Are you a real electrician or just a domestic one?

It all depends how widely or loosely you define "Electrician" and whether you are referring to installation only or the wider application of engineering. There are many aspects of our work where frankly there are no specific qualifications which are applicable, and to say you need X,Y or Z to undertake such work would, as Lyle says, be a hindrance to running a business. We have from SVQ to HNC,HND and Degree level qualifications on the books, some have Grade cards, some do not. We carry out marine and industrial work -  installation (basic power, through complex systems), fault finding and repair, control and automation, design and manufacture, machinery troubleshooting, generators, alarm systems, etc. It is competence, not qualification which is important in the undertaking of any work. I can take a candidate from a domestic installer background and give them experience in fault finding machinery control systems, panel building and circuit design as much as I can take a graduate and give them the experience to become a competent installer of cable and containment. It is the job that defines the scope required of the candidate and competence can be developed on the job given a candidate who is keen to learn. If we are purely talking installation work and qualification perhaps it is simpler (somebody show me a marine installation qualification...) but in the wider world there is much that can't be boxed in. Competence is key. And lets not get into electrician vs engineer vs professionally registered engineer!

Have to agree Mike. For the 1st 26 years of my career I worked in heavy industry but was expected to do the lot. One moment I might be fault finding on piece of industrial machinery and in another I might be re-lamping the director's office. On another day I might be installing conduit/SWA or /M.I.CC somewhere in a new extension of the plant. On nights we we left PAT testing or installing power trunking in the office block.

We were taught the lot back then. And it worked. It also taught us about our own limitations. For example, I would not feel confident about doing any work involving ATX sites or medical installations with a high risk, simply because they have become so complex and I have no experience in those areas. Same with fire/security alarm stuff, and I won't go anywhere near EV/solar etc. I have no idea what is taught these days but it seems to be more profitable for trainers to teach their students that it is more important to know how to hold a ladder and run plastic safety tape than it is to teach them about 3 phase supplies or motor controls.

Nowadays I mainly do small domestic stuff - at 63 I don't want the heavy gruntwork any more, nor have I ever been a 'gong hunter' who collects badges such as gold cards CIS etc etc.

To those who want more regulation and stratification in our industry I say Beware!

What I have learnt since going self-employed back in 2002 is that regulation has become a growth industry in exclusive pursuit of profit for itself and nothing else. The profit is made from getting the monkeys at the bottom of the pile to jump through more and more needless hoops at their own expense.

At one time, when a new regulation was proposed & drafted, it would be heavily scrutinized by peers with an excellent and qualified knowledge of the subject, and backed by sound evidence. If it could be demonstrated beyond doubt that the regulation would enhance the safety of those affected, then there was a good reason for it.

Not any more, regulations are now their own industry, driven by lobby groups from product manufacturers and litigation lawyers. Few, if any of the new regulations - (not just the wiring regs) - have had any real tangible benefit for the end user. You only have to look at the rainbows painted on police cars these days to witness that.

None of this aids in attracting more desperately needed people into our industry. What is needed is more broad-based training of real skills rather than bureaucracy.