Any electricians on here? Need careers advice!

**DNS** · 24th February 2011, 00:50

Hi guys,

Been doing a load of electrical work recently, for myself and friends/family. I'm fairly competent and experienced, but not qualified so none of it is technically legal.

I'm currently doing a job which I'm not overly fussed about and haven't got much future in, so I'm seriously thinking about learning a trade and electrics seems like a good one for me.

Can someone give me some advice on how best to get started, and what is needed to become a qualified electrician.

I know what I want to be able to do, I just need a few tips on how to get the necessary certification etc.

Any help very much appreciated. Cheers.

**paulvectrac** · 24th February 2011, 01:01

A few suppliers do corse like seaward and Cef also wf wades they all do corses mate also you thought about college at night or somet like that I am a spark I also am qualified to inspect and test and fibre optics and data infastrucators it's a good trade but very hard work mate

**ditchp** · 24th February 2011, 12:54

try and find a part 'p' course to attend, it will cost you in the region of around £500 for the course and exams then once passed another £1000 for paperwork and test equiptment but you will be legaly able to carry out installation and testing , my youngest bro has just done this and it took him about 2 weeks to do

hth

**UncleMelon** · 24th February 2011, 13:20

Get yourself on a wiring regs course mate, IEE 17th edition I think, then as rightly said you need to be part p qualified to do and domestic work... Not too sure but you may need to get public liability insurance aswell.

I would say to start you should do an nvq or similar at night school, check your local technical/trades college most do them

**Spannaz** · 24th February 2011, 15:14

You will also need to be able to test and inspect as well as 17th edition and Part P. There are a few training suppliers out there that do complete packages. Google rftraining and technique training. Starting my course week on Monday.

http://www.rftraining.co.uk/

http://www.techniquetraining.co.uk/

HTH

**Big-Pete** · 24th February 2011, 21:11

Best advice I can give you is to get yourself on a City & Guilds 2330 course and become trained to "Approved Electrician" grade, once you've completed that then if you want to do domestic properties start thinking about registering with one of the PartP schemes such as the likes of the NICEIC, ECA or NAPIT etc. Don't forget that you can earn well as a commercial / industrial spark which has nothing to do with "PartP" of the building regs at all as that only covers domestic properties..

A PartP course on it's own will not make you a "Qualified Electrician", go the C&G 2330 route and if you can do a C&G 2391(10/20) testing and inspection course aswell and you'll be on your way to earning a good living..

PS: The company I work for (As an NICEIC Supervisor) does the partp inspections for around 60 local Councils, Including Chelmsford

and we get to see quite a lot of work carried out by non-qualified people as it normally stands out a mile..

**Ademusic** · 24th February 2011, 21:19

As Big-Pete says, c&g 2330 is the way to go. I've done my level 2 and am half way through level 3. 17th Edition wiring regs (c&g 2382) is also essential which I'm doing in april for 12 weeks. There are 2 test & inspection courses 2392 which covers domestic & enables you to sign your own work off once you're registered and 2391 which covers commercial (3-phase etc) and lets you sign other peoples work off too. Then you'll need to join napit/niceic and do your part p building regs to start working.

**Birchy63** · 25th February 2011, 10:53

Trouble is after the recession and job loses, half the country are training to be Sparkz (or plumbers)!!
How long does a well paid trade, stay well paid when qualified workers are 2 a penny?

Electronics went from being well paid, to being utterly rubbish almost as soon as schools started doing basic electronics as part of GCSE's....... Why? because employers don't care about experience, HNC's, HND's, etc, when they can employ a school leaver for peanuts and still fulfil the health and safety requirements of having qualified staff..

**Big-Pete** · 25th February 2011, 11:38

Originally Posted by Birchy63

Trouble is after the recession and job loses, half the country are training to be Sparkz (or plumbers)!!
How long does a well paid trade, stay well paid when qualified workers are 2 a penny?

I agree to some extent, but to be honest we still struggle to get good competent staff as you cannot beat experience..

I think the increase in people coming into the trades will balance out as a lot of school leavers don't want to go into a construction trade because it would mean them doing a hard days graft.

**macdad** · 25th February 2011, 17:10

Originally Posted by Birchy63

Trouble is after the recession and job loses, half the country are training to be Sparkz (or plumbers)!!
How long does a well paid trade, stay well paid when qualified workers are 2 a penny?

Electronics went from being well paid, to being utterly rubbish almost as soon as schools started doing basic electronics as part of GCSE's....... Why? because employers don't care about experience, HNC's, HND's, etc, when they can employ a school leaver for peanuts and still fulfil the health and safety requirements of having qualified staff..

You've hit the nail well and truly on the head there bud,obviously employers try to get the cheapest labour they can,during 2008 our firm made about 6 electricians redundant all well qualified lads and just 12 months later replaced them with eastern europeans on £5 an hour less....this is what we are up against in this day n age,sad but true.