Future Electrician

[jie119911]

Alright comrades, i'm hoping to become an electrician, i was a locksmith / safe engineer for 3 years and was payed off due to lack of work. I'm 21 years old and i'm considering doing an electrician course rather than a 4 year college apprenticeship. I've heard good things and negative things about the courses although a guy i personally know became an electrician through the courses and is doing well. Any information on you guys experiences with these courses will be appreciated !

 

[tbs1983]

you will only get bad feedback about them courses on this forum. prepare for a barrage of negative conments!!!

which might i add I agree with, seeing as it took me 4 years to do the 'proper' way

 

[shagbite]

if you reckon a locksmith's an engineer then i think you'll thrive on a 5 week course.

 

[dan86]

out of curiousity, how long did it take you to become a locksmith/safe engineer, or were you still an apprentice?

 

[derek preece]

If you want to be a cowboy - do the fast track course.

 

[jie119911]

locksmith / safe engineer as in safes in banks and stuff not an 'engineer'. it was just learn on the job and i was doing it for 3 year so i was technically still an apprentice although there was no qualification or certain time frame till you become fully qualified.

 

[dan86]

so you learned on the job and did it for 3years, but still an apprentice? how long does the apprenticeship take, or were you not doing one?

 

[jie119911]

i started when i was 16 and got payed off when i was 19. i didn't have my own company or anything i worked along side with my boss's and experienced safe engineers, it was 95% safe work wee done rather than house locks and stuff.

 

[dan86]

so you started when you were 16, worked for 3 years and got paid off, making you 19. in your OP you said you were 21, so what have you been doing for the last 2 years?!

 

[jie119911]

working in a car wash and still am ....

 

[terry1969]

21 still young mate so go the right way and college forget fast track

 

[jie119911]

Do you have to be employed by an electrician to do the college course ? And wouldn't you learn the same things doing the courses but just at a faster rate ? I dont mean any offence to yourself or anyone on this forum but could people flame these courses because they had to train for 4 years and dont like the fact that nowadays you can do it in a quarter of the time ? Appreciate any input

 

[dan86]

I'm not sure about locksmith/safe engineer apprenticeships, but can't help but feel you possibly got a bit screwed over working for 3 years with no apprenticeship.
as for your OP, if you're serious about becoming an electrician, do it the right way and go to college. you can do a fast track course, but sadly after that you will probably struggle as you will have little experience. obviously i don't know you're personal circumstances, but you're still young so being an apprentice for 3/4 years probably isn't the end of the world. however, at the end of it, you will Still be young, but have a trade for life.

 

[jie119911]

There is no qualifications for being a safe engineer mate, if i go for a safe engineer job i would just explain certain things that i could do that someone with no experience couldn't do, like picking open certain types of locks and safes.

 

[dan86]

what attracts you to be an electrician anyway? surely you could get a job as a locksmith/safe engineer. sounds quite fun to me...

 

[dan86]

you can teach me a few things if ya like. I'd pay big bucks for having the knowledge to gain entry to a bank vault for example...

 

[Kate]

Fast track will give you the theory. The practical at college is seriously basic. It does not prepare you for the real world. I know a kid who did the 2year full time course and got as qualified as I was at the time yet he could barely be trusted to second fix sockets properly. They need to save on materials at college so a lot is used over and over and have to use minimum amount of cable meaning terminating length was awful. Your young do the full apprenticeship. Your probably more likely to get an apprenticeship placement than a job when you were qualified after the fast track course.

 

[jie119911]

(what attracts you to be an electrician anyway? surely you could get a job as a locksmith/safe engineer. sounds quite fun to me...)

ive tried pritty much every safe engineer company reasonably within my area and have not even had an interview. being an electrician was the thing i wanted to do when i was at school and stuff and ended up getting offered the safe job and just took it so i want to follow the electrician route. a 4 year apprenticeship seems daunting

 

[dan86]

why is it daunting?! scared you're gonna be crap at it? pretty sure there'll be others doing the course same time as you that feel the same way.they will become your mates, and you will get through it and be glad you did.
if its really what you wanna do, then you should want to do it right and enjoy it.if the apprenticeship puts you off, pursue another career.

 

[jie119911]

yeah might become a hitman ....

 

[dan86]

plenty work for you then, being in Glasgow..!

 

[shagbite]

(what attracts you to be an electrician anyway? surely you could get a job as a locksmith/safe engineer. sounds quite fun to me...)

ive tried pritty much every safe engineer company reasonably within my area and have not even had an interview. being an electrician was the thing i wanted to do when i was at school and stuff and ended up getting offered the safe job and just took it so i want to follow the electrician route. a 4 year apprenticeship seems daunting

don't do the fast track fella, get on an apprenticeship. it might seem like a long slog at your age, but believe me, it'll fly by. try getting on with a firm that does industrial and commercial electrics - then you'll be a full-on spark, not a domestic installer.

you might think that you can learn it all in 5 weeks (and the course providers will feed you this twaddle) but it's just not possible. there's a boat load to learn that can only be digested over several years - unless you're stephen hawkin.

you mention the word "daunting"....well imagine how daunting it'll feel when you've finished your 5 week course, found a job through an agency and turn up on the first day without an ounce of knowledge or ability. you won't last long, trust me - you'll soon get found out.

all the best and good luck.

 

[telectrix]

could not put it better myself. try and find employment as an electrician's mate and do the 2357 etc. 2 evenings a week.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Alright comrades, i'm hoping to become an electrician, i was a locksmith / safe engineer for 3 years !

Forget all about becoming an electrician, with your skills, get some banks robbed and clear off out of this miserable country!!!!

 

[Akina]

Hi! I've tried to go down the whole college route on my own and didnt really feel like I was going anywhere with it. But it then lead to an apprenticeship so if you keep getting knock backs from companies then try a year doing a college course first.

HTH!

 

[shanky887614]

Hi! I've tried to go down the whole college route on my own and didnt really feel like I was going anywhere with it. But it then lead to an apprenticeship so if you keep getting knock backs from companies then try a year doing a college course first.

HTH!

ring round the local places and ask the bigger firms for work experience.


if they agree then that can lead to an aprentaship down the line, thats how i got mine

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

 

[dannyboy91]

Came across this thread glancing down the list. I have just come to the end of my three year City and Guilds Course, having found an apprentice placement over 3 years ago. I would say, from someone just coming out of it, don't be put off by the apprentice route. Yes four years is a long time, but if you can get a placement, get your head down, crack out your NVQ while your doing your tech certs and you'll be down in just over 3 years. I spent my whole three years sitting in with full-timers who worked in tescos (no dissrespect) but i ended up teaching them.

With time comes confidence. Something that you won't have if you stutter through a quickie course, then come to the end of it and get asked to install and test, and end up making mistakes. Some of the guys have come and gone since i was there, are more qualified than me, but i have much better basic knowledge than them, and theres not many jobs that i go on and don't know where to start. 9/10 of the employers after will then ask for 'time-served' applicants.

But anyway there's a little insite for you, best of luck anyway

Dan

 

[Stuuk1]

Get on to JTL, although may be different in Scotland.

You will still qualify for funding until you are 25.

 

[Dcf]

The only way you will become an electrician in Scotland is if you do a 4 year apprenticeship,adult trainee or not.
Contact select for more detailed info.
they have started a pool of apprentices idea due to the lack of firms taking on lads.
could be worth a shout
good luck

 

[brucelee]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

[Argon]

Really need to do an Apprenticeship to get the best and become a good spark. Courses are ok for a quick intake of knowledge but its the teaching and direction you get from a good journeyman.