# Calling All Electricians Really Need Help?



## frank (Feb 6, 2007)

Hi Brummie Boy.


You can get an apprenticeship - even at age 28. But finding an employer is going to be difficult. You may well be considered an impediment to a business rather than an asset. 
I suggest you find a company doing domestic rewires. Do this for a couple of years to get the grounding. Then if you wish you could move along to another company for commercial/industrial experience. Selling yourself at your age is the determining factor. If you really want to be an electrician then SELL yourself. And it may have to be cheap. The courses listed above are just add ons to an electricians main qualifications. These can be obtained by day release at your local college but I suspect the costs incurred will be down to you. Getting Industry approval may also be difficult if you are not able to follow a monitored training path but this need not matter if you become self employed or work for a non Union Company. You are going to have to face 3 years minimum hard work and technical training and for further advancement perhaps another 4 years on the job and Tech School to get to the top of your tree. keep in mind that at 28 there are many gifted lads out there that can offer an employer skills you have not even yet dreamed about. But you can do it - but don't expect the world to throw at your feet.One last note. Check with the Job Centre. I think finance is available for the Schooling costs

Frank


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## allspark (Jan 13, 2009)

Hi

Thanks Frank for taking the time to post, yeah options are running out for me as i get older, with all my qualities and skills though electrician is the best career to move into, with lots of fields, and im open to domestic, commercial, industrial, and maybe one day self employed.

yes im sure their are many others younger and older than me with talents and the whole world is like that.

as for the job centre i tried them many years ago and all they could offer was 100 pounds if i was lucky to get that funding! luckily now i have managed to scrimp and save to hopefully secure my future and future career.

i do worry about these courses only giving me the qualifications and no experience or training, but what else can i do?

usually any courses offered by colleges are crap and not what the industry require or have to be much younger.


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## Trimix-leccy (Dec 4, 2007)

What Frank said PLUS...

What is your IT Background [Shiny ar$e sat pressing keys all day, or installs, or both] I only ask as you may be able to find a firm that wishes to get into Data/Smart home wiring [they may not know it yet] you could do a bit of a trade off AND get some on-site training if you see where I am coming from?

It's got to be worth a shot

Best of luck

Just had a thought...how about putting a flyer in some of the wholesalers if they will let you??:yes:


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## allspark (Jan 13, 2009)

I use to do IT Support Workstation/Laptop/Server Installations, Maintenance, Administrative Work, User Support, Upgrades, Rebuilds and Network Cabling Installations.

i didnt have time to sit on my arse

Also i use to work for BT in the Exchanges installing Broadband, lots of wires in there i can tell you

ive always enjoyed technology and diagnosing faults, repairing and problem solving its just the kind of person i am and i am dedicted to doing a pro job


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## Trimix-leccy (Dec 4, 2007)

Gets better. If you experience working for BT this is also a good point in your favour! Promote this as well as the IT side. :thumbsup: All related experience is good. We see so many come on here and they have been an Estate Agent or Chicken Farmer or something


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## sparkie (Apr 2, 2008)

Firstly can I suggest you ignore all the bs tv and Internet courses,local college the way to go.
Further to this you seem prime position to do networking/comms work.
Could you look to find an employer who already wants your skills and would value the new ones.

Reason I ask is you want to sell the skills you have and use them to access new skills.
Also a company may be more keen if you have a temp or part time contract (money,training while you work)

If it helps I have NVQ3 Motor Vehicle and that was always grief, so I decided to pursue electrical work and with graft got the experience and training and now run own family business.

ps I'm 30 now


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## allspark (Jan 13, 2009)

yeah ive seen the adverts on telly reall cheesy stuff! colleges been there done it and they dont offer what i need, the training centres is the only way to go really for me although i would like more experience as i train

my other options is if i cannot get employment straight away is to do a part time job and work voluntary with an electrician firm for 6 months or so to gain hands on experience

i will get where i want to be somehow its just going to take times and getting the breaks which with my luck is impossible

but still its either this or job less and career less i have not done IT in years lost touch with it and had enough of it, it does your head in mentally

anyway i did not come on for my life story just for help

and i suppose what experts thought about the courses i thought will help me

Thanks


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## frank (Feb 6, 2007)

Allspark.

Need to listen. The training centers will NOT give you the qualifications you need. The advertised Courses are NOT electrical qualifications to enable you to be an electrician. They are subjects you will need to have AFTER you have your NVQ.Only College will get you to that level. Remember what we said. TIME and PATIENCE are the only routes to your success.

Frank


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## allspark (Jan 13, 2009)

Hi Frank

hmm so your telling me im not going to get employed with these qualifications?

Part P
17th Edition 2382
Inspection and testing 2391
PAT 2377

i know i wont get alot of experience with the longest course being the part p which is 5 days

i know some of these training centres also do foundation electrical courses some 5 weeks some 8 weeks which has training in

all that the colleges do that ive looked into is the electro technical and thats not what the industry wants also alot of it is electronics and ive already done city and guilds electronic servicing part 1 and 2

also i couldnt wait till septemeber to enrol on a course thats still not going to get me any where and i wont be able to do a full time job and college course

if you can suggest a course please do? as so far things are looking really down and i come on here for information to try and help me


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## sparkie (Apr 2, 2008)

part p course is a rip off, with experience and 17th and inspection and testing you can apply to niceic/elecsa/nappit or others and with the correct insurance and qualifications they will assess you and if you pass you can sign off part p work.

colleges will help you, companies offering 5 day courses are rip off.

please please please use local college:thumbup:


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## allspark (Jan 13, 2009)

its hard to know what or who to believe these days, i know alot of you are biased and dont like these courses, but also i know that just the qualifications are not enough experience and will not gain employment unless really lucky, but i cannot go by luck alone

i guess my questions are done here, its now up to me as usual


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## allspark (Jan 13, 2009)

surely others out there do these courses and these centres and get employed or self employed from scratch

id like to hear from the people that have, find out there views ?


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## Trimix-leccy (Dec 4, 2007)

Said it before and I'll say it again and again
1] contact the people that run the courses
2] ask what your job prospects are
3] get a lsit from them of people who have done the course [prob sight Data Protection Act or some such sh!te]
4] find out if these people have got employment based upon their course AND relevant to their course
5] contact the colleges and see what they think of them
6] contact NICKY., ECA etc and see what they think:notworthy:

no body on this site has done any of these courses. IF they have then surely they would reply

and yes.....I am biased

Electricians need experience not paperwork; there again maybe it is just me being picky:no:

Frank etc......over to you, you, you, you [helluva echo in 'ere!]


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## allspark (Jan 13, 2009)

thanks for your opinions

i just have to follow everything up before i spend my hard earned money, its ok for you guys, your where you want to be and time served, im just trying to start out and its hard.


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## frank (Feb 6, 2007)

Allspark.

Just think a minute. If you want to be an electrician you need to be good at maths. Study inductance, capacitance, resistance, impedance, reactance, powerfactor. Load calculations, voltage drop, current demand, ambient temperatures, coefficients, ohms law, Kirchofs Law, J. Notation. Trigonometry, Phase differentials and so on and so on and so on. Plus every concevable peice of equipment you could imagine - from motors though starters through rectifiers through - well you name it and you will study it and become an electrician. This is where the College and work experience come in. If you want to be a domestic installer ( often called an electrician) - and there is nothing wrong with domestic installer work - you can pick this up quite easily with practice and a good tutor. The courses then listed above will come in handy for you and then away you go. But electrician you will not be. An electrician is an entirely different kind of beast. Good luck to you.

Frank


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## sparkie (Apr 2, 2008)

see I'd be asking success rate of such courses in terms of employment after a year, others have said similar.
While being enthusiastic is good you still need to build the skills.
We all do a job that is not without risks,correct training and experience are key to a safe and successful projects-after all a dead electrician isn't any use.


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## allspark (Jan 13, 2009)

so frank your all of those things are you, you must be an electrician then, ive already done atlest half of those things in electronic servicing

anyway i get everyones points and im glad for the opinions even if some do feel biased or trying to put me off

i know i need the training and im going to work on finding it:thumbup:


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## sparkie (Apr 2, 2008)

as said before capitalize on existing skills and ongoing training


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## frank (Feb 6, 2007)

Allspark.

No one is trying to put you off. So don't get too iffy. We are all wise old souls here and offering you the best advise possible. In electronic sevicing you will have had a good grounding in electrical theory which will serve you well - but then the paths diverge and the game becomes something else. It is the something else that needs to occupy your thought.

Some pals of mine that are now electricians took this route.

1. Job with an electrical company as an electricans mate/labourer
2. Move to improver status.
3. Attend College 1 day a week for the neccessary first stage 540 hours theoretical
tuition.You may well have to pay your own fees.
4. Put in the time. I think 6 years was period given to me.
5 Keep attending College for further study.
6 Apply via employer for electrican grading through JIB/Union application.
7 KEEP A FULL RECORD OF ALL YOUR ACCREDITATIONS AND TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT.

As mentioned before a couple of mature friends have gone this route and are now doing well.
If you do as we mentioned up front and try to get work in the Domestic Field you will ( even as a mate/improver) be learning from the first day about the job - tools - workmates-application-testing - circuitry - speed - quality etc. This is your foothold. And as mentioned, if your new boss knows you are a wizz with data etc - you are on to a winner and in line for a partnership.

By the way. I have all 3 CGLI qualifications. The Ful Tech Cert. Elecrical Fitters Cert. ONC. HNC and Member of the Mining Electrical and Mechanical Engineeers Dip. And when I think of the old timers I have worked with that have none of the above I realise that in the full scheme of things I KNOW NOTHING.


Frank


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## sparkie (Apr 2, 2008)

Wherever the regulars on this board are,we share one thing in common.
Blood,Sweat, and a lot of hard work. 
If you really want to be in this game you need a passion for it.

Your speaking to people who are trying to point you in the right direction, unfortunately you can't do a two week course and get to grips with everything.


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## phill29 (Feb 7, 2009)

I'm in an equally frustrating pusition.
I started my career with an AUtomorive firm, did a modern apprenticeship in auto-electrics got myslef an NVQ Level 3 in Complex Electrical/Mechanical Assembly and an ONC in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. After finishing my apprenticeship I was offered a position in the offices and worked with CAD Simulations ever since. After a contract came to an end in December I'm now struggling to find a job doing what I do. I can't see any jobs in my field coming about for at least 12 months.... look at the state of the car industry!!! 

I finished my apprenticeship 8 years ago and to be honest would struggle with Automotive Electrics now considering how much has changed and how long I've been away from it. My electrical theory knowledge is still sound though and I thought I'd be able to do something with those qualifications. I have been applying for jobs like crazy since Christmas and I can't even get an interview. I really don't know what to do for the best. 

Can anyone advise what to do to build on the qualifications I have and how to transfer from automotive to mains?

I'm happy to work towards qualifications and gain experience but I have a baby on the way and need a job. I can't affiord to do voluntary work.


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## sparkie (Apr 2, 2008)

:jester:If it helps, I have NVQ3 Motor vehicle and apart from a few regular services I don't bother with vehicles any more as low margins.

Maybe focus on data and telecoms? otherwise as generally most of the regulars here will suggest the local college.

Please don't be tempted by these fast track couple of week courses-a fool and his money are soon parted.

:thumbsup:

Basically I would suggest you need to work out your survival income, basically your cost of living cut to a realistic minimum.
(will mean ditching expensive extras)
Then armed with this you can then look at options.
you'll find we are a reasonable bunch if you wish to discuss ideas:jester:
Maybe something to do with machine design?


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