Becoming an Electrician in the UK

[flameport]

Anyone can call themselves an electrician and do electrical work.
Doesn't matter if the have every available qualification or none at all.
Doesn't matter if they have 50 years experience or have never picked up a screwdriver before.
Certificates can be completed by anyone, blank certificate pads are readily available as is software to print them.

To comply with the law, a few items of domestic work must be notified to building control - currently new circuits, consumer units and things in or around a bath/shower. Nothing else.
Various schemes such as NICEIC and NAPIT exist to allow these things to be notified. Paying building control direct is another option. Membership of schemes is also optional.
Not notifying notifiable work has effectively no consequences, which is why a fair proportion of things that should be notified are not.

For some types of work, those requesting the work might want you to belong to a scheme, or have certain qualifications, or have insurance. Usually larger companies, flat management organisations, councils and suchlike. On the other hand, plenty of places neither know or care about these things, including virtually anyone who wants work done at their home.
Some people may want work to be done properly and in accordance with BS7671. There are others who want it done cheaply, quickly and couldn't care less about regulations as long as the thing works, the light turns on, the shop freezers are working and the fire alarm isn't making that loud noise any more.

Becoming a domestic Electrician in the UK

A lot of that involves work which is not electrical at all, so be sure of exactly what is involved before making any choices.

 

[vards01]

Anyone can call themselves an electrician and do electrical work.
Doesn't matter if the have every available qualification or none at all.
Doesn't matter if they have 50 years experience or have never picked up a screwdriver before.
Certificates can be completed by anyone, blank certificate pads are readily available as is software to print them.

To comply with the law, a few items of domestic work must be notified to building control - currently new circuits, consumer units and things in or around a bath/shower. Nothing else.
Various schemes such as NICEIC and NAPIT exist to allow these things to be notified. Paying building control direct is another option. Membership of schemes is also optional.
Not notifying notifiable work has effectively no consequences, which is why a fair proportion of things that should be notified are not.

For some types of work, those requesting the work might want you to belong to a scheme, or have certain qualifications, or have insurance. Usually larger companies, flat management organisations, councils and suchlike. On the other hand, plenty of places neither know or care about these things, including virtually anyone who wants work done at their home.
Some people may want work to be done properly and in accordance with BS7671. There are others who want it done cheaply, quickly and couldn't care less about regulations as long as the thing works, the light turns on, the shop freezers are working and the fire alarm isn't making that loud noise any more.


A lot of that involves work which is not electrical at all, so be sure of exactly what is involved before making any choices.

I think I have been absolutely deluded by this Part P business - I just assumed that I had do this exam / that exam, when I tried to research the subject I just couldn't find a definitive answer....and now I know why. I also assumed that to have those certificates you needed to be part of a 'governing body', I'm really quite glad I posted this thread now its cleared some of my misconceptions......

I'm quite a keen multi-trader, I can plaster, tile, repair chases, core drill holes etc so have a reasonable idea.

 

[vards01]

You can get the blank ones with no registration number field on free download, exactly the same other then that and with all the correct spaces to fill in your test results etc. Only the one that you have to be registered is restricted.

God knows what this guy was doing, but if he'd of been inspected on my property he'd of been for the high jump with his NICEIC inspector. My main concern at the time was if you had no technical ability you would have just assumed his work was OK and not of picked up on the dangerous carp he furnished me with. People assume including me that with these pieces of paper flying around the installer has passed some kind of exam.

 

[Simon35]

Becoming a domestic Electrician in the UK

I am potentially thinking of a career change, currently I am a design engineer in the mechanical / electrical field, degree qualified, unfortunately work in this sector is drying up salaries are low and is mainly office / desk based……fine if you like that kind of thing, but I've just had enough of it and all the office politics. I am toying with the idea of starting afresh; and being self employed, I enjoy practical work and am interested in seeing whether this is a viable venture…. I’m mid 30’s….

I have done some basic googling and see a whole multitude of ‘required’ qualifications for fast track colleges and all seemed a little disjointed to what actually qualifications you would need to go out alone, I am aware that really you need to work alongside a time served electrician for a while to gain experience ……but was more interested in what actual qualifications are required to carry out domestic installations.

Thanks in advance…..

I'm a degree qualified Electrical Engineer, and I know what you mean about extended periods in the office but I've spent years on site as a commissioning engineer on sites all over the world. Maybe that's an option for you.

I get emails daily for commissioning work

 

[vards01]

I'm a degree qualified Electrical Engineer, and I know what you mean about extended periods in the office but I've spent years on site as a commissioning engineer on sites all over the world. Maybe that's an option for you.

I get emails daily for commissioning work

Travelling the world does sound very appealing but my personal circumstances would not allow this, hence why I was looking at a becoming a local domestic electrician.

 

[rules&rulers]

Is there a need for another domestic electrician in your home area ?

 

[vards01]

Is there a need for another domestic electrician in your home area ?

Not especially.......but I'm sure there would be room for one more

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Not notifying notifiable work has effectively no consequences, which is why a fair proportion of things that should be notified are not.

Which could be easily fixed, if they wanted to.

Wouldn't need the expense of a vast army of investigators. Just a few 20-year sentences for any electricians caught doing that, with every penny they have also taken to pay for their imprisonment.

The others would soon stop taking the risk.

 

[John D v2.0]

Why stop there, why not just have a public flogging and execution, surely that's proportionate enough?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

No - state sanctioned violence and killing as a means of social control are not acceptable.

 

[vards01]

Just an update to anyone else who was looking for similar information, as it stands on the date of this post the mandatory qualification requirement to join the NICEIC is a 17th edition qualification/certification i.e. c&G 2382-15 Level 3, with a strong recommendation of testing and inspection of electrical installations C&G 2394/2395.

NICEIC will also want to see an example of notifiable work before you can join the scheme, so a LABC route you could achieve this. The final requirement was a minimum 2m public liability insurance.

Obviously all of the above assumes you have good/sound electrical knowledge and practical skills to start with and have familiarised yourself with the current regulations in order to pass the above as I understand it this would be a prerequisite.

The above is all based on my personal experience/circumstances and my understanding of the information I have received.

I would also add that when I phoned a local training centre who offer the above courses they were adamant that I must do a 3 year NVQ beforehand in their opinion and this would then make me a 'qualified electrician'.......I wasn't sure if this was an out an out sales pitch as when I pushed/questioned on the use of the word 'qualified electrician'...I was read the electricity kills line..........

 

[securespark]

It all looked like a bit of a mid-life crisis to me.

Did he buy an open-topped sports car?

 

[muffking]

I'm signed up for an EAL Level 2 Electrotecnical evening course later this year and a Level 3 next year http://eal.org.uk/sectors/electrotechnical
Level 3 also includes the 17th edition qualification.
This will see me qualified for domestic work as a backup career should my current job go t!ts up. I may follow this up with an inspection & testing course in 2 years.

 

[ericmark]

In the year 2000 I felt I needed some updated qualifications, at that time it cost around £60 for a night class and I did three night classes one after the other 2381, 2391 and what ever the pat testing one is called, however when the 2381 was replaced with the 2382 as 17 edition came out I returned to same collage to do an update, however the fees where then £120 and because of the collage ratings they will not allow you to site exam without doing course, so £120 to show I can read a book.

OK since then I have done a degree in electrical and electronic engineering, but the point is as a night class the cost has really gone up. When I was thinking of returning to Uni I knew my maths was not good enough, so I enrolled on "A" level maths, again cost problem, it seemed 3 courses cost £10 as considered as full time education and one course was £160 so I did three, one was then discontinued, so thinking I needed to pick up another to qualify for £10 deal I sat in on a standard electricians day release. I was dismayed to see the level of other students, I will give an example, simple question list some conductors, well straight way they got copper, then it went silent, so I said do you want me to list some, answer was yes, so off I went Silver, Steel, Mercury, Gold etc. And I got from other students those are not conductors, and I was in year two. I just could not believe how a whole class seemed to be so clueless.

So end of day went to talk to lecturer, my comment was I don't think I would learn much, and my presence in the class would may it harder for the lecturer, he agreed so I never did the course. Yet in the "A" level class the students were also school levers, but they did seem to have some knowledge, it was not the students fault that the physics book showed a fluorescent lamp and how it worked, but missed out the ballast?

 

[vards01]

I would be looking at around £2500 in total to join NICEIC and complete the c&G 2382-15 Level 3 & C&G 2394/2395. This is not pocket change and after my discussion with the lady from my local training centre I had the distinct impression that to go on her course that made me a 'qualified electrician' I would be in the situation that ericmark mentions about conductors, when I pushed for some expansion she became very defensive and made me question whether there is lots of sales pressure going on behind the scenes........