Someone could pass as an electrician and never work again for 20 years and then go and work as a competent electrician?  I am not sure I agree with that once competent an electrician is always competent. 

Ah well that is a different question.  Over the years as I become a grumpy old *** in his 50s, I am slowly coming to suspect that none of this so called education and training  is anything like as useful as hands on experience and could probably be ditched. I also have some fairly similar pithy thoughts for a lot of legislation and regulation/ standardisation as well, but I think on this forum I'll best stay quiet to avoid causing offence.

Mike.

gkenyon said:

And the assessment is not a qualification (as qualifications have a legal definition now)?

Or am I getting the two confused?

Looking at the NAPIT site , and this document -guide-to-qualifications-requirements-electrical.pdf page 2, if for example you are an NICEIC domestic installer, like me, you only need proof of Assessments with another scheme to be able to join, plus an 18th edition qualification. So in a sense assessments are a qualification.

This is exactly right.  I took my son on as an apprentice 3 or 4  years ago, as it happens he didn't enjoy it and moved on but we had constant problems with college as they wanted photographic evidence of him doing certain types of works that i just don't do as a domestic electrician.  I often get enquiries from lads or lasses asking if i am looking to take on an apprentice and i can't for that reason.  

(For example, CEng has "never done it", EngTech "won't understand the maths".)

Newton's letter to Nathaniel Hawes:

"If, instead of sending the observations of able seamen to able mathematicians on land, the land would send able mathematicians to sea, it would signify much more to the improvement of navigation and the safety of men's lives and estates on that element".

What about the lobsters?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10770107/Lobsters-deformed-left-unable-swim-wind-farm-power-cables.html

Z.

OlympusMons said:

So in a sense assessments are a qualification.

"Equivalent to qualifications" or "an acceptable credential", but these days, because of legislation, not "a qualification" sadly.

I know somebody who did an electrical apprentiship. Passed exams etc. then 47 years later still working with no updates etc and says he is qualified. Gets notified thru others if he needs to

Neil Bridgeman said:

 I am not sure I agree with that once competent an electrician is always competent. 

Agreed, some form of CPD is necessary for practising professionals.

After 20 years out of the industry, I would agree some form re-assessment or re-qualification may be necessary.

No one has actually ever asked to actually see any of my qualifications, apart from NAPIT in the fifty years since I went and got my National Insurance number when I was fifteen. 

For many years I worked on sites where new guys started work at eight o'clock and the site agent or foreman walked around at ten o'clock to decide if they stayed or went. 

Two hours was enough time to complete enough work for the assessment. 

Mind you some did not make it to ten o'clock,  like the bricklayers who hadn't laid a brick by ten past eight and the forklift driver who bent the boom on the brand new forklift before twenty past eight, he left over the back fence without speaking to anyone, I was stood watching him with a plumber, we both could see he was incompetent and guessed what was going to happen,  unfortunately the management were not so astute.