Career change and distance learning.

[ernld]

Hi, 29 years old here and living in UK. Having worked dead end jobs for many years I have finally embarked on a career choice I made some years ago but have not pursued until now.

My apologies if this has been posted before, I have reading the forum for a couple of hours now and nothing quite answered my question.
I have been worried to read many of the negative comments regarding the distance learning route to gain entry in the electrical industry having just enrolled with ATL Practical Training.

What they call "Full Scope Electrician (QCF) + PV

Which includes:
Part P Defined Scope
C&G 2377
C&G 2382-10
Part P Full Scope
C&G 2392-10
C&G 2357 lvl 3 NVQ
C&G 2391
(Summarized from the prospectus I was given)

I am under no illusions whatsoever about being a "Competent" or "Qualified" Electrician at the end of this course and I understand that experience over many years and constant learning is the only way to claim this.
What I am unsure about is how much benefit this will be to me as "first rung". Calling myself an electrician at this point is the furthest thing from my mind, I am focused on learning as much as I can over the duration of this course so I can get a foot in the door to gain experience. Is this a good starting point?

Thanks in advance
Dave

 

[SirKit Breaker]

There are several routes into this industry. Did your chosen training provider give you the information and guidance about the best available courses, and pathways suited to your particular goal?

Hopefully someone spent some time with you, assessed what you actually want to achieve, and all the possible ways of getting there. Then you came to a conclusion, and enrolled as appropriate.

Or have they sold you some package of qualifications, none or very little advice, and left you to it.

Who and how will your NVQ be assessed if you are not employed in the industry, or is it just a Level 2 NVQ?

All the Part P stuff is a con. Part p is a building reg, you cant get a qualification in a building regulation. these so called courses are just scams. If you comply with the 17th edition, then you comply with Part P.

2377 In service inspection and test of electrical equipment, a nice to have, but dont be dragged into the false illusion that the exam is easy, it isn't.

No point doing 2392 if you are doing 2391, and you will have to be quick with the 2391 as registration has closed, and the last exam is in December.It has been replaced by the 2394 and 2395. You will not pass any of the Inspection and test courses without an in depth knowledge, and significant working experience, by significant i mean a couple of years of constant inspection and test, some of the best in this game fall over on these courses.

You dont mention what the duration of this package is, but in my opinion, it is too much too soon,and you will forget most of it.

I am afraid, like any other profession, to be good at it takes time and effort, there is no quick fix, although there are some 5 day wonders (I dont have a problem with these) who do well, but they are the exception not the rule.

Good luck, and let us know how you progress.

Cheers............Howard

PS Distance learning is donkey work, and NVQ's are even more donkey work if you have a crap assessor. If you are already signed up to the NVQ, you should by now have seen him/her and have all their contact details, and he/she should be coming to see you at work to make sure that you have been registered on the units applicable, and that you understand how to meet the NVQ assessment route summaries etc etc etc.

ENJOY

 

[axel132132]

Hi, 29 years old here and living in UK. Having worked dead end jobs for many years I have finally embarked on a career choice I made some years ago but have not pursued until now.

My apologies if this has been posted before, I have reading the forum for a couple of hours now and nothing quite answered my question.
I have been worried to read many of the negative comments regarding the distance learning route to gain entry in the electrical industry having just enrolled with ATL Practical Training.

What they call "Full Scope Electrician (QCF) + PV

Which includes:
Part P Defined Scope
C&G 2377
C&G 2382-10
Part P Full Scope
C&G 2392-10
C&G 2357 lvl 3 NVQ
C&G 2391
(Summarized from the prospectus I was given)

I am under no illusions whatsoever about being a "Competent" or "Qualified" Electrician at the end of this course and I understand that experience over many years and constant learning is the only way to claim this.
What I am unsure about is how much benefit this will be to me as "first rung". Calling myself an electrician at this point is the furthest thing from my mind, I am focused on learning as much as I can over the duration of this course so I can get a foot in the door to gain experience. Is this a good starting point?

Thanks in advance
Dave

Hasn't the 2391 now changed?

 

[ollie_C]

Hasn't the 2391 now changed?

The 2391 is being phased out for the 2394 & 2395 (last exams in Dec), I had studied for the 2391 but not sat (or registered) for exam yet so now it looks like im doing the 2395. As far as I can tell they look pretty much the same, just an additional online exam.

ernld - I took a similar path to yours, although mine was an intensive course at a centre as opposed to distance learning, mostly the same modules though. I would say it gave me a solid understanding of just how much I need to learn in the real world, it will teach you how not to kill anyone but to get much more than that you'll be very lucky.

not to disagree with sir kit breaker, but I did the 2392 on my origianl batch of courses, and it was very usefull if for no other reason than it lets you test your own work and gives enough of an understanding to test your own home, friends homes etc to learn in order to study for the higher level.

 

[ernld]

Hey, first of all thanks for the replies and a small correction. I appear to have aged myself 3 years, I am only 26 .

The course is flexible which was my main draw as I can study in my own time whilst still in full time employment. That way I can afford the course along with mortgage and usual bills.
You receive written and computer based learning materials and are assigned a tutor. You send the tutor your written work and they return it, graded with comments. At the end of a set amount of theory you book a weeks practical at my nearest ATL venue, Wakefield. This continues until all modules and 8.5 weeks practical have been completed. You're then expected to find a work placement from there you can gain the performance units of the C&C 2357 and the AM2. This will be assessed by one of thier C&G accredited assessors.

A salesman did come to my house twice and answered any questions I had. He seemed genuine but in hindsight my enthusiasm made me hasty and further research has made me rethink my options. I'm still able to cancel with no penalty and I am still considering this route. Although the course was slightly mis represented to me it still seems like a solid foundation but a pricey one.

I am still somewhat confused as to where I would stand in terms of employability if I had completed this course. Obviously I'm not ready to undertake any real world electrical work but I would be happy to make the tea for the guy who makes the coffee for the electricians labourer if that's what it takes to learn.

In your opinion would this course make me employable on any level.

 

[seanrob6785]

Hey, first of all thanks for the replies and a small correction. I appear to have aged myself 3 years, I am only 26 .

The course is flexible which was my main draw as I can study in my own time whilst still in full time employment. That way I can afford the course along with mortgage and usual bills.
You receive written and computer based learning materials and are assigned a tutor. You send the tutor your written work and they return it, graded with comments. At the end of a set amount of theory you book a weeks practical at my nearest ATL venue, Wakefield. This continues until all modules and 8.5 weeks practical have been completed. You're then expected to find a work placement from there you can gain the performance units of the C&C 2357 and the AM2. This will be assessed by one of thier C&G accredited assessors.

A salesman did come to my house twice and answered any questions I had. He seemed genuine but in hindsight my enthusiasm made me hasty and further research has made me rethink my options. I'm still able to cancel with no penalty and I am still considering this route. Although the course was slightly mis represented to me it still seems like a solid foundation but a pricey one.

I am still somewhat confused as to where I would stand in terms of employability if I had completed this course. Obviously I'm not ready to undertake any real world electrical work but I would be happy to make the tea for the guy who makes the coffee for the electricians labourer if that's what it takes to learn.

In your opinion would this course make me employable on any level.

hi ernld
just wondering how thinks panned out with the course as I am also considering 1 with ATL but wary off the mixed reviews. I have had a consultation with a rep/advisor who is scheduled to return tonight to run through exact details of the course and enrollement etc.
After seaching the web and contacting local companies im not finding much info out.

cheers sean

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Important questions you need to ask of your potential Assessor.

1, What gives him competence to Assess your work? He should have an equivalent or higher qualification than the one you are doing, although not necessarily as an Electrician, it could be in another engineering discipline, as he will be working as part of a team who will have someone with the relevant in depth subject knowledge if he needs it.

2, Does he or she hold an A1 Assessor qualification or equivalent, or are they working towards it? They should have or be working towards this qualification, this is what gives them the ability and experience to Assess and make judgements about your work in a fair and honest way, without regard to any personal preferences or feelings that he may have.

You are paying a lot of money out, you need to know that you will get what you pay for. There is a massive difference between a Salesman, and an Engineering Assessor, so make sure the Salesman gives you the right info.

Cheers...........Howard

 

[Adam W]

Remember the construction industry was one of the hardest hit by the recession - there just isn't that much work around. Added to that the hundreds of thousands of people who have done exactly what you're talking about doing and retrained to enter the industry.
Consider it from an employer's perspective - if they want some extra help they can employ an electrician with years of experience, an adult trainee with some experience who is training the conventional route at college one day a week, an apprentice who they commit to train up the way they want and spends one day a week at college, a labourer who has no interest in doing anything other than lugging stuff around, or some guy who has read a book about electrics and wants the same pay as someone with a lot of experience even though they have none.

I'm not saying it's impossible to get work, but it isn't easy either, especially if you add in extra obstacles like distance learning, only wanting to do domestic work, only working weekends etc.