Which of these 2 would you choose?

[n180]

Hi Guys,

Need some advice from the more experienced people. I am looking to go into training as an electrician. I have narrowed down my options to 2 providers. I would appreciate if you could give me some advice on which of these two training providers you would choose.

I will be starting from scratch as I am changing insudtry and know very little about being an electrican.

Training Provider 1:

• Takes between 1 year and 18 months depending on how fast you want to work to get to NVQ level 3 (it's flexible to fit around your current lifestyle)
• You are given books and online simulation etc to help you learn your theory at home.
• Once you have done theory for the module, you go into thier centre, do some practical training on their equipment (CU, wiring, circuits etc) in their training rooms for a week and then take test for that specific C&G qualification.
• First you achieve your NVQ level 2 (C&G part P, 17th edition etc) to become a domestic installer, but before you achieve level 2, they send you on one of their own construction contracts for atleast a week to give you some real life experience, you then get your NVQ level 2.
• Then you can start work as domestic installer whilst carrying on training with them (flexible) for NVQ level 3 (2357)
• costs about 6k to get to NVQ level 3, paid monthly at about £145/month (obvioulsy I will have fininshed course before even paying full amount).
• I do not think anywhere in this course you do the 2394/2395

Training Provider 2:

• Pay £1700 to do my Part P, 17th edition and electrcial fundamentals training. They also have their training rooms with all the training equipment (CU, wiring, circuits etc). Do all this in about month.
• Pay another £850 to do my 2394/2395.
• They will try their best to find me atleast a weeks work experience with an electrcian to get practical experience.
• Work with my gas safe engineer pal who gets quite a bit of electrical work, which will give me some practical experrience.
• Later on I can do the 2357 for NVQ level 3, even though it will take me a couple of grand more and another year or so (so in thoery the cost will be about the same as option 1 but in this I get the 2394/2395).

Tried to be brief so I hope the options make sense.

Both options are similar, I don't get massive amounts of real life practical experience. Can the Part P, 17th edition and other fundamental theory really be learned in about 3 weeks, or would it be better to spread over a longer period as in provider 1?

Thanks in advance.

 

[telectrix]

option 1. this gives you recognised c&g qualifications. try and get practical experience as a mate whilst doing the course.

option 2. starts off as a Electrical Trainee short course, plenty of posts on this forum about that.

neither is a sgood or as cheap as doing 2365 evenings at college. trhen nvq3.

 

[Leesparkykent]

Both sound pants to be honest. Try get an adult apprenticeship and do your 2357 on day release or work as an electricians mate and do an evening course to do your 2365 level 2 and 3 then convert these qualifications in to completing your nvq3.

 

[Leesparkykent]

Are you in wales?

 

[n180]

No, I'm in birmingham.

I realise non of these 2 options are as good as evenings in college whilst working with an electrician, but the college courses in brum start around september, thats like another 6 months away, and then there's the small (well actually huge) problem of finding an electrcian that will take me on as a mate.

That's why I was thinking of one of these 2 courses, get an understanding of the fundamentals through them, and try to get some domestic work in for the practical 0experience through my mate who is a gas safe engineer but has a fair amount of electric work coming through which he is capable of doing most of himself but is happy to help me get started once i got the basics understanding and know how thorugh these course. Is that not a good idea?

 

[Leesparkykent]

I'm not having a dig but you're going to learn the electrical trade off a plumber?

 

[n180]

I know what you mean Lee, it sounds bad, learning electrics of a plumber lol. The thing is, he knows what he is doing as a domestic electrical installer, is experienced in it and has working relationshsips with qualified sparkys to get his work signed off when needed , it's just that he is not qualified in electrics, he is qualified in gas. Seeing as it is near on impossible to get any electricain take me on as a mate, this is the next best thing to get a foot in the door and some experience under my belt (domestic only for now), right?

So my plan is, get the 17th edition, part P, and fundmantal electrics (this way atleast I have some knowledge about the way things work and come together even if it costs me £1700)- and then get whatever experience I can for a year or so with him (domestic only) and maybe work up from there? Does that sound feasible or am I missing something and just being a fool poking in the dark?

 

[Leesparkykent]

17th is worth doing, fundamental electrics is not going to be worth the paper it's written on and part P is part of the building regs (you don't need to do a course for this). Here is the online version of approved document P.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_AD_P_2013.pdf

 

[n180]

"fundamental electrics is not going to be worth the paper it's written on"

Now that you come to think o fit, your probably absolutley right. Is there anywhere online I can learn about the fundamental electrics knowledge (remember i'm a total noob at it, i have no electric knowledge)? If I could do it myself with a online videos or even a good (practical orientated) book, I would. Is there a book that can be recommended for a complete beginner that would take me to a level where I would atleast have the theoretical knowledge of how to do a domestic installation (CU, light circuits etc)? With a mix of a good book or two and some videos, I think I may be able to learn the basics without the course . Well, it would be a start anyway.

 

[Leesparkykent]

It's a difficult one really. If I was you I wouldn't be handing 6k over lightly for courses/qualifications that are not worth Anything in the trade. The only way to do it is 2365 level 2 and 3 with 2356 nvq3 and am2 or the other route is 2357 which is the above combined in to one. Then you can do add on qualifications like 2394&2395 and 2396.

 

[telectrix]

visit local library. have a look at books by trevor lindsay, chris kitcher, and (think it's john) whitfield. see what you think will help then buy copy/s. but as has been said, there's no short cut. college course on day release or evenings is the way forward.

 

[Leesparkykent]

Diploma in Electrical Installation Level 2 (2365)

look here level 2 evening course £800. To become properly qualified with recognised qualifications and experience it takes time and dedication.

 

[n180]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. I'm crossing off the 6k course off my list for sure, and I may very well cross off the £1700 one also. Will see If I can get some of those books, and ring that college tommorow to see if they can maybe have a course starting before sept.

 

[Hellmooth]

Search high and low for an adult traineeship, this way you can get to college and on site experience, this is how I gained my qualifications! I was lucky to blag a job as an electricians mate through an agency with limited electrical experience, stuck in and managed to get put through an adult trainee course, even after 3 years of weekly day release at college and on site experience, I still wouldn't have been confident going in and changing CU's etc, it isn't as simple as just paying for qualifications, it's takes a lot of on site experience and willingness to continue reading and asking, this forum is a god send for it! Good luck!

 

[haynesmyster]

Hi all,
Im wondering what the main differences and similarities aswell as pros n cons are between a year plus course (college or training company) and a 4-6 week course?
I want to be a fully qualified electrician and did take a course (originally 2330) but company went bust so am now wanting to start training as a domestic installer and work my way up from there.
If a course can guarantee me work when ib finished that course would that be a good bet? Im more than willing to put years in but domt know how to start?!
Or should I go with a college as they shouldnt go bust?
I cant find anyone that will take me on atm.
I just want to be an electrician (installation) and as my brother was a plumber, maybe work together in the future!
Can anyone please help

 

[Leesparkykent]

Hi all,
Im wondering what the main differences and similarities aswell as pros n cons are between a year plus course (college or training company) and a 4-6 week course?
I want to be a fully qualified electrician and did take a course (originally 2330) but company went bust so am now wanting to start training as a domestic installer and work my way up from there.
If a course can guarantee me work when ib finished that course would that be a good bet? Im more than willing to put years in but domt know how to start?!
Or should I go with a college as they shouldnt go bust?
I cant find anyone that will take me on atm.
I just want to be an electrician (installation) and as my brother was a plumber, maybe work together in the future!
Can anyone please help

http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/electrical-courses-electrical-nvqs/100692-what-would-you-do.html

 

[haynesmyster]

I'd like to do a course for 4weeks, £3500 for 17th and part p. Then I could work as a domestic installer right? From there gain experience and then further training when the time is right.Im looking at a company called options tools T/a options skills ltd in Birmingham, anyone know if there good?
Cananyone please help

 

[n180]

Haynes,

I'm in the same boat as you, about to start retraining as an electrician. That course is not worth it from option tools or any other provider. I was about to make the same mistake as you until, thanks to this fourm, I relaised better. For learning the theory, I've got myself a good couple of books from the library (by Chris Kitcher and trevor linsley) and combine that with online research, youtubte/training videos on various topics, you should be able to pick most of what you need to know in theory. For practical, I have got a friend who has a lot of experience wiring houses who is willing to let me work with him to learn some of the practical side (even though he is not offically a sparky or qualified he does have to do the work according to the standards to get things signed off, it's the best I can find at the moment to learn practical side). After a bit of practical experience working with him, I will do the 17th edition and Part P which will cost less than a grand but that's a grand I will have earned doing Domestic electrcial work - so I'm not really losing out any money.

Then in Sept I'm planning on joining the SCC college in Birmingham to do my NVQ level 2 and 3 over a couple of years whilst carrying on with the domestic work and trying to work up from there.

This way I save a few grand and any false hopes/promises from training providers of how my life will be oh so wonderful after I have completed their fast track courses in an industry with "severe shortages". But most importantly I will have learned the hard way - on the job through dedicated self study - therefore proving to myself that I am willing to put in the hard work it takes to be an electrician, proving to myself that I am willing to cope with the pitfulls, stresses and problems a sparky has to face, and developing the confidence to take on real jobs.

That sure beats putting in 3 grand+ into a fast track course and coming out the other with the title "electrician" but not having the confidence to even go to a customers house with my shiny new tools and stick in a socket in their wall.

 

[n180]

Just came across this post again.

Wow, where have 2 and half years gone, they've flown past.

I really owe you guys for the advice you gave.

Ended up doing 2365 C&G at college, levels 2 and 3, which I completed a few months ago. Done my 17th edition, and EAL inspection and testing, whilst getting part time experience as a mate on domestic and commercial.

Now that I am in the industry and know a lot better what is going on, I cringe at the 2 options I had initially posted. These Electrical Trainee courses would have really done me over. Even with the college course alone, I would have been no where without the experience. Site experience with a time served spark is everything. Slowly do the courses over a couple of years in college, but focus on getting experience is the way for those too old for apprenticeships.

And a certificate for fundamentals of electrics lol, what was I thinking. These training centres really know how to take advantage of people unfamiliar with the industry.

Thanks for saving me from these fast track courses and being scammed £1000's.

 

[Andy78]

Looking back through this thread you got some great advice.
Well done on your achievements. You should be feeling proud and satisfied I should imagine ?