Career change, Commercial & Domestic Electrician Training Route advice??

[Jamie.74]

Hi there, I am actively seeking a career change as an Electrician. Other than wiring up sockets and light switches that I taught myself using a book (old school) ! I have no experience or formal training.
I have enquired with several training companies now for a complete start from the bottom package to obtain JIB/ECS Gold card and the results are a bit over whelming. NVQ Level 3 Package prices range from £7-10k to be a fully qualified Electrician. They all talk the talk and sound amazing but to be perfectly honest I am cautious about making such a big investment before I chat to some professions such as yourselves, and ideally someone that perhaps has just qualified themselves and can discuss the route they took and an idea of total cost? I am interested in both being trained in commercial and domestic to keep my options open for future employment, I am 44 now and I worry that as soon as I cut ties with my current employer there is no going back so its a case of now or never. Thanks for taking to time to read my post and please any information and links that you can send with be greatly appreciated.
Thanks J

 

[JAWS]

To become a Gold Card electrican you will have to achieve the level 2 2365 then the level 3 2365 once you completed this you will then go for your NVQ level 3 where this will be portfolio based where you will have to be in work, then after this you will have to do your AM2.

Any package offering you "Become a gold card electrican for 7k or whatever it is ignore. Fellas on here took 4 to 5 years learning with many still learning today.

Enrol in to college part time while offering your services as a mate.

 

[Jamie.74]

Thanks for your reply, the training centres offering those courses have not said it would happen over night, they do state several years and they did highlight that the level 3 would be portfolio based on the job ongoing training, they offer help with finding employment as a trainee to fulfill this period of training, I just don't know what is the norm with cost etc

 

[Baddegg]

Don’t spend money on courses mate untill you’ve spent at least a couple of years in the trade,