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RJTaylor

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Good evening ladies and gents, my name is Rhys and i'm a 27 year old looking to eventually leave my current dead end job in the motor trade, and start my never ending learning as someone in the electrical industry.

I was kind of looking for some advice on the options open to me and your thoughts on them. I have currently applied to a whopping 10 local companies for a position as an apprentice - all of which have said they have previously taken on mature apprentices so there is some hope there - however if i don't manage to land me an apprenticeship, i am still keen to start on my way to achieving my goals. 

If the worst happens and i either don't land an apprenticeship or the only ones i get offered are really financially impossible (have a mortgage so can't even do a year of the minimum apprentice wage). I can see i have a couple of options available to me. I know neither of these two options are in any way as good as an apprenticeship in terms of just hands on actual applicable experience - as lets be realistic in any field classroom learning prepares you for pretty much nothing. But they may be my only way in. 

The first is local college part time in the evenings over 2-3 years. I have also registered my interest for this, as a back up and have the first interview in April when they formally start admissions. The only problem with this is my local college only offers EAL courses instead of C&G. I have been a long time lurker here, and am sure i have seen somewhere that EAL isn't industry recognised. The course is this one: http://www.escg.ac.uk/courses/engineering-motor-vehicle/engineering/electrical-installation-evening-level-2-diploma-e/ which also leads onto the level 3. With no real idea about EAL courses and qualifications, would this be applicable to me eventually working in the electrical industry? 

The second is the hugely slated (on here at least) "fast track course". I know with these there are many that they try to sell to you that are actually useless, so any advice on if i go this route on which ones to tell them to stick would be greatly appreciated. 

Regardless if i had an apprenticeship or took the other two options i'd realistically be looking to work as a domestic electrician and know that i could potentially become a DI without even getting my NVQ3 and register to a Part P Scam, i'd prefer to do the whole hog and learn everything as an apprentice if possible. But again if it isn't feasible at this stage in my life, i might have to take a different route. 

Some courses i have found regarding being a DI are:

https://www.ableskills.co.uk/electrical-courses/introduction-to-domestic-electrics/

https://www.ableskills.co.uk/electrical-courses/part-p-training-courses/

https://www.ableskills.co.uk/electrical-courses/domestic-electrician-course/

(however i can't really see much of a difference of my last two - advice on this would be nice)

The goal for me career wise in the electrical industry is to work in houses preforming rewires/Box changes/EICR's/PIR's ect. I have a few friends of the family who are landlords, who have stated if i get qualified enough to carry out work for them it's mine, i also have a friend of the family who runs a building firm and subcontracts the work he can't do, electric work is one of them, so there is scope there for me as well. He does mostly property development as well as new builds (Would being a DI for example allow me to work on new builds). 

As for a background i have worked on site before, i have previously been a painter and decorator by trade, which unfortunately didn't work out for me, i loved being in a trade and working with my hands either on site or in a customers home but i think being young and naive didn't help with having to go self employed and find work, since then i have worked in the motor trade in an office job. 

I look forward to being part of this forum as for the most part seem really nice and knowledgeable. 

Cheers, 

Rhys. 

 
The C&G course is

https://www.cityandguilds.com/qualifications-and-apprenticeships/building-services-industry/electrical-installation/2365-electrotechnical-craft#tab=information

although the EAL link looks to be similar, I’ve no idea whether it is recognised as I’m too old to keep up with all the variants. We do have a few on here that have taught courses so perhaps one of them may know? 
I would suggest that you take your time and do the evening courses, this will allow you to fully absorb all the theory without feeling under pressure to earn learn in a short period. 
it will also allow you to build a rapport with the tutors for they are the key to local companies that may be able to help when the time comes. 
and the obvious is you will not lose any income so will afford the mortgage etc. 
don’t worry you are only 27 so time is one your side. 

 
The best solution as I see it is to keep your existing job, plus its income to pay the bills for as long as is possible, while getting as many qualifications as evening courses as possible, (as far as I know, C&G qualifications are the widest recognised within the industry),  Plus seeing if you can get your name know around local potential electrical employers, possibly getting some unpaid weekend work in to get a bit of hands on if at all possible.

Doc H.

 
Thank you for the advice guys, has definitely helped steer me in the right direction! On a slight side note, is there any literature you would recommend for me to pick up? If i'm not learning on a course yet i'd love to be able to prepare as much as i can with some light reading! 

 
Thank you for the advice guys, has definitely helped steer me in the right direction! On a slight side note, is there any literature you would recommend for me to pick up? If i'm not learning on a course yet i'd love to be able to prepare as much as i can with some light reading! 


Have a look on Amazon for books by Brian Scaddan, there are few on various tops that are not to expensive. They normally have examples of calculations and how to approach typical exam type questions.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brian-Scaddan/e/B001HCYQ0A?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4&qid=1582371456&sr=8-4

Doc H.

 
Do-able...

But hard work..

No easy short-cuts IMHO...

If you have a local college within reasonable travel time offering City & Guilds electrical courses..

Then that is the Golden Egg laid by the magic goose that you want to grab hold of with all your resources available...

Anything else is a bit of  gamble...

may work out...  But May Not!

You appear to have age on your side so don't give up if the first or second hurdles fail leaving you with a few bruises and scars!!

Guinness

 
Do-able...

But hard work..

No easy short-cuts IMHO...

If you have a local college within reasonable travel time offering City & Guilds electrical courses..

Then that is the Golden Egg laid by the magic goose that you want to grab hold of with all your resources available...

Anything else is a bit of  gamble...

may work out...  But May Not!

You appear to have age on your side so don't give up if the first or second hurdles fail leaving you with a few bruises and scars!!

Guinness
Thanks for the reply! 

Ideally a college offering C&G courses would be the best option to take as i don't think an apprenticeship is going to work out for me. I figured getting into the trade at my age might be quite a slow burner and difficult, but i wouldn't be leaving my job the second i got any form of qualification anyway. I'd like to work part time gaining experience and eventually working full time for my self. And as you said i kind of have age on my side, realistically i have 30+ years of work left (shoot me), so i am in no massive rush to take short cuts ect. 

I only wish i took the plunge to do this years ago when i first wanted to! 

 
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