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Do CPS schemes like NICEIC and NAPIT have a duty of care to get their members over the line?

Sergio Fernandez

Do CPS (Competent Person Schemes)like NICEIC and NAPIT have a duty of care to get their members over the line?


Qualifications Guide (June 2025) for EAS Appendix 4 - Mandatory Technical Competence Requirements by Work Category
Produced by The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership
on behalf of the EAS Management Committee

Should the CPS be helping their members meet the requirements for EAS in the correct way?
Do the CPS even know the statistics for which of their members meet the requirements?
What about Non-CPS members, will they by default lose their title of electrician even if they have been doing the job for twenty or so years?

The UK electrical industry as a whole needs to increase its numbers but it seems there are many people who will fall foul of the system which means they will have to take complex routes to maintain their status as an electrician.  There are many electricians out there in the UK who do not own/possess a gold card or the requirements for a gold card.  

In my opinion I think that the CPS and industry as a whole have duty of care to work on a system that helps get the people that are 3/4 or less qualified to the qualifies status without it being a massive financial burden on the electrician itself.  As an example there are several well know YouTube electricians who don't have an NVQ but they have many hours of video showing their work, thus industry lead body or representative should asses their skill and convert the hours of YouTube videos (other social media platforms are available) into the NVQ and get them one stage close to Gold Card status.  

If the industry and the CPS do not help it members then there will be a very accelerated natural attrition of the UK electrician because when they go and renew the next membership or BS7671 19th edition they will no longer meet the requirements for entry of that course or membership. 


I do understand the reason for having the EAS showing the requirements for title/role but whole construction and engineer industry needs to help.  I recently heard of a plasterer who was teaching and working but was refused a a certification card for their trade.  

I wonder how many Electrical tutors there are in FE colleges in the UK?  Of those how many are fully qualified as an Electrician according to the EAS so that they are qualified to teach the courses?  I suspect it is highly possible that some tutors may need to sit there AM2 and/or produce a NVQ portfolio.




As always please be polite and respectful in this purely academic debate.





Come on everybody let’s help inspire the future.

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  • I was a part time college lecturer for 15 years teaching the C&G 2382, 2391 and 2396 and I am not an electrican and never have been. I am happy to confirm that I am a professionaly registered engineer.

  • in reply to John Peckham

    Hi John 


    I am sure that you are more than capable of teaching these courses, to be honest you could probably write or help write the book to accompany the course as well.  I was merely highlighting the fact that in the same way some electricians find will themselves in the position to no longer meet the requirement to call themselves an electrician after being in the industry for several decades, so will some of the instructors/lecturers in learning establishments.

    The discussion is to get the industry thinking and also make sure that we don't lose people from the industry due to box ticking/meeting requirements.  While I do understand we need something in the industry to make sure the people are trained/competent/experienced.  My concern is that we will lose people from the industry through accelerated attrition if we don't put safety nets in place to help retain the engineer/electrician/tutor that we have in the UK if they no longer meet the new and ever evolving requirements.

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  • in reply to John Peckham

    Hi John 


    I am sure that you are more than capable of teaching these courses, to be honest you could probably write or help write the book to accompany the course as well.  I was merely highlighting the fact that in the same way some electricians find will themselves in the position to no longer meet the requirement to call themselves an electrician after being in the industry for several decades, so will some of the instructors/lecturers in learning establishments.

    The discussion is to get the industry thinking and also make sure that we don't lose people from the industry due to box ticking/meeting requirements.  While I do understand we need something in the industry to make sure the people are trained/competent/experienced.  My concern is that we will lose people from the industry through accelerated attrition if we don't put safety nets in place to help retain the engineer/electrician/tutor that we have in the UK if they no longer meet the new and ever evolving requirements.

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  • in reply to Sergio Fernandez

    What we actually need is some stability to regain ground lost due to over-regulation and too many updates. The whole thing needs to be streamlined and simplified, with no duplication in how to get there - it is just a confusing waste of effort, time and resources which would be much better directed elsewhere. What is an electrician? Define one. Then define to the route to get there. Then find how many in the industry agree with your definitions. This is why we need to simplfy. I have no idea what AM2 is for example. I have no interest in it. I don't know who it is meant to serve nor in what way. I Just know it has nothing to do with C&G.

    I went a strict C&G route and have never heard of some of these so-called courses. Why do they exist and can we do away with them?

    Streamline and simplfy - cut out all needless duplication of effort and aim at what actually does the job instead.

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