Career Change to an electrician

[benlester]

Hi

I am currently in human resources and am going to be made redundant. I am looking to use this opportunity to re-train as an electrician. I will be learning from scratch but want to do an extensive full time course so I am up and running asap.

I have spoken with New Career Skills and I am interested. Does anyone have any feedback on them or a better route to train? They have told me that with a lot of hard work I can be up and running in 6-8 months and then be in a postion to do my own jobs and run my own electrician business. Can anyone provide me with any advice on this company or any others?

Thanks

 

[Mr Mark Sparks]

hello ben this often comes up and as an electrician that did a 4 and a half year apprenticeship it still baffles me that people can train in such a short time.
having said that times change
be sure to get all the qualifications an employer will want a list of which im sure someone else will provide as course numbers have changed scince i did mine.
good luck

 

[Nenedata]

Hi Ben,

New Career Skills will give you the basic qualifications to work in a domestic capacity. This means that you would only be qualified to work in dwellings that are lived in already. What isn't so obvious to a potential new student is that, they would not be able to work on new construction housing projects that require you to posses a ECS/CSCS card. The JIB would not recognise your qualifications so would not issue you with a card. This is where the confusion lies, a full scope domestic installer course doesn't explain in full.

New Career Skills would give you the following qualifications:

2382 17th Edition
2392 Fundamental testing
Eal Level 2 Domestic installer
A basic first aid certificate

£6000 in my oppinion is a lot of money for the above which can be obtained through other providers for about £2000. This is my honest oppinion and advise you to research as much as possible. As a lot of the guys on here will tell you, employers would be looking for:

2330 level2/3
NVQ Level 3
AM2
2391 c&g

The above would give you the qualifications to be recognised by the JIB and obtain the ECS/CSCS card and the competence to work in Domestic/commercial and industrial enviroments. Your opportunities for work have just increased from 25% of the work to 100%.

Just my oppinion

Mark

 

[benlester]

many thanks for this advice - it sounds like it would be good to combine these sort of courses with practical experience.....

 

[flukey]

hello ben this often comes up and as an electrician that did a 4 and a half year apprenticeship it still baffles me that people can train in such a short time.

me too mark, seems a lot to cram into such a short space of time

 

[spraymate1]

hi ben
was a similar postiton to you 3 years ago, got made redundant, wanted to retrain, as a mature student. I was thinking about going down that route, but was put off by the price and time scale. how can you learn everything you need to in such a short time, the just teach you to pass exams. I decided to go to evening college, 2 nights aweek. Luckily got taken on, by a local firm as an adult trainee. Dont get me wrong its hard going, if like me you have a familly, but am coming to the end of my level 3 now, doing my 17th and my 2391, hopefully start my nvq in september. I think going to college in my opinion is a better start, and i am sure the pro's will back me up when i say you cant beat the (real world) experiance. BEST OF LUCK MATE.

 

[maddfridge]

hi ben
was a similar postiton to you 3 years ago, got made redundant, wanted to retrain, as a mature student. I was thinking about going down that route, but was put off by the price and time scale. how can you learn everything you need to in such a short time, the just teach you to pass exams. I decided to go to evening college, 2 nights aweek. Luckily got taken on, by a local firm as an adult trainee. Dont get me wrong its hard going, if like me you have a familly, but am coming to the end of my level 3 now, doing my 17th and my 2391, hopefully start my nvq in september. I think going to college in my opinion is a better start, and i am sure the pro's will back me up when i say you cant beat the (real world) experiance. BEST OF LUCK MATE.

hi there

i found myself in this position in the early 1990s got right up to c course only to find the no experience barrier had to take a job as a caretaker at a local nursing home.

Then got talking to some guys servicing the boilers done a few favours and got a job and have not looked back since.

But i really do understand where you guys are coming from even if you do spend 6k on training where are the jobs??

If i was 21 again lololol

i would consider going somewhere else oz or new zealand

Gentleman may i wish you all good luck for the future in what ever this life throws at us all

Cheers