Army

[Panzz]

Hi all, I am new to this website and looking for some advise.

Anyways, I've been recently looking at forums regarding Ex Army Electricians i.e. Ex Royal Engineer Electricians. I have gone through all of the recruitment process to join as a Sapper and have chosen the electrician trade however after looking at other ex army posts they don't seem to be leaving the army with all of the necessary qualifications to be fully qualified and have to take extra courses or haven't gained enough practical experience.

Could anyone advise me on going down the apprenticeship route with the army RE; would it be worth it in the long run and would my skills transfer into civvy street if I decided to leave or would trying to find a civilian apprenticeship be more valuable for my future?

Cheers,


Panzz

 

[Spudnik]

Welcome to electriciansforums.net. Stick around I'm sure you'll like the forum.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

It's a difficult one.
I left the RAF in the late 1980s as a Master Electrican, yet the JIB told me when I applied to them that my qualifications didn't count for anything.
I then took the 2360 at a local college over two years.
During that time, I realised that I didn't need to join the JIB, and as I wasn't having much trouble finding work, didn't bother with them after I'd finished and passed my exams.
I'm not 100% certain, but I believe that the JIB no accept qualifications obtained in the forces, and it may even be that the qualifications are not only the same, but no longer have the code that makes the stand out fronm the civvy qualifications.
I think that you find when you leave, that you will have to get the latest update course for whatever edition or amendment is about at that time, but I doubt that you'll have to re-take all your other exams as used to be the case.

 

[Des 56]

Hi all, I am new to this website and looking for some advise.

Anyways, I've been recently looking at forums regarding Ex Army Electricians i.e. Ex Royal Engineer Electricians. I have gone through all of the recruitment process to join as a Sapper and have chosen the electrician trade however after looking at other ex army posts they don't seem to be leaving the army with all of the necessary qualifications to be fully qualified and have to take extra courses or haven't gained enough practical experience.

Could anyone advise me on going down the apprenticeship route with the army RE; would it be worth it in the long run and would my skills transfer into civvy street if I decided to leave or would trying to find a civilian apprenticeship be more valuable for my future?

Cheers,


Panzz

Welcome
In my opinion you will have very good training
They will no doubt train you with emphasis on the skills relevant to your job in the army,which would be the same situation in any sector you get trained in

I believe that you would also be given opportunity to upgrade or take on skills needed to adapt to civvy street when you are near to finishing up
Being forces trained I believe employers would also look favourably at your applications for work at that time

 

[Panzz]

Thanks for the reply spinlondon. Would your advise then be to try find a civilian company to take me on? Tbh, I don't want to have to take exams and then come out to find none of them are useful, a waste of time and then stuck to get employment.. I'd like to hear from any recent ex armed forces, especially ex royal engineers sparkys to hear of there experiences in the army as a sparky and when they left and what qualifications did they gain while in as this is very important for me to know!


Thanks again

 

[Deleted member 26818]

There's an agency I use called FRS.
Here's a link to their website:FRS - Helping ex Forces & ex military personnel into jobs
They would have a better idea than me.
I believe there's a few other agencies, one I heard of called 'demob', who may also be able to help.
There are some forums about for ex servicemen that you might want to try.
I doubt if the ones I use would be much help to you as they are for the RAF not the RE.
I did used to know a few lads from 33 regiment, but that was a long time ago, so they wouldn't be much help today.

 

[Panzz]

Thanks again spinlondon, I'll check it out.

As I'm not yet in the armed forces my aim is to get advise, people's experience and a general overview of becoming a fully qualified electrician for my future if I choose to leave the army.

My concerns are from reading previous posts by ex royal engineers sparkys is the lack of practical experience and the lack of qualifications gained or lack of transferable civilian qualifications.

Having looked on the army website it says the qualifications you can achieve regarding electrician is C&G Parts 1 and 2 Electrical Installations and a Foundation Modern Apprenticeship. I'm not completely sure but a Foundation Apprenticeship to me seems like it would be less sought after by employers than the Advanced apprenticeship people gain in a lot of civilian apprenticeships.

Anyways, I guess it simply ties down to are you a fully qualified electrician after leaving the army or not, if any ex royal engineer sparkys could clarify this for me.


Cheers everyone.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I don't think there are any REME on the site, which is why I suggested looking at some forums for ex servicemen.
For all I know there's a dedicated site for the RE?

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

 

[Sintra]

Hi & welcome.

 

[jonni770]

I was an electrician in the Isreali army, i was drafted as national service even though im more british than isreali.. any way i trained there as an electrical engineer mainly panel wiring, tempoary distribution from generators and alsio telecoms and networking engineer for security monitiring and survailence. After 2years i recived a engineering degree internaitinally recoginsed Bsc.

If you can get a degree and good training go for it.

 

[brucelee]

I have seen toehrs who have come out the arm and then they get resettlement grants to upgrade there skills if necessarry for civilian life
But wether the torys have cut this i know not as it seems they cut everything else jsut wish someone would cut them and labour and have a totally civillian government and not some Tory millionaires with there middle class liberal lap dogs

good luch more the used to be a meber called ex army and a few others who have been in RAF or navy I think spin is on the right track

and by the way welcome to the forum

 

[Geordie Spark]

:welcome:

 

[pete555]

welcome to the forum it will help you alot


if you were polish or some other east European then qualifications would not matter as long as you were cheap

 

[johnboy6083]

I'm an ex Sapper, as is my best mate. I was medically discharged before I completed the AM2, which meant I left with nothing. My mate left with his 2360 part 2, AM2 and 16th edition.
he still had to pay to do the NVQ 3.
i had to take the exams for the 2330 L3, and do the NVQ3, and I've done extra since.
The army do not give you anywhere near the amount of practical experience needed to be a competent installation sparks.
The theory instruction is second to none.
Since leaving the army, I've had no problems getting work, and I've found that I picked up the experience and knowledge fairly quickly. This was down to a good foundation of theory, and a desire and determination to improve myself.

i would seriously advise anyone who's leaving the forces having qualified whilst inside to consider working as a mate for a while before going it alone. The amount I learned was unbelievable.

 

[KWCFC]

The army do not give you anywhere near the amount of practical experience needed to be a competent installation sparks.

Forgive me if this is a daft question, but if you joined the army as an electrician but wasnt actually doing alot of electrical work, then what was you doing?

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Square bashing.

 

[Elmer BeFuddled]

Square bashing.

Or shooting things at Johnny Foreigner.

 

[johnboy6083]

Forgive me if this is a daft question, but if you joined the army as an electrician but wasnt actually doing alot of electrical work, then what was you doing?

as a Sapper your first trade is a soldier, your second combat engineering, your third is your specialist trade.

i was never on active service, but from those I know who did go, most electrical work is done by civilian contractors.

The RAF and navy sparks tend to get much more experience, as they are often the only people who look after their kit, where as the camps and general wiring is in kit form, ie not proper installation work.

 

[not clever]

Panzz why not ask those that are already there mate, go to the arrse forum , go to "boards by arm" find the sappers board & ask the horses mouth so's to speak.........
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