Do I need to start again? Advice please

[BarryS]

I work in a grounds maintenance position and my employer has mentioned they wish to employ a new apprentice electrician. I went to a tech 20 years ago and got City and Guilds qualifications up to level 3 in an electrical apprenticeship but never completed it. Long story short, I was immature and wasted a good opportunity. Since then I've only really assisted electricians in different jobs and carried out minor jobs around my house like changing light fittings. 

I've tried ringing the tech to ask if I can start an apprenticeship further on, or if there's some form of refresher course or if I would need to start from scratch again, but due to Covid I'm still waiting for someone to get back to me. It's been over a week so I hoped someone here might have an idea.

Any help would be very much appreciated. Thank you. 

 

[Geoff1946]

It sounds to me that your employer has given you a strong hint of an opportunity to improve your lot. Presumably they wouldn't have done this unless they thought you worthy of it.

I suspect there are a lot of people who would seize the opportunity of a mature apprenticeship.

In my days back in industry I was involved in schemes retraining manual workers to technical and they invariably became valued workers in their new role.

If you want to improve yourself grab the opportunity and worry about the detail later.

 

[binky]

Does your employer regard you as a sparky? Sounds like they may need one, so ask if they will pay for courses. 

It sounds like you have quite a bit of hands on experience, in which case I would go for an 18th edition update course to demonstrate knowledge of the regs, followed by 2391, inspection and testing. That is enough to get registered as a sparky with NAPIT of NICEIC. Spend many a happy hour reading the regs books and guidance notes and you should be able to pass these witout the long drawn out apprentice course. Pay lots of attention to circuit design. Assuming you pass these, then what happens next is upto you, 

 

[Sharpend]

I suspect that what you may need is the ‘Mature candidate’ assessment route. ??

https://www.jib.org.uk/experienced-worker-assessment

it will allow you to obtain a recognisable status.