British gas elec courses

[Sharpshooter]

Hi everyone,


I am after some advice/feedback on the British gas six weeks electrician course in Rotherham . I was told it will cost £3995 inc VAT. This is the link " can't post it on here"

I would be ever so grateful if anyone can tell me whether it is worth it or if it is just another one of those come and give me your money for nothing.






""Accredited by City & Guilds, it’s a six week programme, split into modules. ELECSA, the body authorised by Local Government to deliver competent persons scheme enabling you to self certify domestic electrical work, will provide an inspection, assessment and certification service on successful completion of the course.




As an approved contractor on the ELECSA scheme, you enjoy the benefits of a scheme run by electricians for the electrical trade.




The course includes Basic Electrical training for 1 week followed by a 5 week Domestic Electrician Workshop.




This covers the principles and practices of electrical installation work in a domestic environment. Giving you all the benefits of a hands-on practical approach, you enjoy a large proportion of workshop time and a skill level above the national average.




The course allows you to achieve the following qualifications:




· EAL Level 2 Domestic Electrical Installer Scheme




· City & Guilds 2382-12 17th Edition Wiring Regulations




· City & Guilds 2392-10 Fundamental Inspection, Testing and Initial Verification of Electrical Installations




· City & Guilds Accredited Basic Electrical Skills




Course Content:




Basic Electrical Training (one week)




Contains theory and practical sessions covering the fundamental principles of electrical systems.




· Safe isolation of electrical circuits.




· Safe working practices




· Electrical test instrumentation




· Electrical diagrams




· Cable and wiring systems




Domestic Electrician Workshop (5 Weeks)




Topics Include:




· Lighting Circuits




· Power Circuits




· Fixed Equipment Circuits




· Fuse Board Changes




· A variety of wiring and bonding applications in kitchens and bathrooms.




· Requirement of the Electricity at Work Regulations




· Visual inspection of new work.




· Completion of an electrical installation




· Certificate of Minor Electrical Installation




· Works Certificate, Schedule of Inspection and a Schedule of Test Results.




· Testing Techniques.""




Thanks for reading

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry to post it on here.

 

[Worldz]

Tbh mate who ever runs the course be it British gas or some unknown, a six week course is a joke to think you could learn even the basics,

I've been doing it 7 years and I'm still learning and I'm sure there more blokes here with more

Do the course if you really want but I stand by the principle electrics can kill and these short course are a joke and dangerous

Do a apprentiship with colleague or don't touch electrics

 

[Rampantchilli]

id be surprised if you were competent to do the job at the end, but apparently youll have a higher than average skill level, wonder if my 8 yo daughter could do that course and have a higher than average skill level.

anyway quality of training doesnt matter, its 'only domestic'

 

[chrish_1977]

Wow electrical trainee now, guess they have heard our concerns within the Industry and have lengthened the training accordingly

 

[Octopus]

If you haven't any knowledge or electrics or home building/construction these courses won't even scratch the surface. IMHO

 

[Martyc]

I've been at college since September, covered about a third of that stuff at a basic level, still struggling to remember some of it and I feel I'm as close to being an electrician as a retarded inbred chimp with one arm and 3 toes for fingers. Only another 2.5 years to go to finish the course. Can't see how you can cover it in 6 weeks.

 

[p11jor]

Wouldn't waste your money mate everyone's doing a bit of domestic now, I would pump that money into the 2357 at a collage.

Or if you want to give me the £3995 I will forget about the VAT show you a lot more that a house bash pay for all them exams for you to sit.

Two of them quals there 2382, 2392 would cost you about £700 for both and would take 6 days at a local centre by me and have been passed by like lorry drivers. So there is £4300 lurking there for what you could learn from a very basic book.....

I say it to everyone.....it's all well and good paying your 5k and swapping a socket face over, plugging the kettle in and standing back with amazement whilst the thing boils, just wait untill someone responds to that 24hour call out advert in the paper you get there and the lights are out......

 

[oldtimer]

http://www.electriciansforums.net/electrical-courses-electrical-nvqs/70350-am-i-kidding-myself.html

You are just asking the same question as the post above go look at that

 

[rattlehead85]

I've been an electrician for almost 25 years and still find unfamiliar situations on a regular basis so how the hell they say you can have above national standard knowledge after 6 weeks is frankly comical!

 

[ed-ectrician]

I may risk sounding like everyone else on here but I will be honest with you from very recent experience....

Go to proper college, put in the time. 6 weeks - you will learn a bit granted but nothing makes up for taking months and in fact years to actually learn things properly. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE WITH MAKING SOMETHING WORK AND ENSURING IT IS SAFE FOR CONTINUED USE. This is something I have learnt the hard way working with a few muppets ('why do you need to earth class 1 downlights?!')and having to redo their work! It took me 2 years doing night school and working as a mate/labourer and I still feel well out of my depth about half the time!

 

[Sharpshooter]

Thank you all for your advice, it's a bit of a tricky one. College is not an option for me at the moment! I have worked as an electrician mate for a while now on and off with a friend but I am no way a competent person nor confident in the trade. Would those qualifications be enough for someone to start their own business as a sparky?(nothing heavy duty, just domestic).

 

[Guest111]

Thank you all for your advice, it's a bit of a tricky one. College is not an option for me at the moment! I have worked as an electrician mate for a while now on and off with a friend but I am no way a competent person nor confident in the trade. Would those qualifications be enough for someone to start their own business as a sparky?(nothing heavy duty, just domestic).

well you could do it and start your own business,but remember you will not be the only one doing a course like this,times are hard and there are loads of people doing the same thing all with the dream of earning big money,unfortunately the only ones making decent money are the people providing these courses.Selling you a dream that will turn into a nightmare,please save your cash and don,t go there.

 

[thekingiam]

i was wondering why people take these courses no good employer would want to employ these 6 week wonders that only leaves them with one choice and that is to start up on their own!
if that is what you intend doing then god help the public.
to be registered part p you only need 17 th eddition pay scheme scam provider insurance a mft paperwork.
you would be better off paying a sparky to show you the basics and do the full college course then you could get work at the end.

 

[Jdsparky]

If it were me going on a course for six weeks then let out on the general public, I would be sh!t scared, as you wouldn't have a clue in the real world and would feel well incompetent and embarrassed when your customers can tell you don't know what your doing.

I bet anyone paying for a tradesman to come into their house to do any sort of work, if they knew they had only had six weeks training, wouldn't be very happy to 'let them have a go' and have to pay them top dollar for the mess there probably going to end up with. I mean even would you employ and pay a painter who had no experience in painting other than on a course? I wouldn't and what's the worst they could do other than a rubbish paint job, doesn't kill anyone but still wouldn't trust em to do it right after six weeks in the trade.

 

[Sharpshooter]

Again thanks for your response guys, like I said I can get a bit of work/experience now and then. From what I can gather, it is a pointless exercise. Need to speak to my electricians contacts and see if I can get some support if I decide to throw my money at British gas ! This is proving to be a head banger !!

 

[sjhall]

I'm not for discouraging you from becoming an electrician, but I can see from your response your not convinced and you can be different and make it.... Trust me, there are 100's like you, they never make it, it takes years, then after years you come on here and still realise you know only a fraction of what others know. The domestic market is flooded with many who have forgotten more than you will learn in your 1st few years, then there is all the short course new comers.
Experience can't be bought, be it for 5k or 10... It takes time.
Serve your time as a mate/ trainee or apprentice while going to collage, otherwise you will end up on here in a year or 2 selling your tools, it's almost like the cycle of life it's so predictable.

Good luck

Ste

 

[Jay Sparks]

Thank you all for your advice, it's a bit of a tricky one. College is not an option for me at the moment! I have worked as an electrician mate for a while now on and off with a friend but I am no way a competent person nor confident in the trade. Would those qualifications be enough for someone to start their own business as a sparky?(nothing heavy duty, just domestic).

Well if its just domestic then go for it!!! Who cares about the safety of the people in a domestic setting!!!!!
SIGH!!!!!!

 

[Engineer54]

Why not go for a British Gas 6 week Gas fitter course?? ....If they have the cheek to do one that is!!

Jesus, ...God help UK home owners, now being put at risk from both angles!! lol!!

 

[Spoon]

One of the scam providers stared up this sight to find a registered electrical contractor. I put in my post code and there where over 100 contacts. This was just the people who have joined their scam. There are lots out there who are in other schemes.
Electrical Safety Register - Find your local, registered electrical contractor Try your post code and see how many are round your area.
If you think your six week course for 4 grand will make you a living then don't listen to the guys on here that know... as you say its "just domestic" work.

 

[Jay Sparks]

Why not go for a British Gas 6 week Gas fitter course?? ....If they have the cheek to do one that is!!

Jesus, ...God help UK home owners, now being put at risk from both angles!! lol!!

I think there is a 6 weeks ACS course, not sure what quals, if any you need before you can do it.lol
fast food.......fast woman........fast courses.......they all seem exciting but there all bad for you!!!lol

 

[KAS1]

I think if you are hell bent on becoming an electrician, you could apply to as many JIB companies as possible until you can get a position as a labourer. Then after a year or two if you show the right aptitude, you can ask your employer to put you forward for an "Adult trainee grade" and in that situation your course fees will be met by the company/JIB and then who knows three or four years time you may be half way there.

 

[Engineer54]

I think if you are hell bent on becoming an electrician, you could apply to as many JIB companies as possible until you can get a position as a labourer. Then after a year or two if you show the right aptitude, you can ask your employer to put you forward for an "Adult trainee grade" and in that situation your course fees will be met by the company/JIB and then who knows three or four years time you may be half way there.

There lies the problem i'm afraid, that doesn't suit the ''I Want It Now'' attitude of today!!
They want all the long standing rules relaxed/bent so they can wriggle in the back door!!

Same way as no-one saves anymore, for the bigger purchases we all want from time to time. Now it just goes straight on the card, that most can't afford or shouldn't even have...

 

[Zeno]

So even the ECA/ELECSA and British Gas cannot resist getting in on the dirty Scam courses.

Career Change Electical Course

 

[Chris Bailey]

Don't waste your money on a six week course you will not benefit from such a short time. I had a 4 day course for the 17th edition and on the 4th day you take your exam and you need to know what you are doing before you take such an exam. You need both practical and theory to be an electrician and unfortunately it does take time. Most electricians I know and work with took 3 years to be a qualified electrician myself included and I think back and to take all what you have learned in those 3 years and try to cram them in a 6 week course is just irresponsible in my view.

 

[TaffyDuck]

At the end of the day always remember the saying " You cannot buy experience". You will remember it, on day 1, as you are staring a little old lady in the eye explaining that you havent a clue why her fuseboard keeps tripping, or day 2 when your confronted with an underfloor heating control panel with the instructions in Austrian, or day 3 when you have to decipher a faulty 3 way lighting circuit, or day 4.................................

I guess 10% of being a good electrician is knowing what the ccc of a cable is or what the max Zs of a circuit is ( or where to find the answer) and 90% is being switched on enough to bring your experience to bear. If you have little or no experience you`re, or more importantly, your customers are stuffed.

If you don`t want to make a complete --- of yourself you`ll need to get some experience.

 

[sedgy34]

£3995 +vat and at the end of it you get a voltstick and a socket and see plugin like an airfreshner lol