Help! - Offered Enrolment By Err But Is It A Scam?

[beckygant22]

Hi there

 

[beckygant22]

Can anyone provide some advise on ERR and what they offer?

My partner has been trying to get back into Electrical work (as he worked in the industry for years - in hotels, on planes etc) since moving here from Portugal. He's been working as a chef, and as it often goes, has ended up stuck in this industry.

We have been trying to research all the possible avenues to get qualified over here and get back into it, but I must admit even I found it really difficult to see the best route to take - he doesn't have GCSE's (as his qualifications are in Portuguese and I have no idea how they translate over) and he needs to be able to work financially.

We applied for the ERR traineeship months ago - then out of the blue on Monday he got a call from a lady asking if he was free for someone to visit him that day to assess him - asking if I could also be there (as they like to talk to people with their support networks on board).

I did think it was a bit odd they come to your house - but the weirdest thing was his line of questioning. I'd say about half of the 1.5 hours he was there was talking about our relationship and our future - how long we'd been together, what we pictured our future like, why we wanted to be earning more money, what we'd do with the money if he was earning big bucks as an electrician... 

But the guy was charming and pretty much had us both sold by the end. Here seems to be an option that he can fit around his work. and that gives him level 3 NVQ, 17th edition, PAT testing, Part P - all in one package. And they said the time frame is flexible, so with his previous knowledge he might be done in a year.

Only downside seemed to be that the nearest training base was Southampton, but he said they offer £50 a night for hotel costs. 

The guy said it was a total of 7000 but that this was payable monthly at £165 (just about affordable).

So I guess my questions are:

1. Is this a scam? Are there much easier and cheaper ways to do this while still working?

2. Is there anyone on a coursewith them/who has done one who can offer their experience (all the online reviews I can find are from people who transferred over from OCLI - related info yes, but i'd like to know people's experiences with ERR as a seperate entity). 

3. What are the chances of spending a lot of money and coming away with nothing?

Thank you for any help, the guy is coming back over on Friday so i'm trying to gather as much information as possible before then

 

[NozSpark]

Holy cow!!!!!

Don't fall for it, it's way overpriced for what it is...

IMHO your best route would be to talk to a local college about what courses are available and where your other half would fit in with them... It'll be much cheaper

From your description it looks like they're selling the regs course, pat testing (waste of money IMHO as its not something that I'd get into now when you compete with the 80p per item brigade), NVQ3 (this is on the job stuff if I'm right) and the part p eal course

 

[Doc Hudson]

3. What are the chances of spending a lot of money and coming away with nothing?

I would suggest very high. The person you spoke to sounds to me like a salesman trying to sell you a training course that will make them very rich and you a bit poorer with some qualifications that count for very little. Any organisation that suggest PAT testing is a relevant course for an electrician is trying to fool you. PAT testing can be done in 1 day, taught to an unskilled person, in summary: Plug appliance in tester, press test button, apply pass or fail sticker dependent upon what result the tester displays. This has no significant relevance to designing, installing or testing electrical installations. http://www.errltd.co.uk/  Welcome to the forum. 

Doc H.

 

[Blue Duck]

Years back I contacted a computer training provider and they did exactly the same. I later found out that it wasn't exactly a scam but about as close to one as you can legally get.

I guess it's the same for the 5ww factories these days?

They chuck in a load of stuff you don't need to make it sound better value, PA testing and part Pee are two of the most commonly used.

As mentioned above contact your local college and ask, they may also be able to "convert" his Portuguese qualifications.

There isn't a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow unless you work your ********** arse off!

 

[Andy™]

run. run far away.

over priced, wont be as good as you expect, and part p is also a building regulation, not a qualification. that bit of paper saying 'part p' will mean nothing and you would still need to pass assessments to be part p registered regardless

go speak to a local college, you would probably get the exact same courses there for less, and a lot more chance of actually getting something for your money

 

[Essex1]

Do not do a Part P 'qualification'. If after completing your training you are unsure how Part P works then you are not ready to be working alone.

 

[binky]

total bullsh!te sales patter, more about assesing your ability to pay rediculous fees than get a qualification. There are endless numbers of 17th edition refresher courses - usually about 1 week. Buy the regs and guidance notes, read and re-read several times, then spend a lot of time on here for free looking at good installation practices UK style, studying answers to questions. Then do refresher course and fly through it. Buy the guide to building regs and read, then do some jobs at home, change CU and test house, then apply to NICEIC / ELECSA / NAPIT to get registered for domestic installer. Then send me a bottle of rum for saving you about £6000 ray

 

[Essex1]

It is interesting that DIY work is encouraged on this forum but 5WWs are ridiculed.

 

[binky]

DIYers are unlikely to be customers, and all customers should be protected from incompetent trades people

 

[Essex1]

DIYers are unlikely to be customers, and all customers should be protected from incompetent trades people

I agree with that fully. But DIYs don't normally live alone either. Either way there is a high chance that someone innocent is going to get hurt.

 

[binky]

hence we try to protect them and their families....

 

[Essex1]

hence we try to protect them and their families....

I got banned for saying that I think the best advice for any DIYer is to get an electrician. I think that advice is the safest advise anyone could give.

 

[binky]

Apache is a DIYer and vet by trade, he's more competent than many on here. My background is control engineering on miltary equipment, I happily DIYed everything including gas, before retraining, but then I have plumbed vacuum insulated pipe for liquid CO2 and wired control panels. IMHO electrics is rough as a rats arse by comparison....

Some people DIY for the fun of it, some because they are skint, and some because they are too stupid to know how dangerous they are. The DIYers on here tend to get 'assessed' before we tell them they are idiots :innocent

 

[Doc Hudson]

It is interesting that DIY work is encouraged on this forum but 5WWs are ridiculed.

I agree with that fully. But DIYs don't normally live alone either. Either way there is a high chance that someone innocent is going to get hurt.

If you trawl back through the forum archives for the many years before you became a member you may realise the the majority of the time DIY work is only encourage to a level that those with experience and knowledge of the industry understand that a typical DIY person could undertake safely. Whereas those looking to get into the industry as a career, to charge customers for their expertise should invest in correct training and equipment to undertake the job to a professional manner. Not a quick short course that neither trains them of leaves them competent to work alone.  Some DIY work is a lot safer than some alleged professional work done by cowboy 5ww. We could offer the naive approach that one day DIY will be banned so will will ban it on the forum. Or we can be realistic and try to offer constructive advice based on the individual circumstances of each poster and their question and hopefully keep some reasonable traffic thorough the forum to help pay to keep it running. The forum should not be about ridiculing anyone, but offering clear practical down to earth advice to all who ask. You model of how the forum should work (i.e. not helping DIY questions) would simply speed up the stagnation of the forum.

Doc H.

 

[NozSpark]

and you could even extend that to...."If you don't know the answer already then you shouldn't be doing the work".... so that would stop you givng other professionals any advice

 

[Essex1]

If you trawl back through the forum archives for the many years before you became a member you may realise the the majority of the time DIY work is only encourage to a level that those with experience and knowledge of the industry understand that a typical DIY person could undertake safely. Whereas those looking to get into the industry as a career, to charge customers for their expertise should invest in correct training and equipment to undertake the job to a professional manner. Not a quick short course that neither trains them of leaves them competent to work alone.  Some DIY work is a lot safer than some alleged professional work done by cowboy 5ww. We could offer the naive approach that one day DIY will be banned so will will ban it on the forum. Or we can be realistic and try to offer constructive advice based on the individual circumstances of each poster and their question and hopefully keep some reasonable traffic thorough the forum to help pay to keep it running. The forum should not be about ridiculing anyone, but offering clear practical down to earth advice to all who ask. You model of how the forum should work (i.e. not helping DIY questions) would simply speed up the stagnation of the forum.

Doc H.

I think that is a very good response. But to ban a member because he posts that he believes good advice is "call an electrician" gives out wrong signals and I believe makes the forum appear as if it is one sided on this approach. I personally think the only thing that will save our trade from the awful place it is in is by making it illegal to alter an electrical installation in any way without being licensed in some way. But that is for a different thread on a different day.

and you could even extend that to...."If you don't know the answer already then you shouldn't be doing the work".... so that would stop you givng other professionals any advice

Not really. Someone who has been fully trained and specialising in say house re-wires but is unsure how to fit industrial lighting of some kind could pick up advice from fellow electricians and decider what is required.

 

[pewter]

I think there is an NVQ course billed as 'part-p'  so people can make the minimum requirments for being self certified for building controll. I the better course is the full scope NVQ which will cover everything. I think you still need to complete practical stuff for a diary stilll so would need to be working in the industry.

I have heard of those guys sending a salesman round to sell an over priced course.  You will be able to get the course cheaper locally. I think you cant beat local as you have the ability to get to the tutor easily, and it shoudl save a fortune. I have heard they are very unhelpfull after they have your money.

I would advise trying to get employent in the elctrical industry locally, and get on a course locally to complete the full scope NVQ which will require you to be working in the industry to complete the work diary.

Or do the 'part-p' domestic course cheaper elsewhere to work in domestic stuff with less knowledge.

Personally i would use the £7000 and open a Portuguese  cafe or street food shop/stall or coffee shop.  Far more profit possible and nice work with a lot of scope for other earners.

 

[BeccyLeccy]

I have just started down the route to become part of the electrical trade, firstly you can get free English and maths gcse's from any adult centre/college now which I did one hour a week. after passing I went to my college and enrolled on a level 3 electrical installation diploma which I am doing part time. I am 38. I will not be fully qualified after but I will at least have some recognisable knowledge that would put me in good stead for a company that might possibly put me through the nvq at the end of it. yes its a long road but there are no short cuts to becoming an electrician.. don't fall for any company that tells you there is. your husband can apply for finance to cover his tuition fees if he does it through a college and will not have to pay back until he earns over 21,000.

hope this gives you more hope x

 

[misssweden]

I did a similar thing to BeccyLeccy, a 2365 level 2 + functional skills in english, maths and ICT. That was 3 days a week at college (perfect for being able to work part-time as well) for a year and cost me £1800. I have had a slight career change since but I would not have been able to do that if I hadn't gone to college. So my advise would be that college is the way to go rather than an expensive training course.