New career as electrician- advice needed please.

[Dovey]

Hello.

I am currently a serving member of the RAF. I am due to leave after 23 years service next year. I am an Aircraft engineer but have been around the building trade in one way or another all my life. I have aspirations to become an Electrician. Domestic/ commercial. I like the idea of solar panel installations too.

So, I have all the qualifications in the world relating to aircraft engineering, health and safety, risk assessment and management. What I really want to do is become a Sparky. My question is; where do i start, what qualifications do I need to become self sufficient in the field and how long will it take. I can do residential condensed courses and have access to over £6000 worth of education to use when I leave.

In addition, I will be seeking to do some gas/plumbing qualifications too.

all advice and guidance would be gratefully received.

Thanks.

 

[telectrix]

all i can say is that if you want to enter a market that is over saturated with unemployed , qualified sparks, then good luck.

 

[Dovey]

all i can say is that if you want to enter a market that is over saturated with unemployed , qualified sparks, then good luck.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[telectrix]

ifd anything, go for industrial, plc's etc. offshore, etc. theres no money in domestic work anymore.

 

[Smudge]

i left the army as a 'spark', (qualifications weren't recognised, had to do a full apprenticeship on the outside). I originally started as an aircraft technician, but failed my final 2 exams and was booted off the course. I still keep in touch with a few of the boys that passed the trade, and they are now working for a hell of a lot more than me. AND I MEAN A LOT!


What i'm possibly trying to say...if you are interested in electrical installations, site work, etc, and you're not bothered about the money, possible unemployment, then yes, go for it.


However, the oppertunity and money on offer as an aircraft engineer (i'm presuming its the same-ish as i was trying to be), helicopter mechanic to be short, is something that i wish i'd studied that little bit more for...


any road, good luck.

 

[TaffyDuck]

The first thing I would say is, as others will no doubt say, that be very wary of the fast courses that say they can train you to become a qualified electrician inside a month or so. As an engineer you will undoubtedly be aware that this is an impossibility. The claims that you can do a short course and walk straight into a £50k a year job is something that the advertising standards agency should look very closely at IMO. Short courses have their place providing add on qualifications to experienced sparkies but the truth is that what you need most at the beginning is experience, and so I would recommend trying to get a job as a mate for a year or two and in conjunction attend your local college and do 2330 etc. I`m not too sure if your retraining package would pay for this however.

What I would say is that with your engineering qualifications and experience you will have a major headstart and many employers will be interested in taking a punt as you sound, to me at least, to be a useful bloke.

We have loads of new businesses popping up around here, savagely undercutting each other, its sad really as experienced guys are struggling to get work at a rate that is reasonable, not a few quid an hour.

Its hard out here at the moment, there is no doubt about that and that is likely to be a bit of a shock to you when you do come out of the RAF.

 

[Guitarist]

Probably the hardest thing you will find on leaving the forces is that many many things in civvy street are not done by the book. Is your training mechanical or electrical/electronic?
If you have never worked as a sole-trader, it will be a real eye-opener for sure.

 

[Dovey]

Hi and thank you all for the info.

As I said, I have been around the building trade in one way or another all my life. I will benefit when leaving the RAF from a pension and gratuity. I have done the RAF for 23 years; it is time for a change! I intend to become a bit of an all rounder, a local handy man if you like with a preference more toward electrical work. I have experience in running a business too. I have life experience, can turn my hand to anything and if all else fails, I do have my engineering and management experience to fall back on.

Life in the Forces is very different from when I joined 23 years ago and certainly in the last 5 years. I am in my early 40's and need that change I speak of. I am not expecting an easy ride; that would be boring but a change is most definitely required.

I have spoken with my cousin who is an electrical contractor. I will work for him free of charge for a couple of months before I leave the RAF. He has plenty of work at the moment.

Thanks for the help so far.

 

[Engineer54]

Hello.

I am currently a serving member of the RAF. I am due to leave after 23 years service next year. I am an Aircraft engineer but have been around the building trade in one way or another all my life. I have aspirations to become an Electrician. Domestic/ commercial. I like the idea of solar panel installations too.

So, I have all the qualifications in the world relating to aircraft engineering, health and safety, risk assessment and management. What I really want to do is become a Sparky. My question is; where do i start, what qualifications do I need to become self sufficient in the field and how long will it take. I can do residential condensed courses and have access to over £6000 worth of education to use when I leave.

In addition, I will be seeking to do some gas/plumbing qualifications too.

all advice and guidance would be gratefully received.

Thanks.

Stick to Aircraft engineering, there is plenty of work overseas in this field and not badly paid work either!! Look towards the Middle and Far East especially at the growing new airline businesses... If you want to stick to the military side of things, the same area's of the world would still be your best bet in finding lucrative positions, depending on your qualifications and experience...

Don't whatever you do, let these training course centers convince you that there is a shortage of electricians and that it's an easy 5/7 week ride to becoming a qualified electrician, it ISN'T and you WON'T be qualified for anything in that time frame!! They are after your money, full stop!!! It's a complete and utter SCAM!!!

 

[Dovey]

I think the point is being missed. As an Aircraft engineering and Engineering manager; I am aware of the array of aircraft related positions I could apply for and take up globally and at home. After 23 years of living like that, I no longer wish to do it. Money is not my number one concern to be honest..quality of life is. I have my own home, I will have a pension and have have no aspirations to earn £100K a year. I just wish to make a reasonable wage on top of my pension. I intend to set up on my own once I have experience and the relevant qualifications.

The local handy man type situation is probably where I am heading. I have renovated houses, I can strip a car down in a blink of an eye and put it back together again, I am a risk assessor, Health and Safety qualified, a qualified instructor of a whole manner of things, I have qualifications in hardware and software engineering and of course..all the aircraft and management stuff. I know can apply for other jobs...I just do not want to be part of the 7 day a week target,target,target brigade anymore...there is more to life.

 

[Engineer54]

Depends then, if you have 3 years to spare while your training to become Qualified as an Electrician?? Or do you intend to be yet another chancer with a 5 week training course under your belt!! The choice is yours basically!!

 

[Dovey]

So. These providers, RF training for example, are they lying when they say you become qualified after 7 weeks? I am struggling to see ( apart from some relevant hands on experience, which I have secured) why becoming qualified on a fast track is any different from spending years going to college one day a week? If at the end of the course you have all the certificates and accreditation..how does it differ from the long route?

Thanks for the help.

 

[TaffyDuck]

Sorry double post

 

[TaffyDuck]

So. These providers, RF training for example, are they lying when they say you become qualified after 7 weeks? I am struggling to see ( apart from some relevant hands on experience, which I have secured) why becoming qualified on a fast track is any different from spending years going to college one day a week? If at the end of the course you have all the certificates and accreditation..how does it differ from the long route?

Thanks for the help.

Experience is the key here, you really need a year or two at least to be competent to do anything much without supervision. The fast track courses will not and can not give you this. By all means if your going it alone do the 5 week course but you wont really know very much afterwards. If your mate can give you a year or two on site you`ll be OK I`m sure. Being in the forces you`ll be well aware of The Wheel of Competence. After a five week course you`ll be in the Unconsciously Incompetent area, being a H&S expert you will be well aware of the ramifications to you or your customers from that.

 

[Des 56]

I wont reply to your last post because you may already have decided the route, and that decision may not be influenced by my own negative reply

I will however say that if you are financially secure and are looking for self employment that is both interesting and rewarding,then the handymen route may be more beneficial,start off basic and expand the role with time and experience,especially if as you say you are experienced in most building trade skills
Personally,if I were in your position,I would buy,renovate and sell upgraded properties,the variation of work would be great

Whether we like or not,domestic installation,both electrical and plumbing as a stand alone trade is on its way out
I am not condoning incompetent installation,but multi trade is the future, no doubt

There is nothing stopping you doing fast track electrical and plumbing courses and using that knowlege to do the handyman thing as a sole trader
The scope of the work is where the contention will lay

As long as the jobs are within your capabilities and you are not using customers to practice on, in order to gain the experience, then go for it,you have the money,you have the incentive and you have an highly respected skill to fall back on if needs be

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Dovey, welcome to the club mate. I was leaving, just as you went in "ish". I came out in '86, A Tech E, then went on to do JAR66 B2 Licence, before joining civvy airline. Been in and around electric for all my working life to some degree.

Do you still have a resettlement programme? My mates son left the Navy in January, he was multi skilled Sea King engineer. They paid for 17th edition, heating ventilation and aircon course, as well as Gas qualifications. He then walked into a job with a very large bakery as a maintenance engineer, mainly electrical.

Cheers..........Howard

PS I am now a lazy ****, and teach it these days.

 

[Dazed&confused]

I've just started as a trainee spark, mainly wiring new builds. There isn't alot of money to be made (luckily for me my girlfriend is doing alright :wink_smile but I enjoy the work.

I've been in college since September doing the EAL Level 2 diploma in electrical and electronic engineering. People would tell you to do the C&G level 2330, but it no longer exists for new starters!? The only course the college could offer was the EAL course. We were also told by the college the industry has recognised that there are too many sparks, and too many who went to college for 3 years without ever getting site experience before buying a van and going it alone.

This is why some boys on my course doing the Level 2 will not be able to go on to the level 3 unless they find themselves employment. They are making it harder to be qualified. Even though i'm on an apprenticeship after 3 years I still won't be qualified to NVQ level3, this is because they have changed it so that you have to be assessed in domestic, commercial and industrial. The company I work for only does domestic with 1 or 2 commercial jobs a year.

Spending 6 grand on a training provider might get you a job as an electricians mate, if your lucky. But you won't be seen as a qualified spark by employers or any other spark

 

[derbyspark]

I started my own business last yr and it's very very tough going, only now am i getting enough work to get by as a spark (mainly domestic and commercial), but i have diversified into fitting kitchens which is a lot more profitable and without this i would really struggle. Without doubt the days of making a living from just being a domestic spark have gone, so you have 2 choices. Retrain the fast way as a domestic spark( but get some experience) but do other trades as well or get the proper qualifications,experience and be able to do domestic,commercial and industrial (where the money is but i hate it)

Just look how many gas engineers, kitchen fitters have niceic domestic installer status stickers on there vans and other than the odd re-wire what other big work do people need a spark for in there homes?.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

So. These providers, RF training for example, are they lying when they say you become qualified after 7 weeks? I am struggling to see ( apart from some relevant hands on experience, which I have secured) why becoming qualified on a fast track is any different from spending years going to college one day a week? If at the end of the course you have all the certificates and accreditation..how does it differ from the long route?

Thanks for the help.

because on some of these short `courses` their idea of inspection and testing is doing a safe isolation....perhaps with the odd R1 R2 and IR test thrown in for good measure....and thats what i was told from a reliable source the other week....i mean you couldn`t make it up could you lolffs....how the hell are you going to be able to notify and cert if you cant even test...lol.lol....really.....

 

[GLENNSPARK]

you know i have just re-read over this thread....and i cant understand peoples obsession with throwing good money at these `waste of 5 weeks of your time` courses.....its like watching lemmings or summat...lol....