college part time Vs fast track

[nashey]

Hi all,

I am aware that best route to become a electrician is for a apprenticeship but...

Is there much difference from a part time college course to a fast track course other than the cost

 

[The Godfather]

Hi all,I am aware that best route to become a electrician is for a apprenticeship but...

Is there much difference from a part time college course to a fast track course other than the cost

 

[Andy™]

you cannot learn enough in 5 days.

 

[nashey]

Thanks Godfather

What I was looking at is college would be around 324 hours & fast track would be around 280 hours training.

I take the diffrence to be time take to absorb the information?

 

[The Godfather]

Thanks GodfatherWhat I was looking at is college would be around 324 hours & fast track would be around 280 hours training.

I take the diffrence to be time take to absorb the information?

Can you tell me what courses you are looking at here?

Don

 

[nashey]

Hi

I was looking at:

Eve pt college cource 3 years 1 night a week 36 weeks.

And Fast track 5 days a week 7 weeks 8 hours a day.

 

[Andy™]

HiI was looking at:

Eve pt college cource 3 years 1 night a week 36 weeks.

And Fast track 5 days a week 7 weeks 8 hours a day.

what course numbers?

 

[The Godfather]

HiI was looking at:

Eve pt college course 3 years 1 night a week 36 weeks.

And Fast track 5 days a week 7 weeks 8 hours a day.

But are the courses the same?

Don

 

[nashey]

Hi

Thanks for your help,

c&G 2330 level 2 years

c&g 2330 level 3 //1 year

17th 1 week

fast track 7 weeks.

C&G 2382 17th

c&G pat 2377 level 3

c&G regs 2230 level 3

Thanks

 

[Andy™]

2330 is what apprentices are taught to

 

[Couleddie]

I'm doing a non-college 17th Edition course at my own pace. As someone who has a lifelong interest in electrical installing including practical experience with and without qualified sparks I am still finding it challenging. There is a SERIOUS amount of stuff to know and learn and unless, like Godfather said you have previous knowledge, a fast-track course will neither benefit you nor your potential customers.

Before I started my course I had a good knowledge of domestic installations but what I soon realised is that I DIDN'T have the theoretical backbone to it all. Design, testing, verification etc - didn't have a clue. So, the years spent installing wiring could've produced some less than 100% safe work.

As it's more of an interest than a career for me, I am absorbing as much knowledge as I can mentally cope with - books, internet, practical experience and not forgetting the walking, talking reg books that reside on this forum. I find it relatively easy to understand because I can relate the theory to the practical because of my prior experience.

There is absolutely no way that I would attempt this without the background knowledge I have. It's all very well to be able to get a load of multiple choice questions correct by default but just because you can doesn't mean you are in any way fit to install potentially lethal equipment for use by the public. There is just too much to know and it takes time to learn and understand.

 

[green-hornet]

Very nice post Couleddie, everyone has to learn properly in my opinion.

Some can do it faster than others, but when you get to the nitty gritty of circuit design its all that theory we all hated that helps us out now.

Some people just stick any mcb in a board and expect it to do its job, whatever loading or cable size.Never giving a thought that it may not work!

 

[Megaohm7]

Hi nashey

A friend of mine had asked me the same question and I plonked the big red book on his lap and went into the kitchen to make a cuppa , when I got back he had the book open with a puzzled look on his face then I fetched my course notes 3 yrs worth for him to browse through . I think he realised at what was involved . You can't possibly take all that in in 5 wks, for most people a few yrs is the norm and even then you will never stop learning . good luck with what you decide on though ..

 

[nashey]

Hi Megaohm 7

Thanks for the advise / still unsure what to-do.

Has anyone even been successful from these intensive courses??

 

[Andy™]

probably not. go read the horror stories - mostly form these kind of people doing it wrong because they dont know what they are doing

 

[The Godfather]

Hi Megaohm 7Thanks for the advise / still unsure what to-do.

Has anyone even been successful from these intensive courses??

How old are you nashey?

Don & His Boys

 

[The Godfather]

probably not. go read the horror stories - mostly form these kind of people doing it wrong because they dont know what they are doing

As one said earlier, the short intensive courses are best suited to those with prior experience/knowledge/understanding.

The Godfather

 

[green-hornet]

Hi Megaohm 7Thanks for the advise / still unsure what to-do.

Has anyone even been successful from these intensive courses??

If you really want to be an electrician do not let us put you off.

A fast track course is designed to get as much money off you as possible with claims of great job prospects.

The truth of the matter is at this time I personally know at least 20 electricians who have been laid off in the last few months.

I get calls almost every day from people wanting work, I just do not have the volume coming in to say yes to any of them.

What you learn on a fast track course is the same as the long way, except you get to practice each lesson in the workplace, where you learn to understand why.

Without this workplace training which takes a few years, you know everything and at the same time nothing.

Every apprentice will remember the old guy at work who called all tutors failed sparkies, who know nowt lad!

They showed you the right way to do it on site, and even told you why it was done like this as apposed to how they teach you at colledge.

Its this experiance that will soon be sadly lacking in the industry.

Soon we will have electrical engineers who have never had a wind up meggar"tingle".

Whatever you decide be it fast track or the long route, remeber what your told and learn as much as you can,

Always try to gain some experiance, and be like most on this forum very humble and willing to be put right.

I have, I still learn a trick or two.

 

[The Godfather]

One consideration is to just look at how many prospective employers insist on the 2330 (in addition to 2391 & 2382).

The Godfather

 

[Couleddie]

When my grandad worked for the YEB a few hundred years back he trained loads of apprentices, usually over 5 years. I learned a lot about the trade from him so I guess i'm lucky because it's given me the grounding and confidence to be able to take it further. It was definitely an old school way to learn but it did me well and my biggest regret is not learning the rest of the ropes whilst I was in my twenties. Still, better late than never.

GH is dead right - learn lots and remember it. You can't skim through this stuff in a week.

I'm lucky with my course - the practical weeks are taken by a great guy who has a bunch of qualifications as long as an MPs expenses claim as well as working as a domestic spark and an industrial spark. In the first week practical I breezed the installs but learned a heck of a lot of theory. Kind of knocked my confidence a bit as it made me realise just how much there is to know. But that was a good thing because now i'm under no illusions as to what I need to do.