Thinking of a change to supply side our trade... Advice??

[Bonga]

Hi this is my first post, browsed a few times and seems to be the place for quires answered. I'm an approved electrician plenty of domestic experience rewiring, basic bread and butter sparky stuff. I'm now working as a foreman at the moment but thinking of a change and fancy getting into the supply and bigger side back on the tools. I've spoke with a few guys who fit scottish power isolators on our job, they work with a company called IQA and they have mentioned OP1 and a few other qualifications but I think they are scottish powers own courses. Although fitting isolators isn't really what I'm after it could be a way in to progress to something better. So my question is how do you get the qualifications? what do I need? And asking anyone who works on that side of the game is it worth the hassle? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

 

[Engineer54]

Hi this is my first post, browsed a few times and seems to be the place for quires answered. I'm an approved electrician plenty of domestic experience rewiring, basic bread and butter sparky stuff. I'm now working as a foreman at the moment but thinking of a change and fancy getting into the supply and bigger side back on the tools. I've spoke with a few guys who fit scottish power isolators on our job, they work with a company called IQA and they have mentioned OP1 and a few other qualifications but I think they are scottish powers own courses. Although fitting isolators isn't really what I'm after it could be a way in to progress to something better. So my question is how do you get the qualifications? what do I need? And asking anyone who works on that side of the game is it worth the hassle? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

Are you talking about MV work here, or just bigger LV distribution systems??

No idea what you are referring too, what exactly are you talking about ''Power Isolators'' ??

 

[Knobhead]

If you go working for a company that is subcontracting to a supply company how are you going to progress in the distribution industry? They are two different businesses.

Think again.

 

[driverman]

Hi this is my first post, browsed a few times and seems to be the place for quires answered. I'm an approved electrician plenty of domestic experience rewiring, basic bread and butter sparky stuff. I'm now working as a foreman at the moment but thinking of a change and fancy getting into the supply and bigger side back on the tools. I've spoke with a few guys who fit scottish power isolators on our job, they work with a company called IQA and they have mentioned OP1 and a few other qualifications but I think they are scottish powers own courses. Although fitting isolators isn't really what I'm after it could be a way in to progress to something better. So my question is how do you get the qualifications? what do I need? And asking anyone who works on that side of the game is it worth the hassle? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

Where you based? Look at you local DNO vacancies . Some do adult re-training with electrical background. Maybe other areas within the companies that you may like

 

[Jay Sparks]

If you want to work in the power industry there are different pathways.
There are Linesman, Jointers and Fitters. If you live in the north, you would have to do an apprenticeship for Northern Power. The program starts at level 2 and at the moment is day release to a college/training center for two years whilst also gathering evidence on the job for your NVQ. The money is fairly good to start with and goes up in stages after you complete a certain % of your portfolio. After level 2, you can progress to level 3. There are also sub contractor companies to Northern Power who are, Linbrooke and Specialist Power Engineering contractors (SPEC). These companies also have apprenticeships programs.
After speaking to a few of the level 2 apprentices, they have all said its the best choice they ever made. The variety of work is great.
Have a look on the N Power, Linbrooke and SPEC websites for more info.

Jay

 

[Bonga]

If you want to work in the power industry there are different pathways.
There are Linesman, Jointers and Fitters. If you live in the north, you would have to do an apprenticeship for Northern Power. The program starts at level 2 and at the moment is day release to a college/training center for two years whilst also gathering evidence on the job for your NVQ. The money is fairly good to start with and goes up in stages after you complete a certain % of your portfolio. After level 2, you can progress to level 3. There are also sub contractor companies to Northern Power who are, Linbrooke and Specialist Power Engineering contractors (SPEC). These companies also have apprenticeships programs.
After speaking to a few of the level 2 apprentices, they have all said its the best choice they ever made. The variety of work is great.
Have a look on the N Power, Linbrooke and SPEC websites for more info.

Jay

Yeah thanks this is the type of work I'm interested in getting into. As I live in Scotland it's scottish power up here but I imagine the route will be similar. Only thing I see might be a problem is I'm 30 and don't think a company would take on a 30 year old apprentice or even if that can happen??

 

[Bonga]

If you go working for a company that is subcontracting to a supply company how are you going to progress in the distribution industry? They are two different businesses.

Think again.

the said company is a sister company to scottish power. I spoke to a few guys who work there and they do the distribution work like renewing mains cables in blocks of flats and others who just fit isolators for consumer units.

 

[Jay Sparks]

Yeah thanks this is the type of work I'm interested in getting into. As I live in Scotland it's scottish power up here but I imagine the route will be similar. Only thing I see might be a problem is I'm 30 and don't think a company would take on a 30 year old apprentice or even if that can happen??

actually, alot of the N power apprentices are in their late 20 early 30!

 

[driverman]

Yeah thanks this is the type of work I'm interested in getting into. As I live in Scotland it's scottish power up here but I imagine the route will be similar. Only thing I see might be a problem is I'm 30 and don't think a company would take on a 30 year old apprentice or even if that can happen??

Don 't worry about that, depending on there work load , situation, they do employ older people. go onto there web page, browse through it. contact them, see what they say.

 

[Guest55]

getting your DNO live network licence will cost thousands if not being sponsored or in-house trained directly by a company.

just a thought

 

[Knobhead]

getting your DNO live network licence will cost thousands if not being sponsored or in-house trained directly by a company.

just a thought

I know how much my training has cost over the years. I wouldn’t have liked to pay for it.