rocker
26th September 2009, 03:19 PM
Hi guys, I'm after some advice on courses etc. First a bit of background:
At the ripe old age of 27, I realise I have wasted my entire working life thus far in offices and 'retail'. I should have taken an apprenticeship when I was a lad but for whatever reason, I decided not to. My old man was an electrician, now retired and not in much of a position to help with this question, but he has taught me wiring practice and I have helped him on 'domestic installations' (first, second fixes) etc, and I am confident around the home moving, replacing and putting in new points, putting in new lights and switches etc, running cables from fusebox etc, basic stuff but maybe more than most.
Anyway, I am now in a position where my company could pay me a few months worth of redundancy pay, and I feel I may have been given that most elusive of things - a second chance. I would really love to get into the industry and make something of myself, but I dont know where to start....
I am not really in a position to take up a traditional apprenticeship at my age or in my position, and I have been looking at the countless courses offered by several companies. There are so many of these courses, and the companies offering them are all pretty ambiguous regarding how far in the industry they will take you, so I thought I would ask the people who actually know.
1. What courses do I need to attend, and what qualifications do I need to
a) get a job as an electrician (domestic installer)
b) start my own business as a domestic installer?
2. If I am 'qualified' as a domestic installer, would obtaining a CSCS card mean I could work on 'building sites', or is there much more to it than that?
3. What exactly do completion of these courses allow me to do, (legally), do I have to take some kind of apprenticeship as part of them or after they have finished, and can I just do the courses or do I need to complete other courses before doing them?
a) NIC EIC Domestic Installer Scheme Qualification (DISQ)
b) C&G 2382-10 (17th ed full course)
c) C&G 2392-10
d) EAL VRQ Level 2 for Domestic Electrical Installers
Can any of you guys recommend any other courses instead of/in addition to these?
And for the sake of argument, lets assume that I have been working with domestic installation for some time, but dont have anything to show for it, but that to an extent I know how to do the job, and I am not a complete moron!
I know it sounds awful, but basically I am looking at the BARE MINIMUM I can do at this time to get into the industry - that's not to say I will not continue to train, but just that this opportunity unfortunately comes with a time limit and a lack of hundreds-of-thousands-of-pounds! I am not looking for a quick buck and believe in improving myself, but i need to start somewhere, and I need to do it as quickly as possible.
Any help would be massively appreciated. Thanks in advance!
At the ripe old age of 27, I realise I have wasted my entire working life thus far in offices and 'retail'. I should have taken an apprenticeship when I was a lad but for whatever reason, I decided not to. My old man was an electrician, now retired and not in much of a position to help with this question, but he has taught me wiring practice and I have helped him on 'domestic installations' (first, second fixes) etc, and I am confident around the home moving, replacing and putting in new points, putting in new lights and switches etc, running cables from fusebox etc, basic stuff but maybe more than most.
Anyway, I am now in a position where my company could pay me a few months worth of redundancy pay, and I feel I may have been given that most elusive of things - a second chance. I would really love to get into the industry and make something of myself, but I dont know where to start....
I am not really in a position to take up a traditional apprenticeship at my age or in my position, and I have been looking at the countless courses offered by several companies. There are so many of these courses, and the companies offering them are all pretty ambiguous regarding how far in the industry they will take you, so I thought I would ask the people who actually know.
1. What courses do I need to attend, and what qualifications do I need to
a) get a job as an electrician (domestic installer)
b) start my own business as a domestic installer?
2. If I am 'qualified' as a domestic installer, would obtaining a CSCS card mean I could work on 'building sites', or is there much more to it than that?
3. What exactly do completion of these courses allow me to do, (legally), do I have to take some kind of apprenticeship as part of them or after they have finished, and can I just do the courses or do I need to complete other courses before doing them?
a) NIC EIC Domestic Installer Scheme Qualification (DISQ)
b) C&G 2382-10 (17th ed full course)
c) C&G 2392-10
d) EAL VRQ Level 2 for Domestic Electrical Installers
Can any of you guys recommend any other courses instead of/in addition to these?
And for the sake of argument, lets assume that I have been working with domestic installation for some time, but dont have anything to show for it, but that to an extent I know how to do the job, and I am not a complete moron!
I know it sounds awful, but basically I am looking at the BARE MINIMUM I can do at this time to get into the industry - that's not to say I will not continue to train, but just that this opportunity unfortunately comes with a time limit and a lack of hundreds-of-thousands-of-pounds! I am not looking for a quick buck and believe in improving myself, but i need to start somewhere, and I need to do it as quickly as possible.
Any help would be massively appreciated. Thanks in advance!