Its the personnel/human resources that don't understand the level of experience and the correct qualifications that are needed to carryout the duties of the the role of an "electrician".
Some years ago I worked as a contractor at a chemical plant and there was an vacancy at the plant for an electrician. The job requirements were the usual spiel, but the qualfications lisred were HND or higher. Non of the electricians or fitters had an HND, and only some had qualifications at all, and most of them were gained in house.
Anyway even if you had the qualifications that were required, you had to sit and pass a basic in house test. Because I was already working there and had a good working relationship with the guys, the superintendant put my name forward to apply for the job. The in house test had actually actually been scrapped and had been changed to a SAT, at the decision of the silly cow who ran the human resources. Non of the maintenance department were actually aware of this, as she was new and this was the first vacancy they had had for a few years.
I sat the SAT, and the level that I got were much lower than the required level that they had set for an electrician? But I was asked if I was a mechanic, as the questions I answered suggested that I was one? After explaining to her that I was indeed an electrician, and wasn't really interested in mechanicing, she told me that there was no way that I was or could be an electrician as I hadn't acheived the level set and I hadn't answered the questions properly.
Anyway, after letting her bang her gums for a few minutes, I told her that I had to get back to work as I was loosing money. Out of interest she asked me where I worked and I told her that I worked on the plant as a sub contract electrician. And she paused and said I couldn't do as I hadn't acheived the required level of the SAT to work as one?
She came into the work shop about a week later, and came to a meeting in the superintendents office, where I was sat within a team along with him, discussing a project. When I asked her about a couple of safety issues that I was concerned about, she went red and wouldn't look at me, but still answered me never the less.
So regarding qualifications, some firms expect a brain surgeon or nuclear physicist with 30 years experience and to be no older than 30, to apply for a canteen ladies job.
- will be working on 3 phase gear and some light SCADA and some maint in buildings too. But no installs except for repairs.
