best electrician course?

[rob-f]

Hi.
I'm looking to change career from a stonemason to electrician, so I'm not new to the building industry (been doing stonework for 17 years), but have no electrical experience other than a few times I've helped my brother (who is a sparky with over 20 years experience). Read loads about the courses on offer and I'm still not sure which is best. I'm most tempted by the OLCI course, but I'd appreciate any advice on the best course to take as i cant really afford 4 years on low wages as an apprentice.

All comments much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[bnunan66]

4 years will fly by and at the mo you stand a better chance of big site work than an electrician would

 

[VoltzElectrical]

All comments much appreciated. Thanks.

are you sure? lol.

Why not ask your brother if he's got 20 years in, rather than a bunch of strangers on a forum?

Your best bet is to ask him to give you an apprenticeship, so you can get funding for your courses, and get him to pay you top rate so you can actually afford to work and train. Courses are the FIRST step, kind of the underpinning knowledge if you like, but will NEED on site sparking experience too. Experience and college go hand in hand. But bills still need to be paid.

Its a bloody juggling act for you mate.

Good luck

 

[VoltzElectrical]

oh, can I add, these courses will rape you, so the ONLY way in my (and loads of others by the way) opinions is the local college route. Think several hundreds rather than several THOUSANDS of pounds. It doesn't matter if they (OLCI or others) will qualify you in a few weeks rather than a few years, because without the EXPERIENCE it won't be worth the paper anyway. You only get on in this game by doing the TIME. College time and site time. THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS.

 

[yamar1]

oh, can I add, these courses will rape you, so the ONLY way in my (and loads of others by the way) opinions is the local college route. Think several hundreds rather than several THOUSANDS of pounds. It doesn't matter if they (OLCI or others) will qualify you in a few weeks rather than a few years, because without the EXPERIENCE it won't be worth the paper anyway. You only get on in this game by doing the TIME. College time and site time. THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS.

Agree totaly, college teach you the theory and a little on the regs, thats it. the stuff you need to know is learned on site.

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

 

[DNS1]

The man has 17 years experience on site anyway... Got to count for a fair bit...

Rob, do you want to be a domestic installer or a full blown sparky?

I'm wanting to be a domestic installer initially, so I'm doing the theory in my own time and booking myself in with Able Skills in Dartford for the 2382, then getting registered for Part P.

People will rubbish you (rightly or wrongly I don't know at this stage), for not doing the 4 year apprenticeship, but personally I think my donkeys years of house bashing for friends and family (plumbing, plastering, kitchen fitting, carpentry etc) as well as my engineering degree count for something...

From what I've gathered from my studies so far, a huge amount of the really hard part of electrical work is the theory. I don't personally understand how much of that is going to be learnt by making the tea and running the cables as an apprentice.

 

[Dean]

The man has 17 years experience on site anyway... Got to count for a fair bit...

Rob, do you want to be a domestic installer or a full blown sparky?

I'm wanting to be a domestic installer initially, so I'm doing the theory in my own time and booking myself in with Able Skills in Dartford for the 2382, then getting registered for Part P.

People will rubbish you (rightly or wrongly I don't know at this stage), for not doing the 4 year apprenticeship, but personally I think my donkeys years of house bashing for friends and family (plumbing, plastering, kitchen fitting, carpentry etc) as well as my engineering degree count for something...

From what I've gathered from my studies so far, a huge amount of the really hard part of electrical work is the theory. I don't personally understand how much of that is going to be learnt by making the tea and running the cables as an apprentice.

Narrow minded idiot.

 

[DNS1]

Why thank you...

Please can someone enlighten me as to what I'll actually learn from being an "apprentice" that I haven't picked up from my years on the planet.

Apprenticeships were surely always aimed at people who'd left school at 16, with zero life experience...

 

[Dean]

Really?! So in all your years on this planet, of by the sounds of it, odd jobbing. You feel as if your more qualified to work on an electrical installation than someone that carried out an apprenticeship, just because you feel you served an apprenticeship of life of some kind? Do you really need explaining what being an apprentice is?

 

[dim_bulb]

to the op

think best route is with your brother or any contacts he knows who could take you on as a mate.

as you say you dont wont to do the apprentice route which i can understand, perhaps domstic installer route is an idea ring up a scheme providers (elecsa napit niceic or eca) and ask what they require course wise

as for courses 17th ed exam perhaps?

site experience personally is irrelevant as its not linked with electrical its with stone mason skills

hope i have helped you mate

 

[DNS1]

Really?! So in all your years on this planet, of by the sounds of it, odd jobbing. You feel as if your more qualified to work on an electrical installation than someone that carried out an apprenticeship, just because you feel you served an apprenticeship of life of some kind? Do you really need explaining what being an apprentice is?

Would you mind explaining to me exactly the sort of thing that I'd learn from 4 years as an apprentice that I've not going to have picked up over the years, or would pick up from some hard graft with the books.

It's hard to see how an apprenticeship can be helpful to someone in my position, because no-one will ever give me a straight answer...

 

[sparks_114]

Well friend it will come to one of two options IF you want to be fully fledged spark. Several years down the apprentice route or several thousand pounds (best part of £10k) crash courses with the independent training providers. There really is no substitute for experience and since you've spent many years on site you should have no problem with the health and safety and random site rules. The question is do I think if you qualify in say a year as opposed to 4 years will you make the money back? Well I would say in the current climate I am not sure you're going to be much better off qualifying in such a short space of time and with very little electrical experience landing a decent enough a job to make up the thousands spent qualifying. Then again that is going to be your decision as I am not sure if your brother has any role to play with your future prospects as an electrician and whether you have the cash and deem it well spent on becoming an electrician than on a new car?! Now, if you're thinking about a domestic installer course then people are "graduating" by the shed load, pumped out almost like a biscuit factory. The number of part "P" qualifieds knocking on my door alone is amazing, I am sure many will have had the same experience. I personally believe the crash courses are perfect for those who've worked as electrical labourers and mates and need the relevant paperwork to be qualified electricians. As for those joining fresh then yes still there is much to be learned from a good training provider but I doubt it would be anywhere as good as a 4 year apprenticeship with a decent balance of theory and practice. All the best with whatever you choose friend. Cheers

 

[Engineer54]

I take it this Able Skills thing is one of these short training courses that they reckon will turn you into a fully functioning Electrician...lol!!!

The question i have with you, ...is that your telling us here, you have an Engineering Degree!! Yet you think this short training course is going to give you the means to be an electrician?? Something doesn't quite add up to my mind!!!

 

[DNS1]

The question i have with you, ...is that your telling us here, you have an Engineering Degree!! Yet you think this short training course is going to give you the means to be an electrician?? Something doesn't quite add up to my mind!!!

Not at all... As I believe I mentioned, I'm intending to qualify as a domestic installer.

 

[sparks_114]

DNS1, a couple of things, Able Skills are a very good training provider and I know nearly all of the electrical team there, a couple who hold degrees are also among the tutors. So you've made the right choice there. However, even they will tell you there is no substitute for an apprenticeship and while having a chat with the director, who I am also well acquainted with, even he agreed that when you do the domestic installer course you become just that, a qualified domestic installer, and not what most in the trade would refer to as an electrician. To my knowledge all of the tutors agreed to that as well. Now there are many in the trade, myself included, who believe incorrect to put it mildly, for someone to be let loose on electrics on the back of a ten day course. You really need someone with you who really knows what they're doing - someone competent in other words. All the best regardless, hope you make the right choice. Cheers

 

[DNS1]

Thanks for that sparks_114.

One of the reasons I've chosen Able Skills is because they don't bulls**t you about what you'll get, ie: they make the domestic installer/electrician distinction in their brochures, they don't promise the earth in 2 weeks flat.

Believe me, I'm not the type who will do 3 weeks at a training centre and go around advertising as a full blown sparks. My intention is to become a part time domestic installer and PAT tester to get out of my current job and make ends meet whilst going part time at a local college and getting the 2330.

Thanks for your recommendation about Able Skills, I'm sure their tutors will be able to send me on the right track.

 

[Engineer54]

Not at all... As I believe I mentioned, I'm intending to qualify as a domestic installer.

That's the other thing, ....you have an engineering degree and want to be a Domestic installer. So your engineering degree is going to be pretty much worthless for you...

 

[DNS1]

Yep! To be honest!

Not that I regret doing it mind

 

[Engineer54]

So what engineering degree did you gain???