New member / re- train perhaps?

Good evening, just joined obv . 

I’m 47 currently own n run a garage ( fixing cars ) , thinking of training to be a sparky only small domestic stuff after we sell the garage ( I have a business partner who is going to retire ) . 

Opinions on if it’s feasible for me to retrain ? 

I do all my own vehicle electrics , been on various electrical courses with car manufacturers but I’m no sparky or auto electrician. 

Just looking for a career change to supplement my income for my last ten years or so , possible? 

I want to qualify doing a night school course over the next couple of years .

thanks for your opinion - good or negative.

DC car electrics are a very different beast to AC electrics, The speed and ease with which you can kill someone if you get it wrong being one significant factor. There are far more legal obligations and hurdles to jump though if you are expecting to be able to sign off and notify all your own work without involving a third party. If you are wanting to work on your own from scratch it will be a big (and expensive) uphill climb to do it correctly. However if you have a contact who is already a trading electrician and he/she wants a mate to give them a hand, you would then find it a lot easier to train and pick up a lot of knowledge and experience on the job. Very few, (or less), training courses would ever give you enough experience to be up and running in a short timeframe without some form of supplementary on-site hands-on work and hard graft. Your specific location in the UK will also have significant implications on which additional regulations you must adhere to as well as BS7671 wiring regulations. What you want to do is not impossible, but it will not be an easy ride at all.

Doc H.

Personally and no disrespect to yourself, if you have a skill/trade in motors then you are probably better staying within it rather than starting from scratch in something such as electrics. The time and cost would be quite significant, longer than two years of done correctly and how much longer are you thinking of working. I’m not against people learning or changing careers just there is a lot more to electrics than first meets the eye. 

What is your reasoning for getting out of motors? Just the fact that business partner is retiring and you don’t fancy running a shop? Or is it the overheads etc? 

Wouldnt you look at being a mobile mechanic or perhaps move into auto electrics as a speciality? 

I’ve had enough of running a garage . The overheads , stress , employing people . Setting up a garage costs a lot ! The rent , rates , all the gear we need - it’s massive . I was thinking of working for myself very small on my own - I wouldn’t need a large income and I’ve prob got most of the kit required. 

( going to be a mobile mechanic is prob one of the worst jobs I could imagine ) 

I fully hear what you’re saying, I’m always outside under vehicles, not pleasant in colder months. Just looking at options. 

Trouble with garages is if you want to downsize it can be more hassle than it’s worth. Is it possible to sublet part of the garage to perhaps a local enthusiast group/person? 

It’s nit practical to sublet and I’ve just about had enough , I want to do less, in a few years I don’t need a full time job just looking at small local stuff and always had an interest in electrics 

Ok so I’ve not put you off!!

contact local college get onto a level 2 course in electrical installation. Follow this with the level 3 and associated NVQ followed by the AM2 and you’ll have the basics covered. Then look to get the cg2391 to gain an understanding of testing requirements.

Now you’ve done the theory bit with minimal practical your choices are 1) work with another electrician/company to gain said experience. 2) chance your arm on your own. 

Then pay subscription fees to a third party certification party so that you can sign off your own work, oh don’t forget the tools and testing equipment along the way.

Now you’ll be both comfortable and above board to work and call yourself a qualified electrician. 

How many years did you want to carry on as you are?? 

Right I see , ok I’ve got an idea where and what to look at now - thanks for that . Hoping to do a few more years int garage yet while doing night school sparky training . 

The nvq will require on site work experience so you may want to look at options for this? I’d imagine as a mechanic you’d know a local spark or two?