A JIb card being held up as proof of competence ? as old Ebeneezer would say "Humbug"
Well,I have never in my life, held or needed a Jib card ( or even an "How to wear an hard hat Cis card" or whatever pathetic piece of paper they now require) and I have worked on sites large and small and in all sectors
In my self employed years,the Jib card has been completely irrelevant
The Jib card may have at one time, when it was introduced, became a yardstick for proof of competence
That is no longer the case,which is evident by the recent revolt by the large employers
At one time,membership of the ETU was by far the most recognised and accepted demonstration of some sort of aquisition which deemed a person an electrician
The world we live in is driven almost uniquely by low cost service, whatever industry you are in
If the item or the person can produce that outcome,any other factors/ like in our case competence. its just an added burden which only comes to light if there is dispute between the customer and the service provider (that is the reason there are so many issues with fast track sparks)
The market wants low cost,the finance is not there for adequate all round training, aka apprenticeships, because of those low costs, so its left to the individual to find his way.
The consequence is sparks trained with a narrow learning curve,mainly domestic installation
Changes in commercial and industrial installation are being pressured to follow this narrow skill base,hence the future disintegration of the Jib flag
JIb is not the answer,its like me,its best years have passed by
Electricians are not "being" devalued,they "have" been devalued and I mean status not monetary