I found out because I asked him and he went around telling everyone he was now a spark because he'd been on a 3 week course. I have a witness to our conversation. He's also proud to be Part P 'registered' which is useless in Scotland as we have different Regs. That photo is a small snapshot of the things this bloke did wrong. I've literally hundreds of photos and videos of his handiwork as we had to remedy it. This is a 3 phase 200A supply.
The day I was undercut by a wetpants for an EICR job was the day that I realised just how far down the pan our industry has gone. This joker considered himself to be an electrician solely on the basis of him having completed a two-day BS 7671 course and having passed the open-book exam. I kid you not. Scary stuff indeed.
I dont want to derail the thread and I appreciate there's good and bad in all aspects of training but I have an apprentice just starting his second year and it reminds me (I trained 20+ years ago) how much you learn doing the training the proper way.
Like this?
There is no substitute for experience. Experience cannot be bought at any price and it certainly can't be obtained via any short course. Experience is everything in our game, and it comes only with years of hard graft, application and dedication. And therein lies the problem. Some people desire only to make as much money as possible in the shortest time possible with as little effort as possible. Do a short course to get a foot on the bottom rung of ladder by all means, but don't ever delude yourself that five weeks later you've climbed to the top and are now an electrician ready to begin making some serious bucks.
I respect members such as Paignton Pete and Sparky Chick who have used short courses as a springboard to greater things. I tip my hat to those amongst us who have gone on to do higher-level courses, devoted themselves to several years of dedicated study, and who have gained experience the hard way by initially working for nothing as a spark's mate, or for little financial reward. That's real sacrifice. That's real commitment. That's real dedication. That's a real statement of intent.
I commend those who have taken this approach and have gradually evolved to become professional electricians. Take a bow. But for those who are motivated solely by financial gain and care not about anything else, least of all working within the scope of the regulations, I hold in contempt.
I also appreciate that I see more bad work around my area from the short course 'electricians' than proper apprentice trained ones.
Alas, this has been my experience too. Wetpants, kitchen fitters and bathroom fitters are the culprits more often than not. The standard of 'workmanship' that I've seen from these guys in the greater Glasgow area is truly horrendous. These guys are proof-positive that short courses don't work when those doing them couldn't give a ---- about anything other than making a quick buck. However, the fact that several members of the forum have used short courses as an entrance to the industry then gradually progressed upwards provides evidence to the contrary.
Ultimately, for those who hold a burning desire to become electricians and are willing to commit themselves to achieving this goal and make sacrifices along the way, short courses must be viewed in a positive light. But when short courses are enabling charlatans to enter our industry and bestowing credibility upon cowboy operators, short courses can be only detrimental.
Hopefully in Scotland protected title will come in sometime soon (next few years) as there is momentum for it to do so and in time will weed out these people from the industry. I can but be hopeful.
SELECT's campaign for protection of title for Scottish electricians is now unstoppable. Support continues to grow, and it's a matter of
when it happens, rather than
if. The sooner, the better.
https://www.select.org.uk/four-more-politicians-back-selects-wall-of-support
SELECT Managing Director Alan Wilson believes that regulation of the electrical industry is vital if we are to improve safety for both domestic and commercial consumers across Scotland. I share that belief.