Over 50 training to be an electrician

[Popeye50]

I'm currently employed as a HGV driver, which I am thoroughly sick of. I need to get out and do something different. I'm thinking of doing one of these intense courses to be an industrial electrician, which will cost the best part of £8000. The problem is I am 51 years old! What are my chances of getting employed after I've done the courses so that I can get real world experience?

 

[telectrix]

not wanting to pi$$ on your fire, but it's a lotof money to speculate and there's loads of maths and theory to take in, and when you say intense course, what is the course (c&g number), how long is the course? there's loads of courses out there that will only get you into domestic work, and even then without practical experience you'll struggle. for industrial you need a gold card. to get this is usually at least 4 years to get the core qualifications followed by NVQ3. for NVQ 3 you have to be working in the industry to complete a portfolio of work. important that you tell us what the course is for £8k.

 

[Deleted account]

I always try to be positive when people want to go into this trade, but you really need to know the facts.

it’s a brilliant job and at the end of 4 maybe 5 years training and on site experience you will start to get enough knowledge to get a job. Couple more years and the big bucks, if your good enough.

if you can afford to be on a zero to low wage for a few years. Go for it, even at 50. You know what your physically capable of. You’ve got another 17 years before retirement. Everyone is different.

as teletrix says you need to be mathematically minded.

more importantly than that. Do not go on the intensive quick courses. They are a complete con. You do not learn enough. They do not teach half of what you will need to know and it’s not possible to learn and hold in your head all that information in such a short time.

yes they will take you by the hand and help you through the exams in order to get you a pass, but you won’t know what your doing on site.

 

[Electrics]

I always try to be positive when people want to go into this trade, but you really need to know the facts.

it’s a brilliant job and at the end of 4 maybe 5 years training and on site experience you will start to get enough knowledge to get a job. Couple more years and the big bucks, if your good enough.

if you can afford to be on a zero to low wage for a few years. Go for it, even at 50. You know what your physically capable of. You’ve got another 17 years before retirement. Everyone is different.

as teletrix says you need to be mathematically minded.

more importantly than that. Do not go on the intensive quick courses. They are a complete con. You do not learn enough. They do not teach half of what you will need to know and it’s not possible to learn and hold in your head all that information in such a short time.

yes they will take you by the hand and help you through the exams in order to get you a pass, but you won’t know what your doing on site.

The courses actually teach you exactly the same as what apprentices get at college, it's just condensed.

Obviously the practical part is missing which is the huge drawback, but the theory is industry standard.

I mean what other option do us older learners have? It's not like we can go back in time and get an apprenticeship and even if we could what actual adult can afford to live on a fiver an hour? These courses aren't perfect but for diligent folk it's the only route into the industry.

Their efficacity depends mainly on the route you take after the course is finished. I highly believe you should be forced to do at least a year on site with a qualified spark. I say one year and not three because really older folk getting into the industry probably already know how houses work, how they are put together etc. That knocks an awful lot of time off not having to learn how to use tools, how to avoid pipes, how to do the basics etc. I've seen newby apprentices on site a couple of months in who couldn't use a hand saw, didn't know how stud walls were put up etc.

I plan on finding work as a mate. I know i could do the job on my own because domestic electrics is nowhere near as hard as a lot of people make out, but it would be a lot of winging it and making it up as you go along to begin with. It's not the installation that's a problem, any monkey can stick to what regs say in a book if they are studious, to me the difficulty lies in figuring out the current installation and fault finding, alongside 'best practice' stuff like how to go about measuring up and chasing out the best way, or how to run your cables, etc. It's mostly about the process that the experience on site gives you. That and being familiar with older practices, how it used to be done, and materials/fittings/different way of coming to the same finished result. Can't be replicated on a course because they are units not real houses.

Most of the shoddy work seen isn't because someone lacked knowledge it's because they were lazy and tried to cut corners because they had no pride in their work.

 

[James]

I'm currently employed as a HGV driver, which I am thoroughly sick of. I need to get out and do something different. I'm thinking of doing one of these intense courses to be an industrial electrician, which will cost the best part of £8000. The problem is I am 51 years old! What are my chances of getting employed after I've done the courses so that I can get real world experience?

Honestly,
Your chances are not good.

If you go down the self employed route, it will be tough building a pool of customers big enough to make a living from.

if you aim to be employed, a lack of experience is going to go heavily against you in interviews.

sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

on a positive note, I think you will find it difficult in the extreme, but it is not impossible.

Best of luck in your Quest.

 

[telectrix]

not to put a damper on OP's quest,but a plumbing or joinery course is onlya few weeks.similarearnings.alternatively, OP could do a short course on Fire and Intruder Alarms.or plc . more specialised ,but far less hassle, and a sight less than 8 grand.

 

[Deleted account]

The courses actually teach you exactly the same as what apprentices get at college, it's just condensed.

Obviously the practical part is missing which is the huge drawback, but the theory is industry standard.

I mean what other option do us older learners have? It's not like we can go back in time and get an apprenticeship and even if we could what actual adult can afford to live on a fiver an hour? These courses aren't perfect but for diligent folk it's the only route into the industry.

Their efficacity depends mainly on the route you take after the course is finished. I highly believe you should be forced to do at least a year on site with a qualified spark. I say one year and not three because really older folk getting into the industry probably already know how houses work, how they are put together etc. That knocks an awful lot of time off not having to learn how to use tools, how to avoid pipes, how to do the basics etc. I've seen newby apprentices on site a couple of months in who couldn't use a hand saw, didn't know how stud walls were put up etc.

I plan on finding work as a mate. I know i could do the job on my own because domestic electrics is nowhere near as hard as a lot of people make out, but it would be a lot of winging it and making it up as you go along to begin with. It's not the installation that's a problem, any monkey can stick to what regs say in a book if they are studious, to me the difficulty lies in figuring out the current installation and fault finding, alongside 'best practice' stuff like how to go about measuring up and chasing out the best way, or how to run your cables, etc. It's mostly about the process that the experience on site gives you. That and being familiar with older practices, how it used to be done, and materials/fittings/different way of coming to the same finished result. Can't be replicated on a course because they are units not real houses.

Most of the shoddy work seen isn't because someone lacked knowledge it's because they were lazy and tried to cut corners because they had no pride in their work.

Your clearly switched on and agree with most of above, but....

I was late into this game also.

i did 3 years doing C&G level 2and 3. Two days a week.

at the end of it I did a quicky 13 week evening domestic installer course. It was 4 hours one day a week. I didn’t have to do this course, but, I did it because I felt I needed a recap. Really pleased I did because it put together and cemented what I had learnt over the 3 years.

there where several people in the DI class. I was the only one with prior learning.

there Is no way I would have understood what was going on without my previous learning and all the learning in the those 13 weeks would have seeped out my head by the end.

the class struggled from day one. The intense ness of the course was such no one could possibly take in that much knowledge and keep it there for long. By the time next week came everyone forgot what had happened the week before.

testing was a joke. We had the lesson and then the test straight after. All the answers had been given to us, spoon fed 10 minute before test.

no one failed because you pay for a pass.

please don’t do the short course it’s really not worth it.

 

[richy3333]

Do your qualifications at college in the evening and get experience with somebody at the weekends.

 

[Popeye50]

Thanks for all the feedback. I have not done much research on the courses. This is one example I've looked at.

Trade Skills 4 U - https://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/courses/search?experience=1&skill=10&q=

It claims to be able to get me to "C & G 2365 course level 2 and 3 Diploma" in 16 weeks. Whether or not this is the appropriate qualification or not, I don't know. As for the difficulty of the course and the mathematics, I studied maths on the OU for years and I'm not fazed by it. However learning and remembering lots of new information in a short space of time will be a struggle. I would probably spend a few months prior to the course pre-loading as much of it as I could. I don't mind spending a couple of years on poor pay in order to gain the necessary experience. I suppose my question still remains. What are my chances of getting taken on as a mate at my stage of life? Also does this course look any good to those in the know?

 

[David Prosser]

What sort of physical shape are you in ? There are a few national industrial installation contractors that are always looking for semi skill/labourer type electrical jobs. mostly fitting cable tray and pulling in armoured cables. I don't see your lack of experience being to much of a hindrance. It could be worth looking in that area to get your foot in the door, then trying to get more experience as you build up a positive relationship with them. It can be physically hard work and you can be outside in all weathers.

 

[telectrix]

Thanks for all the feedback. I have not done much research on the courses. This is one example I've looked at.

Trade Skills 4 U - https://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/courses/search?experience=1&skill=10&q=

It claims to be able to get me to "C & G 2365 course level 2 and 3 Diploma" in 16 weeks. Whether or not this is the appropriate qualification or not, I don't know. As for the difficulty of the course and the mathematics, I studied maths on the OU for years and I'm not fazed by it. However learning and remembering lots of new information in a short space of time will be a struggle. I would probably spend a few months prior to the course pre-loading as much of it as I could. I don't mind spending a couple of years on poor pay in order to gain the necessary experience. I suppose my question still remains. What are my chances of getting taken on as a mate at my stage of life? Also does this course look any good to those in the know?

the 2365 level 2 and 3 are the right basic core qualifications, but taking it all in over 16 weeks is, as you say, will be a nightmare, as normally, you would be working and putting what you learn into practice.

 

[Deleted account]

The C&G lv2 and lv3 are the first and probably only step for you. But these are just the first of the qualifications you will need.

does the £8000 consist of just the C&G lv2&3? Seems a lot for just those 2 quals.

a quick google has shown C&G level 2 alone around the £2500 ish mark, the level 3 around the £3000 mark. This is including VAT so £5500 total

So £8000 seems a little pricey to me. What are you getting fo the extra £2500

I just did a quick google and didnt shop around, if I did I may find cheaper courses.

 

[Electrics]

The C&G lv2 and lv3 are the first and probably only step for you. But these are just the first of the qualifications you will need.

does the £8000 consist of just the C&G lv2&3? Seems a lot for just those 2 quals.

a quick google has shown C&G level 2 alone around the £2500 ish mark, the level 3 around the £3000 mark. This is including VAT so £5500 total

So £8000 seems a little pricey to me. What are you getting fo the extra £2500

I just did a quick google and didnt shop around, if I did I may find cheaper courses.

Hey, the one i'm booked in for (i have previous experience with the electrics from another country) is £8995 in total, but for that you get:

C&G 2365 levels 2 and 3
C&G Inspection and testing
C&G BS7176
C&G PAT testing
NVQ3
AM2

If you do the levels 2 and 3 with them 'distance learning' (ie, reading the books yourself and then passing tests, coming in for practicals only) it's £4250, but that is only the 2365 levels 2 and 3 and none of the other stuff.

 

[cloverman]

I would agree with most that has been said, I think people have been very honest in their answers and there is no quick fix for the years of experience and knowledge that is picked up over this time.
There is obviously no getting away from the lack of experience bit, However a lot also depends on you as a person, How practicial you are in using tools, DIY skills, wilingness to learn, etc.,, I know of some companies in the East Midlands who have taken on older giuys with a years experience, Of course it is at a reduced rate of pay and perhaps doing a lot of the "Donkey work" But they were looking for people who were hard working, reliable and perhaps not afraid to help out other trades on site.

So nothing is impossible but by the same token it won't be a bed of roses.