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Advice on what qualifications I need

ohm
Hi there, I'm thinking about training to become an electrician.  I already have a HND in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and a degree in Electronics.  What other qualifications would I need?


Advice is much appreciated.
  • 0
    Why on earth would you want to become an electrician, with your qualifications you have a gateway to a great profession?
  • 0

     What other qualifications would I need?



    In theory you don't need anything - legally anyone can go out there and call themselves an electrician.


    If you want to do a lot of domestic work you'd probably find it convenient to join one of the Registered Competent Persons Schemes for part P of the building regulations - each scheme will have its own list of requirements for qualifications & experience - so best to look at their web sites.


    If more commercial/industrial you might find membership one of the traditional Trade/Customer organisations beneficial - and again they have their qualification requirements (and some overlap with the Competenet Persons Schemes).


    You'd probably want some insurance (PL at least) and again there might be some requirements there.


    The industry generally is pushing for particular QCF 'levels' for qualifications - but as far as I know there's no legal requirement for that (yet?).


    City & Guilds are usually the 'go to' organisation for qualifications - and can offer several options depending on what exactly you want to do. Others here will know the various numbers off the top of their heads (it looses me - they keep changing!) Other organisations also do (or at least did) their own versions too.


       - Andy.
  • 0
    18th Edition Regs would be a good place to start, a good "12 week" course or something online but your knowledge would be more beneficial for something greater as Rob suggests!
  • 0
    Ohm,


    Rob’s response picked up by Chivers is really the most important issue. You will find courses if you look, although you also need someone to give you real world experience.


    I don’t know anything about your situation or motives, but if you understand why you want to be an Electrician, then it is a perfectly good career pathway. You might for example want to become self-employed, or build up an electrical contracting business? You might be a young person who didn’t have the opportunity to follow an apprenticeship and found themselves steered into full -time education? I assume in this case that you have been unable to gain employment as a graduate trainee engineer and/or are not enjoying what you have found. Many people just enjoy more an active job with a practical skill element, rather than sitting behind a desk.  


    For many of a previous generation good apprenticeships were more plentiful,  but university attendance was rare. So it was quite common for someone to discover after leaving school that they had an aptitude for something more “intellectual” and would perhaps like to wear a collar and tie, work mainly in an office, design and/or manage electrical installation work rather than carry it out.  Many will have struggled through part-time, often “evening only” courses after work to improve their qualifications, perhaps to HNC level, getting a degree by part-time study was rarer, with limited courses available. Having a degree, or even an HNC also created a “social class transition”. Sociologists have classified people by formal qualification level and the term “blue collar worker” is often used.


    I fit this second pattern, I gained an excellent apprenticeship in the Electricity Industry. Of around a dozen apprentices who started with me, I remember one had A levels and was going to be sent on a university “sandwich” course, the rest of us thought “what a flipping swot”.  Of the rest, some had long careers “on the tools” or as a supervisor, with good earnings and had happy successful lives, some like me became “restless” seeking further qualifications and/or “promotion”.  I became a senior manager eventually, but whether that was “better” than those who were happy in their “hands on” roles is highly debateable.  I should note that my next door neighbour was a craft apprentice (mechanical) for the company where I was a manager, another neighbour isn’t “qualified”, but builds film sets, both seem "comfortable" and successful.

    Be clear about what you want in your life and go for It!   


  • 0
    Good morning OHM.


    You have not indicated any experience of electrical installation?  If you really want to become an electrician then I would recommend you sign up with a training provider or a college and start on an installation course. With your qualifications you will be able to jump straight in on Level 2. Also you need to gain experience on site so a good way in would be to offer your services free to a sparks to assist as a mate/labourer.


    Having got your QCF Level 3 qualification in installation go on and to your Level 3 Wiring Regulations qualification whilst building up your site experience. Having got your Regs. qualification go on to do your 2391 inspection and testing qualification.


    If you want to do work on building sites where entry is controlled you get an NVQ Level 3 and a AM2 which will allow you to get a JIB Gold ECS card.


    If you want to do domestic installation work then registering with one of the 2 competent persons schemes, Certshure/NICEIC or NAPIT, makes sense or you will have to pre-notify your work to building control or use a NAPIT approved 3rd Part Verifier.


    Do not sign up for one of the quick schemes that offer to make you an electrician in 5 days or 5 weeks that says you can be an electrician and earn £50K almost overnight as that is utter carp!


    If you want to progress your career than sign up for the IETs Eng.Tech registered electrician scheme.


    You need 3 things in my humble view to be a good sparks, qualifications, experience and integrity.


    Once you have a couple of years under your belt you may wish to go on to be an installation designer which you already have the under pinning knowledge for. Do the 2396 design course and try and get a junior engineer job in a design office. There is a shortage of good design engineers you can sit in the chair and do the job with minimal supervision.


    Good luck
  • 0

    John Peckham:

    If you want to do domestic installation work then registering with one of the 2 competent persons schemes, Certshure/NICEIC or NAPIT, makes sense or you will have to pre-notify your work to building control or use a NAPIT approved 3rd Part Verifier.




    Are there only two now, John?

  • 0
    Chris


    Yes I am afraid so!   Certsure is jointly owned by the Electrical Safety First and the ECA. They trade under 2 brands NICEIC and ELECSA  but effectively they are the same organisation.


    NAPIT is the other electrical competent person scheme they trade under 2 brands NAPIT and Stroma Electrical Installer scheme. The Stroma installer scheme will be absorbed in to the NAPIT brand in 2 years time but the are effectively one organisation in the mean time.
  • 0
    Hi,

    Similarly to yourself having a BTEC and degree in electronics - and having rebuilt an old  workshop and office - I looked into what I would need to properly do the wiring myself. NAPIT told me I needed C&G in

    1. Intial Verification and Certifications of Electrical Installations (600/3785/4);

    2. Periodic Inspection & Testing of Electrical Installations (600/4693/4) and

    3. Requirements for Electrical Installations BS 7671 (601/5464/0). I'd needed the necessary insurance to join NAPIT which I more or less already had as a self-employed contracting engineer.

    I did the first two as part of a week's course at NAPIT and still remember the surpise in the room when the course leader came in, off-handedly said I take it you're all electricians and I said "No".

    I did the third - an open book one hour or 60 questions (or similar) after finding a centre where I could revise at home then just book the exam.

    I also then did the 18th Edition (having learnt from the 17th Edition Amendment 3 before the 18th came out) on a day's or morning's course at a local college.

    Then two of my circuits (lighting and ring final) in my office were inspected by an Inspector for NAPIT.

    In case you're interested why? It's another string to my bow, and being self-employed I have to pay for any training myself so wanted something I could be sure I could make use of.

    Jonathan

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