5 week wonders

[revjames]

There was a time 'self certifying' meant phoning in sick.

Started a 4 year apprenticeship with RTZ at their aluminium smelter at 16. This involved a whole year at tech before being allowed in the factory. Left after I qualified as there were no jobs (they trained 8 apprentices every year regardless of need)

Moved to devon and worked for ECC (English China Clay Quarries) in a maintenance electrician role. Did this for 5 years doing sometimes 90 hours a week.

Moved back to North Wales and worked for MANWEB (Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board) for 5 years doing lots of E7, rewires, commercial, industrial and OH service renewals.

Went to college and did a Theology degree - worked off some of my fees by sparking for the college

Went to NZ, started outb with a small time contractor, did some self employed subby work for a bit then got a job with Gallaghers (electric fences and security) as a maintenance spark for 3 years.

Moved to Auckland and worked for Indeserve LTD doing telecomms and structured cabling, banks, big commercial fit iouts etc. only worked there for a year and a bit then got homesick.

Moved back to North wales and got a job back in the smelter I left 17 years earlier. spent 5.5 years there doing breakdowns and planned maintenance befor spending 2.5 years in an office job as Maintenance Planner & Scheduler.

Made redundant last Oct and went straight into a job with Cybi Electrical - lots of domestic, schools, NG sites and stuff like that.

 

[bulmer]

Would agree with you there tom. They are pretty much a show up for an assessment kind of place and charge over the odds for it. I would choose a different route if I had my time again.

 

[tom1]

Would agree with you there tom. They are pretty much a show up for an assessment kid of place and charge over the odds for it. I would choose a different route if I had my time again.

me too

night collage would have been better they offer the same course and it takes roughly the same time

 

[batty]

Probably told before about my career. When I left school at 16 went to job centre and got job as trainee electrician. Wanted proper apprentiship but company would not do this so did not get any qualifications. Worked for firm for three years so got a fair bit of practicle experience from them. Left as got a bit fed up with low wages. Did milk round for 15 years mainly employed but self employed for about 5 years but when local Tesco's came to town destroyed business. Had always done a bit of electrical work part time and got qualifications evening classes at local college not sure of what course numbers were 23 something or other also did testing and inspection course. Have been self employed for last 10 years or more and Part P registered have to be as most of my work is domestic although I do a bit of commercial when asked.

Batty

 

[revjames]

Did milk round for 15 years mainly employed but self employed for about 5 years

Bet you were creaming it doing that job:coat

 

[vandalay]

My story, having always had a interest in electrics/electronics from early age I never really followed through with it and drifted into other things,

Sort of fell into renovating properties about 10 yrs ago where I used to muck in with the various trdes doing a bit of everything.

This is when I started following up the intrest I always had by working with the sparks who were working and realising how much I loved doing it and decided to take it further by getting some formal training and qualifications.

Joined one of these private training courses where you do these home learning for the theory work with exams that you send back to them. At three stages during this you had to go to one of their regional centres to do a weeks practical and your actual exams

which were;

Basic electrical theory Oct 07,

Part P Mar 08,

17th Ed June 08

PAT testing June 08

Whilst doing all the studies for thisa I also started doing any work I could in the trade

with various sparks sometimes going straight from my own job to working just to get the experience which is where I think lads on these type of coures really need ,you can read as much as you like from a book but until you put it into practice you dont fully understand it IMHO.

Was getting regular work end of 2008 so March 09 went to a local training centre and took my 2391 which I passed it in July that year.

So i suppose I will have to class myself as a 5 week wonder although this was spread over 2 years which I suppose is still going on as I still consider myself to still be learning the job all the time, the standard of my work I like to think is of a good standard (no complaints and lots of referals)a lot of this I think is knowing my limitations and if I am not sure about a job will get a friend who subs work out to me for opinon or even pass the job onto him.

Now getting ready taking my own way by getting ready to get my own elecsa registration hopefully in about March.

 

[batty]

Bet you were creaming it doing that job:coat

Yes robbed customers regularly.

 

[davetheglitz]

5 weeks - luxury!!!

MOD technician apprenticeship - degree - then 20 years of various engineering jobs for BAe. Brief career as a Science Teacher (don't do it!!) then 8 weeks night school for 2391 - and the college let me do self taught 2381 (16th) at the same time.

2 Years with a Mr Electric franchise doing emergency callouts was effectively my apprenticeship during which time did the 17th (exam only to save money!!). Now in a partnership - building up the business and learning all the time!

Many of the electricians I met with Mr Electric had years of experience - but for most of them it must have been Groundhog day. You only get experienced by doing new jobs or trying different methods.

Love this forum and the good advice that's on it. Anyone who is on here wants to be a good electrician no matter what their background is. What strikes me however is that so few electricians use the forums so are relying on their own experience to tackle any jobs. After time many of them invent their own rules and regs and adopt bad habits. I'd rather have a 5 day wonder who asks questions than a know it all 'experienced' electrician!

 

[sellers]

started my apprenticeship at 17 at a commercial and industrial firm, 6 years later just started out on my own. Moving to domestic was a small learning curve, you can do all sorts of panel wiring, conduit, fire detection, submains, 3phase etc, but then you struggle getting a cable down a cavity because you didnt think about the lintle above the door.

a year of domestic work and you pick up all of the nacks pretty quickly. Like anything really.

 

[revjames]

started my apprenticeship at 17 at a commercial and industrial firm, 6 years later just started out on my own. Moving to domestic was a small learning curve, you can do all sorts of panel wiring, conduit, fire detection, submains, 3phase etc, but then you struggle getting a cable down a cavity because you didnt think about the lintle above the door.a year of domestic work and you pick up all of the nacks pretty quickly. Like anything really.

Yes its easier going industry - domestic than the other way round.

 

[Apache]

I'm a vet who fiddles with my own electrics

Not sure why I hang around really...............

 

[a1]

I'm a vet who fiddles with my own electrics Not sure why I hang around really...............

Because we Love ya.

:x

 

[Apache]

Because we Love ya. :x

Nice to know I'm missed when I don't sign in for 28 hours!

:x

 

[a1]

Nice to know I'm missed when I don't sign in for 28 hours an Hour! :x

ROTFWL

:coat

 

[kme]

D`ya know - I actually said to Mrs. KME earlier, that it was odd you hadn`t been in. I knew, cos the guinea pigs were still fighting!

 

[Badger]

D`ya know - I actually said to Mrs. KME earlier, that it was odd you hadn`t been in. I knew, cos the guinea pigs were still fighting!

kme thats no way to talk about admin and ad2 like that now say your sorry! :^O :^O:^O

 

[mcgaw81]

Bet you were creaming it doing that job:coat

There is a joke in there somewhere..........

 

[mcgaw81]

Well.........

I started my apprenticeship with the local council (of all people) on my 17th Birthday, working with them gave you a lot of time to do the theory side. Done my full apprentice ship in 3 yrs 33 weeks (says so on my craftsman cert). This gave me a SVQ Level 3, 16th Edition. Went on to do the 2391 and updated it all to the 17th Edition last jan.

Fast forward 11 yrs, and I am An Niceic Approved Contractor, SBSA approved (Scottish Buildings Standards Agency), employing 19 guys working from the west coast to the east coast of Scotland. Hoping to break into the North West of England in the near future.

But still Learning.................................................

And always will BE..........

 

[septiclecky]

Well.........I started my apprenticeship with the local council (of all people) on my 17th Birthday, working with them gave you a lot of time to do the theory side. Done my full apprentice ship in 3 yrs 33 weeks (says so on my craftsman cert). This gave me a SVQ Level 3, 16th Edition. Went on to do the 2391 and updated it all to the 17th Edition last jan.

Fast forward 11 yrs, and I am An Niceic Approved Contractor, SBSA approved (Scottish Buildings Standards Agency), employing 19 guys working from the west coast to the east coast of Scotland. Hoping to break into the North West of England in the near future.But still Learning.................................................

And always will BE..........

Bloody hell we're going to be invaded by the Bloody Scots againROTFWL

 

[Megaohm7]

Nothing beats the experience of working on the tools as it were . Not all apprentices will go on to make a good electrician , although many do and take great pride in what they are doing and are always willing to pass on valuable advice to people willing to learn that take it seriously because an apprentice has had to learn from someone in the first place to get where he/she is . I would have loved to have done an apprenticeship but I could not find one when I left school and I was under the careers officer at the time . That is why I am going down the route I am because It's the nearest I'll get to have done an apprenticeship ..At my own cost of course ..