Zs!! Welcome back!

You and I could have a good old fashioned complain about his situation for sure..........

I've caved and finally done the AM2E route now

The portfolio bit between August and December

The AM2E (practical) just this last week (Thursday to Saturday) and I'm awaiting results this coming Friday but I've no doubts it'll all be OK.

It cost £1800 for the portfolio bit (which I've got a certificate for and I have no freaking idea what that certificate gets me or has improved myself or proves anything - what value added does this certificate get me - can I apply for a better job or will it get me in front of employers as a good looking bit on my CV - as an employer I can assure all and sundry that it likely will not - like the plethora of numbers that each apprentice that I've had has put across my desk they mean next to zero to me - so you've got the city and guilds 2356 2300 or 7854 or 9012 or 6374 or 84xxxx  (I'm mostly making up numbers here) but what ever the number, they each have resulted in a gold for them, but not for me as I didn't do an AM2 20 years ago - nor was I offered to do an AM2 - when I finished college 20 years ago, they just gave me my certificates, that were hard earned at night school while I worked at the V&A museum as a light bulb changer/learner electrician during the day, and they said after three years  - there you go - you're qualified now - cheers and congratulations. I later got my inspection and testing in 2004. This - years later - in 2009 was good enough for the NICEIC after I had been trading on my own in commercial projects for 2 years and I became an Approved contractor and QS an responsible person etc etc in 2009)

Back to now, Once I had completed the portfolio bit, I paid £800 for the practical bit, (AM2E) again - what does that bit get me? I know that combined they'll both get me a JIB gold card and should I stop trading and want to be a QS for another company, it'll let me continue to be a QS.

There lies its value obviously. Employers won't recognize what I've done though (I recon should I want a job.)

Does this AM2E bit negate all I've done before? Seems so?

I'll then need to pay for the ECS test, that I've done 3? times over the years and It was the same very time. I've done the supervisors CSCS card for the last 20 years, I've got the SMSTS. I know the ECS is more electrical bias but come on - its a little basic really. 

Then I'll need to pay for a JIB Gold card.

Why the NICEIC for example cant just issue an AM2E certificate to me I'll never know; 13 years and hence - 13 days of chatting to, being assessed by, and my jobs, certificates, RAMS etc checked by the NICEIC area engineer means those guys know me way, way, way better than the NET chap ever will on this latest debacle. 

I know though that the problem stemmed from job pressures to become an electrician, where in order to get a job you need to show experience, but you cant get experience without a job, so one way of showing "experience", or to get your CV seen by prospective employers  was to get your academic qualifications such as  City and guilds level 1 & 2, inspection and testing, even the design course 2396 etc before you ever even see even the real job. Now employers have had their fill of of those chaps and want more.............so we are where we are. There's no use in closing the stable barn door now - the horse - including myself has bolted.............

So I, too, did the AM2E.  Your assessor might well know way less than you in particular do. Don't sweat it, just do the step by step hoops required. Tick the box. 

And hope that someone, somewhere decides that with both the portfolio and the wiring up in a phone booth - you are - in fact - an electrician. 

The practical test has the 3 phase DB mounted, nearly ALL the containment in, the back boxes and light switches in place, the light and MT4 trunking already in place. , the S Plan accessories in place and half the S plan system wired up already.

You'll need to do a 90' metal conduit bend, a through box, and an off set into the S plan programmer possition which is also in place. You'll also need to do some plastic conduit, with an offset and a 90' bend to a double socket pattress already mounted in place. 

Its straight forward but definitely a time trial, which seems to dictate your competency. 

You kind of need to re-do the 18th edition exam (Which I had to show a certificate for before the'd let me onto the course to begin with) but you need to show some xtra knowledge by showing where you'll find the information in the guidance notes 3 and the electricians guide to the building regulations (John Peckham has his name in credits for at the front of that one - well done John!! )

Then there's a fault finding module that was straight forwards but for a fault on the switched side of the S plan that you need to find on a limited time trial. 

Give me a call and we'll have a mutual complain. Good luck anyway. 

The MIT (Motor industry training no less) centre in West Byfleet is a NET center that's not too far from where you used to live if you still live there? To be fair I put my first apprentice through that college in 2014.

Kind Regards 

Tatty

Zs!! Welcome back!

You and I could have a good old fashioned complain about his situation for sure..........

I've caved and finally done the AM2E route now

The portfolio bit between August and December

The AM2E (practical) just this last week (Thursday to Saturday) and I'm awaiting results this coming Friday but I've no doubts it'll all be OK.

It cost £1800 for the portfolio bit (which I've got a certificate for and I have no freaking idea what that certificate gets me or has improved myself or proves anything - what value added does this certificate get me - can I apply for a better job or will it get me in front of employers as a good looking bit on my CV - as an employer I can assure all and sundry that it likely will not - like the plethora of numbers that each apprentice that I've had has put across my desk they mean next to zero to me - so you've got the city and guilds 2356 2300 or 7854 or 9012 or 6374 or 84xxxx  (I'm mostly making up numbers here) but what ever the number, they each have resulted in a gold for them, but not for me as I didn't do an AM2 20 years ago - nor was I offered to do an AM2 - when I finished college 20 years ago, they just gave me my certificates, that were hard earned at night school while I worked at the V&A museum as a light bulb changer/learner electrician during the day, and they said after three years  - there you go - you're qualified now - cheers and congratulations. I later got my inspection and testing in 2004. This - years later - in 2009 was good enough for the NICEIC after I had been trading on my own in commercial projects for 2 years and I became an Approved contractor and QS an responsible person etc etc in 2009)

Back to now, Once I had completed the portfolio bit, I paid £800 for the practical bit, (AM2E) again - what does that bit get me? I know that combined they'll both get me a JIB gold card and should I stop trading and want to be a QS for another company, it'll let me continue to be a QS.

There lies its value obviously. Employers won't recognize what I've done though (I recon should I want a job.)

Does this AM2E bit negate all I've done before? Seems so?

I'll then need to pay for the ECS test, that I've done 3? times over the years and It was the same very time. I've done the supervisors CSCS card for the last 20 years, I've got the SMSTS. I know the ECS is more electrical bias but come on - its a little basic really. 

Then I'll need to pay for a JIB Gold card.

Why the NICEIC for example cant just issue an AM2E certificate to me I'll never know; 13 years and hence - 13 days of chatting to, being assessed by, and my jobs, certificates, RAMS etc checked by the NICEIC area engineer means those guys know me way, way, way better than the NET chap ever will on this latest debacle. 

I know though that the problem stemmed from job pressures to become an electrician, where in order to get a job you need to show experience, but you cant get experience without a job, so one way of showing "experience", or to get your CV seen by prospective employers  was to get your academic qualifications such as  City and guilds level 1 & 2, inspection and testing, even the design course 2396 etc before you ever even see even the real job. Now employers have had their fill of of those chaps and want more.............so we are where we are. There's no use in closing the stable barn door now - the horse - including myself has bolted.............

So I, too, did the AM2E.  Your assessor might well know way less than you in particular do. Don't sweat it, just do the step by step hoops required. Tick the box. 

And hope that someone, somewhere decides that with both the portfolio and the wiring up in a phone booth - you are - in fact - an electrician. 

The practical test has the 3 phase DB mounted, nearly ALL the containment in, the back boxes and light switches in place, the light and MT4 trunking already in place. , the S Plan accessories in place and half the S plan system wired up already.

You'll need to do a 90' metal conduit bend, a through box, and an off set into the S plan programmer possition which is also in place. You'll also need to do some plastic conduit, with an offset and a 90' bend to a double socket pattress already mounted in place. 

Its straight forward but definitely a time trial, which seems to dictate your competency. 

You kind of need to re-do the 18th edition exam (Which I had to show a certificate for before the'd let me onto the course to begin with) but you need to show some xtra knowledge by showing where you'll find the information in the guidance notes 3 and the electricians guide to the building regulations (John Peckham has his name in credits for at the front of that one - well done John!! )

Then there's a fault finding module that was straight forwards but for a fault on the switched side of the S plan that you need to find on a limited time trial. 

Give me a call and we'll have a mutual complain. Good luck anyway. 

The MIT (Motor industry training no less) centre in West Byfleet is a NET center that's not too far from where you used to live if you still live there? To be fair I put my first apprentice through that college in 2014.

Kind Regards 

Tatty

In addition to that - we were explicitly told not to test anything to do with the S plan system............only up to the switch fuse supplying the S plan. I've just wired the S plan up - what do you mean don't test any part of it?? Not even R2.?.........

The day before this practical, I phone JP to ask - how the hell do I test an S plan system? Thanks for the chat JP. After some discussion we both agreed that's it s not exactly conventional; clearly there's some switched supplies after the programmer you can't test conventionally and you dont want to do a conventional IR on that lot, we discussed what could be done. Mostly I was hoping there was a standard way to do the job that everyone else knew that I didn't as I don't know if I've ever done an S plan system..........I've done heaps of commercial plant rooms and heating and chilling systems, BMS etc - I just follow the design drawings - I never asked if they had a name.I've even done quite a few domestic underfloor heating wet systems, but I didnt know what they were called either - just follow the wiring diagram. 

I hope my experience of this course, just means that I am experienced, and maybe most who are will have as (easy/frustrating wate of time) straight forward  a time as I seem to have had.

I really don't mean to demean the value of this qualification at all as I understand why it has been bought into existence, and as with my original qualifications (City and Guilds 2360) it'll offer those who are working in the industry a chance to get qualified; which was exacly what was sold to me 20 years ago when I did the 2360. Deja Vu going on here...........