What do I need to legally start working as an electrician?

[jaymd]

Having spoke to NICEIC and Elecsa last month at Elex all they wanted was 2382 and between 1 and 3 jobs to look at (plus payment).
I personally think this is an absolute joke!
You should have at least a level 3 and 2382 at least to be able to join a scheme.

 

[Guitarist]

if that's correct, how will the Electrical Trainee be able to join?

Maybe the new 15-18 day courses award an NVQ 3 at the end. I suspect that there may be "alternatives" which can be substituted for the actual qualification itself. Not that I'm cynical at all....

 

[BlueToBits]

I'm old-school and everything seems to be the wrong way round these days. It used to be that a qualification was merely the 'ticket' that confirmed that the holder had the studied the theory in applying the skills they had acquired over several years working in the real word on real jobs alongside and under the direct supervision of an experienced mentor.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but it now seems that skill is no longer the main requirement, and in essence, anyone can call themselves 'a qualified electrician' by sitting a 90 minute multiple choice 'open textbook' exam and getting a slightly higher score than would be expected by giving random answers.
And this is OK?

 

[Marc Carter]

I'm old-school and everything seems to be the wrong way round these days. It used to be that a qualification was merely the 'ticket' that confirmed that the holder had the studied the theory in applying the skills they had acquired over several years working in the real word on real jobs alongside and under the direct supervision of an experienced mentor.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but it now seems that skill is no longer the main requirement, and in essence, anyone can call themselves 'a qualified electrician' by sitting a 90 minute multiple choice 'open textbook' exam and getting a slightly higher score than would be expected by giving random answers.
And this is OK?

I would tend to agree even though I am probably one of the people acquiring qualifications backwards although I don't intend to finish qualifications and band myself about as a qualified electrician! In my opinion, nobody is qualified without having done the job with a time served mentor, such as the apprenticeship scheme and even then there is still a lot to learn, I will personally be looking to get what I consider the base qualifications then hopefully get a job assisting someone who has experience and moving forward from there, I freely admit it will be hard work for me personally as the apprenticeship scheme really isn't going to work for me due to my age, that's not a moan, just a fact of life people want to take on youngsters for apprenticeships.

 

[Marc Carter]

Maybe the new 15-18 day courses award an NVQ 3 at the end. I suspect that there may be "alternatives" which can be substituted for the actual qualification itself. Not that I'm cynical at all....

I think you are right but, I think these courses are dangerous however, there is no way anyone can grasp fully what being an Electrician is all about from a course like that and I can only imagine what the tutors tell people on these courses what they can do with their cornflake packet qualifications.

 

[ipf]

Qualifications

Yeah, that IS the main problem.

Bad enough now....dread to think about the future.

 

[Guitarist]

Went into a new electrical wholesalers today, just to give him my card, see what he stocks etc.. He informs me that he sells a lot to plumbers, along with "electricians" who by their own admission don't even own test gear, but they know how to wire the circuits....
I was shocked to be honest.

 

[shagbite]

it's like the offie flogging booze and smokes to 14 year olds.

one day this country'll get it right - and then we'll have kitchen fitters loitering outside the wholesalers, asking us to go inside and buy 'em a packet of bw cable glands.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

I thought the same mate, what a coincidence eh? Who'd have thunk it.

Aye, whoo'd a thowt it.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

it's like the offie flogging booze and smokes to 14 year olds.

one day this country'll get it right - and then we'll have kitchen fitters loitering outside the wholesalers, asking us to go inside and buy 'em a packet of bw cable glands.

i can just picture it now, the sparks reply

" of course, for a small favour round the back... We'll start with a story, tell me a story"