Training to be an electrician?

[Welderpaul]

A very good friend of mine is looking for a career change and has an itch to be an electrician. I believe wanting to do domestic work, but possibly venturing into commercial/industrial.

I said I would ask the oracle as he is struggling with a clear way forward. There's a huge amount of courses/training offered, with numerous organisations seemingly only too willing to relieve him of some cash.

He's mid 40's so not really wanting to go back to a classroom or spend days alongside Monster-drinking weak tashed chavs (his words!).
He's technically minded, and already an Engineer. I think he will very quickly take up the practical side of things, but his knowledge of the design side of things would be pretty basic at present.

The training and qualification needs to be as quick and painless as possible, but he appreciates he's not just going to walk straight into a job.

Ultimately his goal is to be self employed with his own business.

Any pointers, or words of wisdom from the wise?

 

[Barking Mat]

Didn't @bigegg do something similar a year or two ago ?

Not sure if I count as wise.

 

[Screwdriver]

If that's his ambition he will need some qualification or other I would expect. How good is his maths? No problem with age other than that at that age you need to be very committed to a subject to study for it. I would start with the end result, self-employed electrical contractor(?), find out which qualifications he would need and then work backwards from there to find out what he has to study to get there.

I say that because it is possible one look at the challenge he must face to become qualified and he might well change his mind.

 

[Brad93]

Industrial, good money to be made. Z tech a big firm in my neck of the woods

 

[Barking Mat]

Over here, there's so many qualifications depending on what area you want to work in.

Even working on 12v electrics in cars for example is a qualification, let alone electric cars, the 230, three phase, it's a minefield.

I did a starter course a couple of years ago, to realise if I opened a fusebox door and saw wires, I was qualified to shut it.

That raised a few questions in our company, which have still not been adressed.

Minefield.

 

[mtt.tr]

Learn electrical theory basics

Learn to read and use the wiring regs it's all in legal talk.

Terminating cables and such running cables neatly is pretty easy


Go on a course get proper tuition

 

[More Amps]

It sounds like he'd be best talking to a sparky currently operating in his chosen field, and if he's not sure quite which area he wants to specialise in, then an approach to a medium-sized firm might prove interesting (small firms tend to be too busy to spare the time for a decent chat, and big firms will just pass him onto HR) You haven't mentioned what sort of an engineer he is, but being in his 40's might work to his advantage if he can speak to the right person and show he's not some gormless teenager glued to his phone!

 

[premmington]

I did the 16th edition in 1992.

Over here, there's so many qualifications depending on what area you want to work in.

Even working on 12v electrics in cars for example is a qualification, let alone electric cars, the 230, three phase, it's a minefield.

I did a starter course a couple of years ago, to realise if I opened a fusebox door and saw wires, I was qualified to shut it.

That raised a few questions in our company, which have still not been adressed.

Minefield.

Give cars a miss - there is just no money in it!

 

[Barking Mat]

I did the 16th edition in 1992.



Give cars a miss - there is just no money in it!

I can't find it on the tube, was a training video, 17 or 19mm spanner carefully dropped on the poles of a smallish car battery, at 20 odd seconds, the spanner melts, at 25, the battery fumes cause an explosion.

 

[Robotstar5]

A quick google found this which seems to explain it all. I would recommend going commercial/industrial as domestic seems to be a race to the bottom in sometimes unpleasant working conditions.

 

[bigegg]

I did my c&g 2395 at Leeds college of building
it's two years, two days (or two evenings) a week.

After that, 18th ed. qualification (3 days), and "periodic inspection" (30hrs I think)
That's enough to do most "domestic work" - and get NAPIT registration to self-cert major installations.

 

[brightspark]

I did my c&g 2395 at Leeds college of building
it's two years, two days (or two evenings) a week.

After that, 18th ed. qualification (3 days), and "periodic inspection" (30hrs I think)
That's enough to do most "domestic work" - and get NAPIT registration to self-cert major installations.

and then you have to learn the practical yourself unless your working with someone in the game. not much cop just doing it on a board in a classroom

 

[Taylormade100]

I have been thinking about doing the same thing lately. I found the e-fixx website which has some short videos explaing upcoming changes to electrical courses which may be of interest. https://www.efixx.co.uk/apprentice-hub

 

[Kayos]

Is he arrogant, has a hugely inflated sense of his own ability and importance, terrible at time keeping and struggles with anything that isn't new or straightforward, and unable to tidy up?

If yes then crack on, if no then he isn't right for the job

 

[Robotstar5]

Is he arrogant, has a hugely inflated sense of his own ability and importance, terrible at time keeping and struggles with anything that isn't new or straightforward, and unable to tidy up?

If yes then crack on, if no then he isn't right for the job

What do you expect from "gods amongst mere mortals"?

 

[Alan Reynolds]

Is he arrogant, has a hugely inflated sense of his own ability and importance, terrible at time keeping and struggles with anything that isn't new or straightforward, and unable to tidy up?

If yes then crack on, if no then he isn't right for the job

Tee Hee! You’ve been watching too many “electrician” videos on you tube. some of them are infuriating, rubbishing people’s work and quoting this and that regulation. I met a chap the other day and he was an ex hgv driver. The government contacted him asking if he would consider returning to the job. Ok says he. He had to go on a 40 hour course and needed additional course time for a hazardous chemical driver course.

 

[Kayos]

Tee Hee! You’ve been watching too many “electrician” videos on you tube. some of them are infuriating, rubbishing people’s work and quoting this and that regulation. I met a chap the other day and he was an ex hgv driver. The government contacted him asking if he would consider returning to the job. Ok says he. He had to go on a 40 hour course and needed additional course time for a hazardous chemical driver course.

Been a heating engineer for a long time, it's all first hand experience

 

[bigegg]

Is he arrogant, has a hugely inflated sense of his own ability and importance, terrible at time keeping and struggles with anything that isn't new or straightforward, and unable to tidy up?

If yes then crack on, if no then he isn't right for the job

I've always found electricians to be extremely humble.
Surprisingly so, considering how incredibly awesome we are.

 

[MetalMonkey]

Is he arrogant, has a hugely inflated sense of his own ability and importance, terrible at time keeping and struggles with anything that isn't new or straightforward, and unable to tidy up?

If yes then crack on, if no then he isn't right for the job

Honestly you could apply that to all the trades, there’s always good and bad examples. I've found those predominantly using subbies tend to be the worse for it though.
Also quality costs, but usually works out cheaper in the long run. My snagging lists were always longer when we had to use the lowest bidder...

 

[Kayos]

Honestly you could apply that to all the trades, there’s always good and bad examples. I've found those predominantly using subbies tend to be the worse for it though.
Also quality costs, but usually works out cheaper in the long run. My snagging lists were always longer when we had to use the lowest bidder...

99.99% of sparkies fall in that category, then have a meltdown if you ask them to wire a Y plan, employed or subbie.
It's why I qualified, so I could do my own jobs from start to finish