ATl COurse - Looking to retrain to become an electrician

[IlfordSparky]

Dear All,

I'm on the verge of signing up for the ATL course to become a 'Full Scope Electrician'. I've been told that I'll complete the 2357 Level 3, then the 2382, 17th Edition, 2377, PAT and then i'm PART P compliant. After this i have the option to go for the 2391.

Course is divided into 40 modules, some look easy, some more involved.
Total of 8 weeks on site training but they expect the course to take around 18 months if i was to spend 1 hour per day. I think i can devote more time as I'm currently not working.

My previous background is IT related but I'm a competent DIY'er and generally a physics/electronics/maths orientated person. I think I can handle the material.

The total cost of the course is £5770 but split into manageable monthly instalments.

My questions are as follows:
1. Is it a worthwhile course to take from a good provider - i am intent on pursuing this career?
2. Is it value for money?
3. Is there any way to circumvent the process and reduce the timeframe - i genuinely feel i can do it quicker than 18 months.
4. Job prospects after having taken this course only and no real on the job experience?

All help and advice much appreciated.

kind regards

 

[Des 56]

This will make good reading,there are 49 pages of advise for you
http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...lified-inexperienced-badged-electricians.html

 

[mhar]

Before signing up I would definitely go to your local college for a chat.
I only had to do years 2 and 3 of the 2330 because of my level knowledge. However I did have to sit the year 1 exams in order to qualify for the level 3. Tuition costs approx £800 per year.
I started the course full of confidence, gradually realised how much I didn't know and slowly had my confidence rebuilt but this time on the basis of real acquired knowledge.
The interaction with the teachers and the other students is invaluable

 

[IlfordSparky]

Thanks mharries!
i'll speak to my local college right away!

 

[murphyosama]

mate if you like tracing faults , pulling cable , climbing in atticks , making sure everything is bonded , calculating the right size acles foe loads is for you well go for it

 

[Welchyboy]

Do a bit of research mate, things like 'become an electrician in 5 weeks course rip-off' believe me even with good basic knowledge doing all these courses without any on the job training , it will go in one ear and out the other, and make no sense to you, there is no quick short cut, and employers wont touch you! You will be in the same boat as thousands of other mugs who have spent many thousands of pounds for nothing! You MUST get on the job training then start college doing a the cg 2330 which will take a few years so you can apply what you learn and you work around people who can guide you, even after this you will still be green as grass, don't waste your cash do it properly!!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

we could have a competition in here couldn`t we....called `guess how many be a sparks in 5 week threads we get in a week` lol...to the O/P....do yourself a favour mate and go to college will you....forget 5 weeks...10 weeks what ever they have filled your head with...its rubbish mate..lol....take a look at all the other threads that have been started in here...and thats just recently....this goes back ages does this one.....look,..its ultimately up to you what route you choose but think on.....if it were just a case of 5 weeks and your in.....why isn`t everyone doing it?...sadly far too many folk are choosing this route and many of em dont have a clue what they are doing out in industry....you should hear what some of em come out with n all...in here and at the wholesalers.....lol.....

 

[ezzzekiel]

Agree put time in and do it properly if you want to join the club

 

[ipf]

Read Des's post 2 and take it in fully. It's all been said before:sleep1:

 

[er_jayesh]

Dear All,

I'm on the verge of signing up for the ATL course to become a 'Full Scope Electrician'. I've been told that I'll complete the 2357 Level 3, then the 2382, 17th Edition, 2377, PAT and then i'm PART P compliant. After this i have the option to go for the 2391.

Course is divided into 40 modules, some look easy, some more involved.
Total of 8 weeks on site training but they expect the course to take around 18 months if i was to spend 1 hour per day. I think i can devote more time as I'm currently not working.

My previous background is IT related but I'm a competent DIY'er and generally a physics/electronics/maths orientated person. I think I can handle the material.

The total cost of the course is £5770 but split into manageable monthly instalments.

My questions are as follows:
1. Is it a worthwhile course to take from a good provider - i am intent on pursuing this career?
2. Is it value for money?
3. Is there any way to circumvent the process and reduce the timeframe - i genuinely feel i can do it quicker than 18 months.
4. Job prospects after having taken this course only and no real on the job experience?

All help and advice much appreciated.

kind regards

lkfdfkdklfdkfldfkldfkdl;fkldfdsfkdfldfd

 

[er_jayesh]

hi i m new in this forum,

i've also enrolled in electrician course with ATL

 

[shell91]

Hi.

im really thinking about enrolling in this course. ive had a meeting with a tutor to discuss doing this exact course!! same cost same course overview.

can you tell me if you did enrol? and if you recommend it?

Thankyou

 

[Johnuk]

ps this don't make u a full electrician, it make u a domestic installer

 

[Welchyboy]

I finished one of these courses five weeks ago, after quitting my last job in mcdonalds and now I have my own business and an set to earn around £50k this year, they are great!
I mean why would anyone bother doing these apprentiship thingys that are so hard to get, or going to college for like 3 years plus when I've crammed it all into a few weeks ?? Amazes me, what idiots!
After all it's basically only red to red and black to black, the light comes on and job done! On to the next poor soul, erm...I mean customer

 

[Johnuk]

I finished one of these courses five weeks ago, after quitting my last job in mcdonalds and now I have my own business and an set to earn around £50k this year, they are great!
I mean why would anyone bother doing these apprentiship thingys that are so hard to get, or going to college for like 3 years plus when I've crammed it all into a few weeks ?? Amazes me, what idiots!
After all it's basically only red to red and black to black, the light comes on and job done! On to the next poor soul, erm...I mean customer

I liked to see that mate you will never earn 50k

 

[adams19811]

im doing a atl sparks course and ive got to say im learning a lot they made it clear from the start it wont take 5 weeks to pass more like 18 months to 2 years and now im on it im seeing there point i would recomend them if you carnt get in to college or you want to work as well as traine

 

[adams19811]

you sound a bit of a cowboy and a joke to be honest with you

 

[Hobsoni]

I have said it before and I will say it again. There are two ways to get to the top, you can either take the lift or the stairs. The lift might be quicker.........but you will see a whole lot more if you take the stairs.

 

[curt.platt]

Im currently doing the 2357 ATL course now and am about half way through the electrotechnical training they offer. 5-10 weeks is absolute rubbish, I started june 2011 and am on module 17 of 32. I wasn't in a position to go to college so decided it would be best for me to do the course around my job and so far I am pretty happy with the way the course has played out.

However there are a few things I can fault ATL with. You are told that when you complete module 12 you are eligible for practical training on the condition that you pass a online hour long h&s exam. If you fail said exam you have to wait a 7 days until you can attempt the exam again, also if you fail you are not told what questions you have answered incorrectly so you have no idea where you need to go back and revise. on my third attempt I passed but I was suspicious due to answering more or less the same questions with the same answers. I then phoned ATL to book my practical assessments and was told there were no dates available and they did not know when they would be vacancies, I left it two weeks and rang again (on a friday) to enquire if they had any idea and I was told I was booked in for the following monday (work loved it when i sprung that one on them) When I got to the practical centre other students told stories of their similar frustrations with the h&s exam and had said they had been waiting up to 14 months to be allocated practical assessments dates.

The course material is good but not great, I have invested in other work books also because the ATL course books have numerous spelling mistakes and out of date references to the wiring regs. oh and also not to mention that when I came to the module that was entitled along the lines of 'how to reference BS 7671' the exam is now 5 years out of date because it is referencing the 2008 version not with the 2011 amendments. which reminds me I was one of the lucky students at the practical weeks who managed to receive all of my course materials, some students were given the red version of the regs and also some not sent the on-site guide which is apart of the materials "provided".

right now Im waiting for module 17 to be marked (which they are very good at doing on time which takes 5 days) and then upon completing module 18 I can apply for my second two weeks practical assessments. I will give an update onto this thread when I receive my marks back to let you know what their reply is on waiting time for the assessments.

Hope some of my little rant helps, feel free to send me a PM if you want any other information.

 

[er_jayesh]

Hi Curt,
i m also in same boat, failed h&S 2 times now waiting for 7 days for 3rd attempt,
which center u visited for practical training ? how u finding training centers ?