education and quacilifations

[SparkyTris]

How can I become a "proper electrician"?
I keep getting different answers.

Must I do a full apprenticeship, or can I go on courses?

what is a "proper electrician" anyway?
all I want is a "recognised qualification" to install or work on LV domestic & light industrial. including being able to do PIR and EIC.

does it make a difference between scotland & england?

please help

 

[RF Lighting]

The only difference between England and Scotland is the building regulations / warrant system governing notifable and self certification etc.

As for becomming a 'proper' electrician, the ONLY way is to work within the industry and learn the trade hands on. An example is often referred to as an apprentice trained electrician. You can spend as long as you like doing as many courses as you like and you'll still have no idea how to actually do the job.

If you want to be able to carry out EICRs, you need a minimum of 7 years experience working with a whole spectrum of electrical installations day in, day out whilst also gaining the paperwork to back up the practical experience.

The simply is no fast track to learning a trade. It's all about experience.

 

[Adam_151]

If you want to be able to carry out EICRs, you need a minimum of 7 years experience working with a whole spectrum of electrical installations day in, day out whilst also gaining the paperwork to back up the practical experience.

Even thats no guarentee, going by the number of garbage EICRs I see!

 

[RF Lighting]

Maybe it should be mandatory for people carrying out EICRs to read the regs every once in a while

 

[canduit]

If you want to be able to carry out EICRs, you need a minimum of 7 years experience working with a whole spectrum of electrical installations day in, day out whilst also gaining the paperwork to back up the practical experience.

Where did you get this info from?

 

[RF Lighting]

From experience.

 

[JohnW2]

If you want to be able to carry out EICRs, you need a minimum of 7 years experience working with a whole spectrum of electrical installations day in, day out whilst also gaining the paperwork to back up the practical experience.

Where did you get this info from?

I presume it's his opinion - but it sounds very sensible. If you were the customer, would you want someone carrying out an EICR for you who had some qualifications but very little, and/or not very wide, experience?

Kind Regards, John

 

[SparkyTris]

Oh well. I'll just have to carry on doing it all illegally & illicitly then. what a shame.

 

[RF Lighting]

I don't understand?

 

[canduit]

I agree its sensible, but its not factual. It could confuse someone who wants to get in the industry.

 

[RF Lighting]

It's as good as. Any one looking for a fast track into the industry is going to be bitterly disappointed. Surely it's best they know from the outset that it takes many years of bloody hard work and learning before you're ready to be unleased on the public and even more so to be able to carry out EICRs properly.

 

[JohnW2]

It's as good as. Any one looking for a fast track into the industry is going to be bitterly disappointed. Surely it's best they know from the outset that it takes many years of bloody hard work and learning before you're ready to be unleased on the public and even more so to be able to carry out EICRs properly.

Indeed so, but the worrying/frightening thing is that none of that is actually regulated. In fact, I don't think there are any 'rules' (let alone laws) about who can undertake an EICR - I have a horrible feeling that, provided I did not make any misrepresentations about what qualifications I did (or did not) have, there's nothing stopping me undertaking EICRs. Indeed, another worry (per what you're suggesting) is that I have another horrible feeling - namely that, even if I say so myself, I think I could probably do a better job of an EICR than at least some of the pitiful attempts I've seen from some so-called 'electricians' (certainly people with 'qualifications')!

Kind Regards, John

 

[RF Lighting]

Correct. There's theoretically nothing to prevent you carrying out an EICR having never lifted a screwdriver before.

 

[SparkyTris]

I had a feeling it would come to that. JohnW2, your comments resonate somewhat with my feelings on the matter.

I recently moved into a new house. I went to my local agent for household insurance, which she sold me after making the usual queries into flood risk, age of property, method of construction and rebuild value.

I made a point of asking her if I had an electrical fire, was I covered? yes I was, she assured me.
How do you know my electrical installation is safe?, I said.
We don't need to know that, she replied.

this isnt the only property Ive ever insured. Ive never been asked for any sort of certification of the electrical installation.
Until the insurance companies get interested in it, what really is the purpose of having these tests?

the very fact that the actuaries disregard the PIR's or EICR's surely means that they are not worth the printer they're papered on? (or is this taking free market economics theory too far)

 

[EFLImpudence]

You can take it as read that if the insurance companies are not worried then it is not a problem.