gold card should be updated from approved to technician, but something I never did.
I do remember those lads pulling out after the second year though, and thinking of housebashers as not needing the level of qualifications a commercial sparks needs.
With all this in mind ONC/HNC and OND/HND would be like asking a commercial airline pilot to drive a Tesco HGV.
Terrible waist of qualifications.

 

[ian.settle1]

Hi Everyone,

I would like to first start off with a little about myself, I am 19, live in Scotland, 3.5 Years through my apprenticeship as an electrical technician in the oil and gas industry. I currently have my HNC in electrical engineering and am about to complete my SVQ level 3 in electrical engineering.

I have always worked in the industry and never done any domestic work. I did a little bit on inspection and testing and the regulations while at college but nothing too detailed. I work with both 3 phase and single phase systems here. Also do plenty of work on other industrial stuff such as protection relays, high voltage equipment, generators, motors etc. I was wondering what tests would be required for me to work on domestic properties at the end of my apprenticeship in a few months? Feel free to tell me how you got into the industry and what qualifications etc you had when you started as all information would be helpful.

Book an appointment with your doctor to arrange for tests in hospital before they perform a Lobotomy operation

 

[baldsparkies]

Talking of airline pilots vs HGV drivers.
Reverse the situation, and this is what you get :icon12:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PoJgW8y6_k

 

[Razzmond]

I'm no expert but I can tell you what others told me. I work as a Sparks mate for a firm that does Minimal domestic. Bit of industrial and alot of agricultural (Which I suppose is effectively industrial. SWA Metal conduit etc etc) but the industrial side is where everyone I know has advised me to go. We subbed to a company that does controls for boiler houses plant rooms and the like. Not only did I find that much more interesting but the more experienced lot reckon its the way to go.

 

[7029 dave]

Right, I am putting me head on the block, there are domestics Electricians and monkeys, there is/was an skill to it, my rewires you would not even know I had been there, just new accessories would be the clue. Pull down most conduits/cavities, but then again that was then.

 

[Dcf]

The oil game us looking shaky at the moment with a lot of pay offs looming
i can't blame the lad for looking for a fork in the road should it come down to it.
as was highlighted earlier there is a hell of a lot more houses than factories
my advice for him if he wants to get a bit of experience in domestic work get someone that he knows to show him the ropes
cos it's been proven with the short course installer pish that you just can't pick it up by yourself.

knowing your house types and structures is the key to getting routes down to the board etc.
in a neat and quick fashion of course.
no one is gonna pay you in the domestic market for running Galv conduit around the living room and leaving holes to drive the 46 bus through ,cos you can't find a route now are they?
wtf happened to being an all rounder anyway?

 

[Knobhead]

How can you complain about under-qualified installers working on domestic, and then argue against someone with the 'proper' training and qualifications going into domestic. It doesn't stack up.

Either you think that everyone working on electrics should be a fully qualified electrician or you don't.

Read Matthew 25:14-30

 

[Engineer54]

The oil game us looking shaky at the moment

Don't believe a word of that rubbish, the oil and gas companies are the biggest profit making companies out there and will be for many years to come.

 

[Guest125]

Don't believe a word of that rubbish, the oil and gas companies are the biggest profit making companies out there and will be for many years to come.

Saying this I heard only this morning that Apple now earn more profit than a lot of oil companies. Pretty impressive.

 

[andyelectric]

Using full qualified electricians for domestic wiring I agree with.

Using qualified engineers to wire domestic I don't agree with, not really using there skill base.

According to many this lad is in no way, shape or form an engineer as he is not registered.

 

[shanky887614]

Saying this I heard only this morning that Apple now earn more profit than a lot of oil companies. Pretty impressive.

not really, the iphone costs them say $200+ to make and they sell for $750-950

now thats profit, they use cheap chinese labour usually through foxconn.

apple products all have massive markups, they can do it because they control the apple market

 

[Guest125]

not really, the iphone costs them say $200+ to make and they sell for $750-950

now thats profit, they use cheap chinese labour usually through foxconn.

apple products all have massive markups, they can do it because they control the apple market

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[shanky887614]

And a barrel of oil costs about $30 to produce and although now it is at $70 it was unto $150 for some time.

yea but apple buys most of the parts from itself so it pays less tax.

starbucks etc got in trouble for this in the uk because it was either just break even or losing money

 

[Guest125]

yea but apple buys most of the parts from itself so it pays less tax.

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