Hi All

Talk Electrician Forum

Help Support Talk Electrician Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Rockape

New member
Joined
Dec 26, 2014
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Location
Aberdeen
Hi folks,

I am the new guy here. I'll give you a bit of background.

I am nearly 30, served 10 years in the Forces and currently working in customer service. I'm currently unfulfilled in my present line of work, so I'm considering pursuing the Electrician career.

Reasons I think this career would be a good fit for me is because I like working with my hands, being on my feet and problem-solving. I have no qualifications in this role though, but in my previous military career I maintained guns, heavy vehicles and the such-like, so I do have technical ability.

So how do I pursue becoming an electrician/electrical engineer?

1. The local college (Aberdeen), I will have to start at the NC or a pre-HNC electrical engineeering level. This route will take a while though.

2. A short, intense course. I am wary of these though, a training provider telling me he can turn me into a sparky in four weeks when it takes four years conventionally raises concerns.

3. Apprenticeship- I'm old though, does a company ever take on anyone over 24?

If you have read all that, thanks. And sorry to bore you, just wanted to say hi and get a little direction.

Thanks all,

Rock

 
Hi ape,,

Becoming an electrician in 4 to 5 weeks is not possible, however I also understand that you want a change.

There is no real short cut if you don't have an Electrical background so maybe it might be worth while looking for a night class at a local college and keep your day job,, this will still take several years to complete though

 
What makes you want to be an electrician?

Your background would suggest mechanical engineering is a more natural choice?

I would only recommend a career as an electrician if you enjoy wiring and find electrical circuits obvious and interesting.

NHC / D level qualifications are not what you are aiming for, at least not as an electrician, though there are plenty of us on this forum with an HNC or degree, but some of us do / have done things way beyond the remit of an ordinary electrician.

P.S the forum is quiet just now as people are spending the holiday period with friends and family so be a little patient.

The short courses you see are really intended for people with electrical qualifications to refresh them to meet a certain standard to join a Part P scheme (only needed for domestic electrical work outwith Scotland) They are not intended to teach you to be an electrician in just a few weeks, but sadly that's how a lot of people view them and hence there are a lot of "5 week wonders" who have done such a course and think they are an electrician.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Evening Rockape

As the others have said the short courses are not the best method into the trade for those who are new to it all (just google the term 5ww electrician & you'll see what we mean).

Look for a college course & inquire about night school, I believe you need to be looking for the C&G2365 course.

Hope it goes well for you.

 
Evening Rockape

As the others have said the short courses are not the best method into the trade for those who are new to it all (just google the term 5ww electrician & you'll see what we mean).

Look for a college course & inquire about night school, I believe you need to be looking for the C&G2365 course.

Hope it goes well for you.
Ohh the irony... I just googled "5ww electrician" expecting some kind of wiki definition but instead the first hit was EF and what was the first advert at the top of the page!? Yep you guessed it.

So they sit there on their horses but really they are cashing in like everyone else

:C

@op hi, go to college. get some experience there is no easy way.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Top