im thinking about taking up the new career skills electrician course , but im a bit put off bythe price of £6000.

anyone have experience in doing the course or workingw ith others who have?

Well, have you checked if there are any apprenticeship options you can have at any college or university? I know for a fact that they have it as an apprenticeship option in many colleges in Canada. I'm sure the UK has this in the universities or colleges.

On the other hand, if this IS an college/university-based apprenticeship & you still have to pay so much, then you have to determine how to both raise that much money & how to suppliment your work experience & education at the same time. In other words, if this is your only option, you could always find a job that enhances your skills in electrics/electronics & make the money you need for the course.

Remember, though; you can't put a price on your education!

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Technology: something that's hated & cursed at by all engineers, technologists & technicians!

( Lousy modern technology! )

Hi sholmes484

As a person wanting to change careers and retrain I am thinking about the New Career Skills electrician course as well.

I have read the website and brouchure and it all sounds a little too good to be true. Did get any other feedback on the quality of the training and to what level is obtained e.g. NVQ2 /3

Thanks
Michael

Has anyone done this course then? and if so was it as good as they claim it to be.

Hi,

I am currently trying to persue a new career as an electrcian. I have looked into al these companies providing a so called quick entry to the industry. However, I believe that there is no quick entry. Apprentices train for 4 years or more and do at least 3 years of college. How can you expect to learn that all in just six weeks??!! Also I believe that in order to be a fully registered, qualified electrician you need to have C&G 2330 Level 2 and 3, 16th Edt Wrg Regs, expeience on site to get your NVQ and then register with a body. (Anybody who knows better please feel free to correct me). If you look at the qualifications that these types of companies are giving you they dont come close to this. You need to remeber that the aim of these types of company is to take your money and lots of it. They dont care about you getting the right qualifications for the job and are arguably releasing a lot of incompotent, inexperience electrcians into the wide world.
However, there is hope. With the introduction of the new age discrimination law and the governments trail for adult apprenticeship schemes all is not lost. I am currently doing C&G 2330 Level 2 distance learning and will go onto do level 3. I am also actively seeking an apprenticeship - for over 24's this is hard but there are opportunites out there (Currently the government provides no financial assistance to companies for apprentices over 24). Just be wary of spending 6k on a course which may not give you what you need. Have a look at the OLCI website etc.

Well that is a summary of my experience, hope it helps.

Rgs

Stuart

Further to my last post I decided that New Career Skills (NCS) was not for me. A company called Technique Training based near Chesterfield was recommended to me. Their website (Link removed) has all the course details and pricing information.

I have just completed their six week course which was good and enjoyable, and much cheaper than NCS. At the end of the course you should get the following

City and Guilds 2381- 16th Edition Wiring Regulations
City and Guilds 2377 002 - Portable Appliance Testing
City and Guilds 2391 part 1 - Inspection and Testing
EAL Domestic Electrical Installer

I have passed the 2381, 2377 and EAL Domestic Elec Installer exams. I have yet to do the 2391 exams (theory and practical), so wish me luck.

The course was intensive full time for 4 weeks - the last two weeks which are optional not as intensive. If you do it you need to be committed otherwise you won't make it.

These qualifications will allow me to join a domestic installer scheme (subject to their approval criteria - the approved schemes will want to see examples of your work before they admit you). Whilst the course does have a large element of practical training I still intend to go and work for an electrical contractor to get the much needed experience before starting my own business. I am hoping that the skills and qualifications I have obtained will be attractive to a prospective employer and they can use me from the onset and hopefully I can get some real world practical experience. How long this will take I am sure is subject of much debate, which I am not going to get into, although I have heard of people with the right practical skills/experience starting businesses straight away.

I also intend to get more qualifications further down the line but I need to pay for this first.

Hope this is helpful

Hi, can you give me a update, did you stay with it? I am considering doing the TEC30 course with Technique and its very hard to get feedback on the course and how life is after doing the training. Any feedback is welcome.

The course was very good and I passed all my exams and I am now "part P" registered.

I could not find a job with other electrical contractors, despite sending my CV off to many, altough some of the people on the couse did get jobs. What I have been doing is working with some other electricians I knew prior to doing the course to get some experience. I have also been working by myself on jobs that I feel are within my abilities. Doing the actual electrical work I feel confidant with i.e. the terminating of cable and testing to make sure it is safe, and the course was very good in that respect. But an electrician's work is a lot more than that! What the course does not give you is how to chase walls, sinking holes for boxes, making good, how to get access to difficult places to route cable, the best way to lift floorboards (new and old). Maybe you can't learn this part of it on a course and it comes with experience?

I have enlisted the help of friendly electricians to help me where and when I need it, which cuts into the profit. If you have been working in the construction industry you will probably not have this difficulty. I am still learning new things every day and enjoying every minute of it.

have been reading with interest this, i am looking at the NewCareerSkills course for £6000.... I followed your response and looked at the OLCI course which has CG 2330 1 &2 , which NCS doesnt cover? is this going to be a problem for the future?.... they suggest not,look forward to a reply thanks.

This could be an interesting article about Electrician apprenticeship.
There are also interesting articles that would truly enlighten this thread.
Link removed
I hope this could help!

Hi did you follow up your training with NCS or did you go else where, I'm also looking at NCS but want to know their qualifications are good once you've fininshed.