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Content of Core Electrician Courses, how do we change it?

nicemark

I come from an Electronic/Electrical test background rather than Installation. In the last couple of years I have started teaching Electrical Courses for students wanting to be electricians. 

Looking at these courses  it does not look as though they were ever designed for electricians. Rather that they were designed by academics and engineers with degrees, who simply did a cut down version of their own courses to make up something “suitable” for electricians.

Be it EAL, C&G or BTec there seems to be a great deal in the courses which is totally irrelevant to being an electrician, at the same time there is much that is either omitted or given such a brief mention it is not adequately addressed in the curriculum and certainly not in the authorised course books to accompany them

A small sample of Items in the courses which are irrelevant or obsolete.

For example, atomic theory, electron flow, doping and depletion layers, how triacs, diacs, thyristors etc work. High and low pressure lamps of a variety of types Mercury, Sodium etc. Gears, pulleys, Left hand and right hand theories, details of generation methods. And identify and explain how a variety of different types of electric motor work.

A small sample of things missed out or barely touched upon,  

CAT ratings of equipment. Given that their life depends upon suitable equipment being used it is important that they learn about the equipment they use and its limitations. GS38 does not cover everything “test” by a long way.

Crimps are misunderstood and frequently done very badly, despite the range of crimps being used by electricians being tiny. Crimps should only be done with specific tools. The correct methods of crimp selection, crimping and crimp inspection should be taught.

BS7671:  421.1.1   Manufacturer’s instructions must be taken into account when installing. That means All the electrical accessories you buy will have Manufacturers recommended Torque settings for the screws.  Most students don't even know what a torque screwdriver looks like let alone how to set one or use a calibrator. 

Explain the different start/torque/performance  characteristics and lifespan/reliability of electric motors. (something of use, not how they work... but what they can do).

Also needs much more emphasis on test and fault diagnosis, and methods/tools/techniques of fixing safely and cost effectively.

I could add much more to both of these lists, but this is getting long now.

The Resistance to Change

The problem is that the examination bodies have a modular set of course elements which are the building bricks of a variety of courses. I think they are afraid to change things, becuase customers can be reluctant to see change, or at least, that is what the exam boards claim. They are also afraid of "knock on effects" if they change a module on one course, or the impact on others. But I think the course criterion are now well out of step with what is required, and the authorised course books even more so.

So I start with discussion with.... What else needs changing, and who do we contact to get things changed? 

Who will be first to update and create better modern standards? EAL, C&G or BTec? 

 

Parents

  • Is part of the problem that traditionally the things not taught on the course would be covered by practical experience that apprentices should  have gained while working with an experienced electrician. With the poor quality of many apprentice schemes/employers this experience for many is probably poor. Coupled with the many people  doing the courses without supervised practical experience we end up with "qualified electricians" missing some of the practical knowledge and skills. 

    I agree with you about some of the more complex electrical/electronic fundamentals which we should be aware of but do not require in-depth knowledge  to function competently as an electrician.

    I was recently called to a customer who had no hot water as their gas boiler was awaiting repair and the immersion heater did not work. They had called out a local medium sized electrical company to fix the immersion. The customer told the "electricians" who came out that he thought the plumber who had installed the boiler and the new thermal store had not connected the immersion as he was not an electrician. The electricians looked at the installation and told the customer that the immersion was connected but it was connected through the boiler wiring and they could not fix it! When I looked the heat store had a thermostat wired to the boiler circuit but there was no wiring to the immersion heater. A length of suitable flex to the heat store manufacturers specification to the heat store solved the problem and a happy customer. Was the problem a lack of: training, knowledge, skill or: laziness, ignorance ?

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  • Is part of the problem that traditionally the things not taught on the course would be covered by practical experience that apprentices should  have gained while working with an experienced electrician. With the poor quality of many apprentice schemes/employers this experience for many is probably poor. Coupled with the many people  doing the courses without supervised practical experience we end up with "qualified electricians" missing some of the practical knowledge and skills. 

    I agree with you about some of the more complex electrical/electronic fundamentals which we should be aware of but do not require in-depth knowledge  to function competently as an electrician.

    I was recently called to a customer who had no hot water as their gas boiler was awaiting repair and the immersion heater did not work. They had called out a local medium sized electrical company to fix the immersion. The customer told the "electricians" who came out that he thought the plumber who had installed the boiler and the new thermal store had not connected the immersion as he was not an electrician. The electricians looked at the installation and told the customer that the immersion was connected but it was connected through the boiler wiring and they could not fix it! When I looked the heat store had a thermostat wired to the boiler circuit but there was no wiring to the immersion heater. A length of suitable flex to the heat store manufacturers specification to the heat store solved the problem and a happy customer. Was the problem a lack of: training, knowledge, skill or: laziness, ignorance ?

Children
  • in reply to kfh

    Well I also had in mind more things such as heating systems, and more on basic skills. Not just making pieces to a minimum standards in a hurry but spending time on how to make them well and efficiently. 

    As you say, with companies going into increasingly specialised markets, the range of things they are exposed to can be very small.

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