Career/Life advice

[tommo]

Dramatic thread title huh?

Hi everyone i've been reading posts for a while and would really appreciate a little guidance.

I have been thinking about becoming an electrician for a quite a while, I'm 28 now. The subject has always been interesting to me and at the same time scare me, my only experience is that i'm generally handy and I have a basic grasp of electronics.

So....I have a Degree in Computer Science, HND in Networked Systems, A-levels blah blah and a whole load of specific computer qualifications plus 5 years experience...... so why the hell do I want to be an electrician??.... I love technology but I am just bored of being sat behind a desk all day, I like getting out and basically like getting stuck in more and more with hands-on work and also learning something new kinda excites me (i'm a bit of geek like that), my brother did exactly the same at my age but he chose carpentry.

I was thinking of doing one of the £4k courses that give you a whole host of city and guilds qualifications, I realise I wont be qualified fully before having a nvq3 but I thought that because I have the money I should invest in something like this. Any advice?

I feel very embarrassed to say this but... I am a smart guy, hard working and quite ambitious, I want to ultimately work for myself.... I currently own 4 houses on buy-to-let (but don't go thinking i'm super rich, this involved a lot of sacrifice and risk and is a long-term deal) which I bought in knackered states and did up with help of skilled trades of course. I LOVE doing this, and I ultimately want to be able to do this full time one day and thought that even if for some reason the electrician path did not work out being a decent sparky would at least mean I could save money on full re-wires etc etc.

Time is kinda the factor, I can't afford to do a year or two full time in a college, I am happy to take full time out for a couple months and do a hardcore intensive course and hit the books and even work for free for a neighbour that is an electrician. I am not a dreamer that thinks that in 2 months i'll know it all and be self employed charging high rates, i realise I will have to take a paycut but I am thinking of my long-term plan and job satisfaction more and more.


Thanks in advance, ideally a little advice on the best route I should take would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TPES]

Is going to collage 1 or 2 evenings a week out the question? that way you keep your current job and don't take the drop in wages.

Where are these £4k crash courses, I've not seen them.

 

[tommo]

I could do something like that actually but I just thought one of the intensive full time courses would be a quicker option?

 

[TPES]

Yeah I suppose it would but I can't see how they work... Do you know what C&G qualifications they give you at the end of all that? And how long does the whole thing take?

I couldn't see me getting through all the exams I took if the course was crammed into a few months

 

[tommo]

Thanks for the reply.

Can't seem to post the link, so here there 30 day course titled Domestic and electrical installer:

The complete package for those wishing to become a Domestic Electrician and Contractor.

What's included?

This course package includes 7 courses over 30 days:

2392
part p
2382
2377-12 & 2377-11 pat
2391-10 inspection and testing

as well as the intro stuff etc

 

[GrannySmiff]

You will never pass the 2391 with only 30 days electrical training. You need to do 2330 lvl 2 and 3 to give you a fundamental understanding of electrical principals etc.

Also is thst home learning in which case I think you will struggle even more, it is possible to do this but you need to be very on the ball and have your head in books 24/7 and really understand them.

There are ways of getting into this trade but so many people are doing it at the moment (me included) its not easy even with the quals as you will have 0 experience.

THere are people that I have seen at college where they will happily take your money fail you or pass you and you can see they will prob not get anywhere so its all down to the person.

Good luck.

 

[tommo]

Thanks I see what you mean.

I just basically though if I do the slow route it will take 3 years - 2 years for 2330 lvl2 and then another year for lvl3.. which is quite a lot of time that I will have to wait and I would rather get it all done full time in a couple months. But then I would have the quals but not the experience.

 

[robsparky1975]

By what they are showing on c&gs qualifications it looks like part p,then 17th edition regs and then 2391,this would appear to be a lot in such a short space of time,anyway,i did a 3 year part time(evening)course,4 hours per evening for 3 years(3 evenings a week)it was the only way i could afford to do it,had do do full time job at the same time,i had 2 evenings of theory and 1 on practical,there is a lot to go through,and back then the exams were not multiple choice,apart from 2382,2391 very difficult(even for very skilled people).

 

[robsparky1975]

must be average of 1200 hours or so over 3 years,cant see how they can charge £4000 over 2 months,its also a lot of brain strain cramming all that knowledge in such a short period of time,if my local college had not have done an evening course i think i would not be on this forum right now,but luckily enough they did,nothing wrong with doing these crash courses although i think they are too expensive and limit your scope of works,but thats fine if you just want to concentrate on a certain area,domestic etc,still good money to be made in well all areas,college route just gives you a better depth in the trade

 

[tommo]

Thanks.

I've heard very bad reports about them actually (tradeskills4u and olci) and it seems the 2 month thing is a bit of fable i.e. it's theretically possible to cram it in but not really doable.

The college I see does a 2 year evening course for lvl 2 and then a year for lvl 3. It's a lot longer but i could still do my full time job and perhaps offer to help a local sparky at weekends, it's just that 3 years seems such a long time.

 

[robsparky1975]

I wont lie to you it is a long hard slog but check the qualifications you would have at the end of it,they are the best there is,as said i was full time,then done evenings,only 16/17yr olds can do full time,we do not have that pleasure of no bills etc,just ask yourself what do you want to focus on,the full courses command a lot more respect,at least you could keep working,it will fly by,and your knowledge will be comprehensive(you will have a great understanding of electrical theory)and also the regs,i passed my 2391 in 2004 after doing a 4 day intensive,it was a piece of cake at the time because all the stuff i had learned was fresh in my mind,had been doing exam after exam,if i done it now i would find it a bit more difficult

 

[GrannySmiff]

its doable on a short basis but not that short, I started in January and have gained 2330 lvl 2 and 3, 2377, 2382, part p, and doing my 2391 in OCT and feel fairly confident. But I have been lucky enough to work with a guy who really helped me out experience wise.

 

[tommo]

its doable on a short basis but not that short, I started in January and have gained 2330 lvl 2 and 3, 2377, 2382, part p, and doing my 2391 in OCT and feel fairly confident. But I have been lucky enough to work with a guy who really helped me out experience wise.

How did you go about it?

 

[TPES]

I just can't see how anyone can take so much information in in such a short time and then be able to remember it all when working on site.

Well done if you can, I know I couldn't have without the years of work and collage running along side each other.

Surely we would of all done a crash course and saved 3-4 years training,

 

[tommo]

I just can't see how anyone can take so much information in in such a short time and then be able to remember it all when working on site.

Well done if you can, I know I couldn't have without the years of work and collage running along side each other.

Surely we would of all done a crash course and saved 3-4 years training,

That's the thing. You may get the qualifications but the experience is also really important to an employer. It's only when you've done something a number of time you feel confident in doing it?

 

[dodger]

Hi Tommo, it seems I took the route you’re contemplating. Paid for a short course that got me the G&G 2381, 2391 &2377 but with no experience still found it very difficult to get a job.

I was very lucky & managed to get on a fully funded apprenticeship scheme, I am now at college 2 evenings a week, just completed level 2 C&G 2330 & am working towards the NVQ level 3. Am now self employed & part P registered

It sounds as if your committed, prepared to work hard & under no elusions. I would suggest you spend your money with your local college on the C&G 2330 level 2&3. It would take 3 years but it does give you a good grounding.

If you still want to try the quick route I can recommend the training provider I used (click on the link).

All the best & what ever you decide I hope it works out for you.

Electrical Training | Electrical Courses | Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Courses

 

[tommo]

That looks good also, it's just location, i'm in the Southwest.

My local college is doing the lvl2 for under 500 which seems good.

One thing I would like a little clarification on...

From my understanding the most important qualifications to get/be recognised as a competent electrician are: 2330 lvl2, 2330 lvl3 and the NVQ lvl3 (to be achieved whilst working)..

so if that is the case isn't doing the other ones pointless?

 

[dodger]

That's very good £500. My local college charges £2600 for the level 2 & £1500 for the level 3

 

[tommo]

Somerset College - Somerset College of Arts and Technology
Somerset College - Somerset College of Arts and Technology

It does seem cheap here, that's in total around £1500 for 3 years.

 

[dodger]

Not all of them. C&G 2382 (wiring regs) is a must and C&G 2391 (Inspection & testing) is desirable but is a difficult exam.

 

[Noom]

Like anything if you want to do it properly it takes some years to learn as you know with your computer studies.
If someone could get me an Electrical Engineering degree cert in 3 months i'd rip his arm off.....saying that I saw a geezer selling some for £50 a while back

 

[dodger]

It seems like the same course i'm on but I have to attend 2 evenings a week.

 

[tommo]

Hehe.

I'm almost going to be full time at college if I do this evening course as i'm already doing a DIY intermediate course and was thinking of doing a painting and decorating course at another college, but they're just recreation which will be mickey mouse compared to the electrician course.

Thanks guy, great food for thought.

This may seem like a odd question but i've had 3 rewires done before in various places all by the same electrician as he was a good (dust free) worker, is a rewire something quite difficult to carry out? is it something that doing the 2330 will allow me to get the knowledge to be able to do?... I suppose that even if I could I would still need it signed off.

 

[dodger]

It would definitely need certificateing & notifying. With the C7G2330 & 2382 under your belt you should be capable. It would help if you had an experienced sparky to look over your shoulder every so often (As I did).

 

[tommo]

Yeah thanks again.

I actually have a friend that lives nearby who is semi-self employed and said if I start a course he'd help, so if he had weekend or evening jobs here and there I could go and look over his shoulder so to speak, I would think this would be almost invaluable experience.

 

[GrannySmiff]

I did mine with Able Skills, for me personally it would have been cheaper to do it long term but I think if your going to do it throw everything at it get it done in a year, I believe technically I have really learned allot and its all starting to sink in now and I can see how all the peices link together. Now its just to get a basic job for a year to get the "real life" experience.

Its all down to you.