I've never completed an apprenticeship but wish I had, just for that little piece of paper I could shove down the throats of some people who do not view people taking short courses as electricians. These people are just a**holes because heaven forbid I might turn up and do a better job for less as I work faster and are more driven as a younger, newer electrician. I appreciate that the drive wears off but I wouldn't turn my nose up at some one unless after meeting them it was clear that they didn't have a brain. I took a route from the DIY/builder option did the 17th, 2382, registered with elecsa, went and got some more experience, went back and completed 2394/2395/2377/2399, first time. So It annoys me when I see more experienced sparkies and the sparkies lemmings, who don't take pride in the work they have been awarded, often coming in like a bull in a china shop and leaving like a bull with a red hot poker shoved up it's ---, all for the thrill of going down the pub on Friday to brag about the 20k job he's just nailed out in 3 days. You need to be quick but safe.
Whether it be old pro's new Electrical Trainee or the middle ground, your always going to find those that do a rough job and really don't know their --- from their elbow but you have to understand the general consensus here in that a Electrical Trainee cannot be what used to be a well educated, respected and appreciated title of been an Electrican. The required knowledge and experience that was needed long before the Electrical Trainee ever existed was high and came with a low pass rate.... Nowadays you can be maths iliterate have no real knowledge of physics and still pass these courses, this in itself is evidence of how much its dumbed down... so
Have you been taught about motors and there controls
Have you passed a course section on MICC and how to terminate it
Have you done a course section on fault finding, recognising symptoms and dangers associated with them
Have you been taught how to design a full factory lighting install using various systems, contactors, inductive peak inrush calcs of multiple fittings etc
Have you been educated in how to interpret and apply to site standard building plans
Have you been fully prep'd on the building regs
The list goes on but before I carry on I make a point that most of the above list has now been dropped from the full term college courses and has to be taken as advanced courses where available, so for someone to tell me that the highly respected title of Electrician I earned over 4 years of block release has not only been dumbed down on the full course but has and even more shockingly been chopped down for a Electrical Trainee course then yes It disgruntles me.. It is not a personal attack on you but your just a victim of the system, anyone doing a Electrical Trainee course and hitting the domestic sector to me is nothing more than a domestic installer... just enough info to wire a house and no more.
You cannot cram 3 - 4 yrs into 5 weeks without stripping it down a lot, one of my block release was typically 4-5 weeks long 5 or 6 times a year for 4 years ... that makes my training times actually in college 20x longer than a Electrical Trainee so I ask you to put yourself in my shoes and others on here like Tony who see the full courses dumbed down and these magic Electrical Trainee instant spark course produce 'Electricians' who believe they are somehow equivalent in education and knowledge and I say that negating our experience so as not to use it as an advantage.
If we were Chef's here its like we learned how to dish up a michelin class meal and now we watch the new generation with the abilities to work only in a school canteen yet still think they acheived the same in college as we did because the title is the same.... sadly this is not the case.
I personally don't turn my nose up at any individual whatever course they did but if they are Electrical Trainee they have to realise they are nothing like educated to the same level as the full term set, these courses were designed for people with existing electrical knowledge and background as a means just to get the paperwork and polish off what they already know unfortunately the scam providers abused it with false advertising and aiming at the wrong sector of people wirh no knowledge or experience, so I take offense when anyone choosing this route somehow puts themselves on the same par as the full coursed people, if you respect your education route has only given you limited Electrical knowledge then I have no issue but it a big bug bear when you find Electrical Trainee and even full term qualified not understanding basic theory and reflecting it in there question ... we would have never passed not knowing some of the questions posted on here yet its all becoming to familiar and the norm sadly.
