Who's out there with what qualifications????? Not many!!!!!

[Andyrc]

As a Contract Spark, I:E Commercial/Industrial contracts, I am regulary getting E-mails about jobs from Various web sites, And I see what people/Companies/Agencies are asking for? Wether it be? 17th -JIB-2391-IPAF-PTS-CONFINED SPACE TICKET-CLEAN WATER CERT etc etc etc, I think you know what I mean? And you/we are just NOT out there, Even people with 17th or JIB? as a Minimum, Deff VERY VERY few with 2391, As they seem to keep advertising for weeks and weeks, which tells me WE are not out there? Any way there is a Offical shortage of Sparks/plumbers etc out there in the UK, So How some of these people think ? we are out there and have these Qualifications is Beyound me, please DONT tell me there is , I know there is not, as I tend to get around the UK, working and dont come across them, Does'nt mean they arnt decent sparks thou! Andy 15th/16th/17th JIB-ECS-CSCS-IPAF,

 

[rocker]

I think you'll probably find it's more to do with them paying eight quid an hour.

 

[RWJ]

Eight quid!! that's alot compared to what I've seen offered. Asda pay better!

 

[Mikehull]

An agency job popped up last week on directgov and it was £7-8.50 an hour had to be fully qualified! Also saw one a while back wanting every qualifaction under the sun plus ur own PAT tester for like £9 an hour!

 

[tonys]

Ive applied to a few adverts asking for JIB Approved ECS, CSCS, 2391, 15th, 16th 17th etc and never get a reply. So not going to lay out more £££ to update my expired IPAF tickets and certainly not going to get any more certs.

Building data bases for future works or just taking details to sell on imo. Basically Agency Tramps again.

They should try advertising for Part P, plenty of them out there to put on their data bases.

 

[i=p/u]

i reckon could be training providers just advertising but no jobs

 

[flyingsausage]

There is now an training industry to make money out of us,which basicaly runs along side the agencies to rip us off.The Jobcentre website just seems to be full of short term and poorly paid agency work and they want every ticket under the sun.
The sad fact is they want money from you to renew your card and you have to do a CSCS or ECS course to get a new one.
All the job adverts now want different tickets and no employer is willing now to put anyone through any course, which makes matters worse.In the long term this will only get worse.
Tonys is right in his opinion that he shouldn't have to put any more money out to renew is IPAF ticket and I do agree with him.But it may end up costing him work as some adverts are only looking for sparks with IPAF.
Another point with all these different tickets (I have plenty of them) is you do not get a penny extra than the sparls next to you who only has his ECS.

 

[tonys]

Its coming down to everybody being self sufficient, but agency Tramps and the Tramp Employers who use then don't want to pay the rates.

I will not spend another dollar on another course etc to satisfy some mug sitting behind a desk with no skills calling themselves recruitment consultants, they are out and out Scroungers and not needed.

 

[flyingsausage]

What really gets to me is they all want you to be 17th Edition now and how is there no central fund SJIB or JIB to pay for it.My last throw off the dice is booking up and paying nearly £1000 to go on the survival course for offshore work, it might be a waste of money, I will find out when I get it.Every company I tried was not willing to pay to put anyone through it.
Last week I tried twenty different agencies and companies about putting me through the PTS course only to get a big fat no from everyone off them and get told to give them a phone once I had it.
If I am having these problems I know alot off other sparks will be in the same boat.

 

[tonys]

Mate

Something is going to give and Ive said it before, I really hope employers who use agency Tramps suffer the most and go pop. If they can pay and agency £20+ an hour for a spark then they can pay the spark direct at £18 and the money saved can help employ a person to look after the subcontract side of admin and get rid of the middle Tramps.

 

[flyingsausage]

I've spent a fortune in the last two years on courses and will need to do the 17th this year and I am still not working.
I did get offered a job this morning for £12 an hour all hours and when I said I was an approved electrician and could they put £2 on the rate I was told the job was postponned(lies).I have no doubt that they were on the phone and another spark took it.
I lost a job two weeks ago for water treatment (have DOMS and EUSR cards) but they wanted a confined spaces ticket as well.
Where does it end?

 

[flyingsausage]

In the last few years the amount of tickets you need to keep yourself working has been getting worse.You can't keep putting money out on tickets just to get a months work here or there,there are alot of people making money out of us because most electrical contracters are bad apples
1 Electricial contractors themselves saving money employing sparks through agencies and not paying for any training.
2 Agencies for making money out of taking money out of your pocket
3 Payment companies they make money out of charginto pay your tax(if they do?)
4 Training providers they make money out off every ticket and useless course you have to do.
5 SJIB and JIB have the cheek to charge you to renew your grade cards
There will be a few more I can't think off the top of my head but 1+2+3+4+5= Average spark trying to make aliving

 

[johnboy6083]

definately understand where your coming from mate. my confined space cert has just run out, and im wondering whether to renew or not. I havent replied to any adverts that needed it, but it may of got me a job over somebody else, as i have worked on jobs using my confined spaces

 

[flyingsausage]

definately understand where your coming from mate. my confined space cert has just run out, and im wondering whether to renew or not. I havent replied to any adverts that needed it, but it may of got me a job over somebody else, as i have worked on jobs using my confined spaces

I am just wondering how much does a confined spaces course cost?

 

[Guest123]

I am just wondering how much does a confined spaces course cost?

Mine, which had to be approved by my local health board as it was for work on their sites was £360!!

Also has anyone else had to do the SST recently???