Trade Qualified Ltd

[ttalps2000]

Hi

I am looking at going into the electrical contractor field as a career. Im previously a mechanical design engineer and have done a fair bit of electro mechanical previously as well as having domestic electrical experience over the years.

Trade Qualified Ltd seem to offer a good course to do part-time, which is essential for me. Not too concerned about the price, more about the quality than anything else. Does anyone have any experience of Trade Qualified? I would attend the Southampton centre if i went with them. They seem to offer a lot on their course comapred to some of the others. The main theroy is done from home and the practical at their workshops.

How realistic is it to go self-employed after finishing a training course like this? Thats my overall aim is to work for myself and sooner the better if its realistic to do so! Trade Qualified said that a lot of their students do, as long as they are confident enough in the practical work to do so. They dont seem to be pushy on the phone and appear to be very helpful etc.

None of the local colleges offer any courses similar to the above mentioned.

Any help and feedback would be great.

Thanks

 

[malcolmsanford]

To have a better understanding of the course what is the one your going for and what qualifications are you going to achieve?

What is your ultimate goal, is it to be purely a sole trader/contractor in the domestic sector, or will you want to branch into other aspects of the electrical industry? Again once you have identified the course objectives and goals we can advise better.

All I can advise, before you spend money is take a census of this forum. You are obviously well qualified as an engineer, what will you achieve by completing the course? If it is a full 2-3 years training as an electrician then it may well be another string to your bow, and you may want to then go into electrical engineering as quite a bit of your mechanical degree will cross over.

If it is a 7 week DI course, then all I can say, that in this present climate it really is a waste of money and time for you. I would suggest before you start take a look at how many DI there are in your area, this will be your guide, as I would imagine there would be quite a few, all the same guys trying to find work in an ever shrinking market.

I would not deliberately put anyone off training or learning, but it todays market some training and learning is only going to make you poorer in the pocket, rather than give you what you want.

 

[ttalps2000]

Hi

The course that they are offering is as follows:

• Inspection Testing and Certification of Electrical Installations - City & Guilds 2391
• The 17th Edition of the Institute of Electrical Engineers Wiring Regulations - City & Guilds 2382
• Electrical Portable Appliance Testing - City & Guilds 2377
• Domestic Installer Certificate - Full Scope (for Part P certification)
• Essential Electrics - CITB
• Appointed Persons First Aid - Health and Safety Executive
• CSCS Site Safety Card

As i understand, the 2391 is the better qualification of the lot?

I would want to start off in the domestic market and go into industrial etc after a while, more to broaden the tyoe of work i can do and hence pick up as much as possible.

There doesnt seem to be a huge amount of training centres around me for doing this, and will have a fair bit of travelling as it is!

This is like a direct access course so to speak. You do the theory at home in your own time, then as you finish the modules you go in and do the practical work for a week at a time.

I have no intrest in going back into Design, hence why i came out of it and am looking for somthing different now!

Thanks for your help.

 

[malcolmsanford]

It is the domestic installers course which I posted as the DI course. This is ok if your wanting to go it alone as a sole trader in the domestic market, it will not though give you recognistion as an Electrician, and therefore you would find it difficult to obtain a job within the industry.

As I said before you part with your maoney do a little research into how many DI are in your area, I think you will be suprised how many there are, and then factor in the amount of electrical contractors who would normally ignored the domestic market, are coming into it because of commercial/industrial work drying up.

By all means do what you feel is best for you, I wish you luck and hope you do well.

 

[ttalps2000]

What additional qualifications would need to be done to qualify as an Electrician?

I would need to do the relevant work etc to start doing industrial electrics, which is why i would prefer to do it at a later date once i have some experience behind me.

As for others in my area, there appears to be very little of them! Looking at adverts in papers and on google serches etc, there is 4 in total, and thats not just in my village either!

Where im working at the moment, the electrician there is working 6.5 days a week at the moment to keep up with his demand. The main people in my area are elderly people too, who need a tradesman etc to do the work for them.