please say I dont have to retrain LOL

[johno999]

Hi All,
This is my first post & Im hoping a couple of pros might be able to point me in right direction.
(for my sins) Ive been sparking since leaving school a very long time ago. (15th edition days) I went back to college to do my 16th Edition in Aug 94. I ran my own company for 15 years In London & was the NICEIC qualifying manager for the company & obviously had to previously do an Inspection & testing course. I did the college testing course in Feb 95. But Im looking at the cert now & it does not even have C&G course number on it. Merely says " Course in final testing & Inspection"
Anyway, Ive been lucky enough to spend the last 8 years abroad away from UK weather & London stress. But a little thing called money means I want to return to do some sparking.
I believe Im well enough qualified to apply for some interesting jobs Ive seen. But they are asking for 17th edition & testing qualification 2394 & 2395
I imagine I could download a cheap basic CD that ive seen to give me all the info required to study for the upgrade to 17th edition & then just sit the exam.
Cheap & cheerful, not too much grief.
However, I dont much fancy going through the process of re-doing the testing course & exam.
So, to cut a short story long, I would like to have a few professional views on whether my previous long term served in the industry could allow me to successfully apply for jobs asking for the 2394 & 2395
Maybe if necessary I could download another cheapo course for testing & pay for just the exam? Though it seems a lot of centers dont allow just the exam as I guess they want the course money )-: again any advice here would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Johnno

 

[spark 68]

You probably have the C course for T&I, while a bit before my time I was lead to believe this was superior to the later 2391, I cannot confirm that of course.

Unfortunately you will be up against HR departments , and if you can't tick the boxes on their application forms then your application gets filed in the bin.

The 17th is asked for by nearly all places now, and as for T&I they usually ask for the 2391 or the new courses 2394/5, the 2391 now of course being discontinued.

 

[Andy78]

My C&G certs don't say the course code on the either, not obviously. They are buried in a long serial number next to the award date. Granted they are not as old as 1995, but it could be worth a scan to double check. If not a call to city and guilds should be able to verify what the cert is exactly for.

 

[johno999]

I guess you are right re - H&R depts, Sooo, I guess it looks like a shed load of study for me. i have seen some very reasonably priced download material that supposedly gives you everything you need for 2394/5 & 2382 but wonder if you have heard of any particularly good websites to down load this material. As I prefer home study but dont want to waste time with the wrong downloads. (im assuming we are permitted to put external useful references on here!) Thanks again

You probably have the C course for T&I, while a bit before my time I was lead to believe this was superior to the later 2391, I cannot confirm that of course.

Unfortunately you will be up against HR departments , and if you can't tick the boxes on their application forms then your application gets filed in the bin.

The 17th is asked for by nearly all places now, and as for T&I they usually ask for the 2391 or the new courses 2394/5, the 2391 now of course being discontinued.

 

[johno999]

Hi Andy, good idea I will try calling them. Although at the time it was the testing course required to be in NICEIC and carry out completion certs etc so I presume its pretty similar to latest qualification. However, if its no good to an employer then Im guessing this old boy is gonna have to go back to the drawing board

 

[spark 68]

Part of the trouble though is that HR people are just office dwellers, they have no idea what is being asked for, they only ask for what an employer requests, and boxes need to be ticked.

They argue that you should have up to date, or reasonably up to date quals.

I am not saying this is right or wrong, and tbh the way things are going I can see this getting a lot worse for all of us.

Every one has their hand out, courses for this, courses for that, renewals every X number of years for more money naturally, continued professional development is the new marketing speak now I believe.

It is not that I am against staying up to date, or CPD per se, it is just the big money making exercise that this is turning into (or has already turned into) that makes me a touch cynical.

Half of this is arse covering, eg. the asbestos awareness course and CSCS/ECS, if something bad happens and a claim looks likely then they can turn around and say ah! but you passed the course you
were, or should have been aware of the risks.

 

[johno999]

too true spark 68, Im also not against keeping abreast of things, but its almost like I have to start from scratch with the testing thing with there being no allowances for previous qualifications or 20 odd years of testing experience. I think this has to be the worst trade for having to constantly put your hand in your pocket. Bit late now to think of career change though LOL

 

[johno999]

I guess you are right re - H&R depts, Sooo, I guess it looks like a shed load of study for me. i have seen some very reasonably priced download material that supposedly gives you everything you need for 2394/5 & 2382 but wonder if you have heard of any particularly good websites to down load this material. As I prefer home study but dont want to waste time with the wrong downloads. (im assuming we are permitted to put external useful references on here!) Thanks again

 

[spark 68]

You need to be careful wrt copyright material on here

The17th will probably be enough to get you a start somewhere, look at the T&I stuff later once you are earning

 

[telectrix]

it may be that you hold the 2400. this was before 2391 and afaik, it's just as good a qualification, maybe even better.

 

[johno999]

Thanks for all your help & yes telectrix that ref no. 2400 rings a bell deep in the brain. But I guess its not really worth the paper its written on, unless the C&G can give some kind of document stating its the equivalent to the 2391 & I can show that in my CV?
One last question you might be able to help with. Im lucky that I will not be tied to a particular area & therefore may move to where work is most available. Im guessing thats London, but wondered if any members have heard of any mini boom areas for sparking?

 

[Silly Sausage]

it may be that you hold the 2400. this was before 2391 and afaik, it's just as good a qualification, maybe even better.

2400 was the Design, Erection & Verification course.
If you already had 2391, you didn't have to take the I&T practical, still had to answer the questions in the exam though, but with the books this time!

Well, it was like that when I did it.

 

[Risteard]

2400 was the Design, Erection & Verification course.
If you already had 2391, you didn't have to take the I&T practical, still had to answer the questions in the exam though, but with the books this time!

Well, it was like that when I did it.

The 2400 became the 2391-02, and subsequently the 2391-20 (which is when I did it). It has since been replaced by the 2396 course, but is a different animal to the 2391-10 course.

 

[ian.settle1]

2400 was the Design, Erection & Verification course.
If you already had 2391, you didn't have to take the I&T practical, still had to answer the questions in the exam though, but with the books this time!

Well, it was like that when I did it.

2400 was the Design, Erection and Verification course until some muppet at C & G decided to renumber it 2391-02 half way through when I was doing it in 2007 and totally confuse everyone.

2391-01 is I & T