College courses, career advice

[Adam_151]

Putting aside the issues with your current sector...

If you want to do this, the best bet would probably to try and see if you can work with your mate on some of your days off, initially for free, then for whatever he thinks you are worth (hopefully he will be a good chap and not take the pee!) after a while if you are sure it is for you, you can then look at enrolling on 2330 L2 (or whatever the number is these days). After getting L2 and working with your mate for a while you might be in a good position to try and get in with a larger company as an 'improver'

 

[muffking]

I'm in the same position as you Steve. I'm in an industry also on it's @RSE and have survived 2 rounds of redundancy and avoided being in a pool for 3 other rounds.

My get out is that I start a Level 2 evening course in 2 months and will then start Level 3 next year, plus 17th and Periodic Inspections. So I expect to be qualified for domestic work within 2 years.

As for the courses themselves, I'll be just the other side of Dunham Bridge from you and each Level is just under £2k, lasts around 6 months for 1 evening per week plus 1 saturday per month.

 

[JohnW2]

.... and will then start Level 3 next year, plus 17th and Periodic Inspections. ...

I think you should forget "the 17th". The 18th ed will be published next July and fully impleted at/by the end of the year. I presume that, as soon as it is published in its final form (next July), the "18th ed courses" will rapidly show their faces!

Kind Regards, John

 

[muffking]

I think you should forget "the 17th". The 18th ed will be published next July and fully impleted at/by the end of the year. I presume that, as soon as it is published in its final form (next July), the "18th ed courses" will rapidly show their faces!

Kind Regards, John

By the time I do the Level 3 (starts in Sept 2018) I'd hope that they've added the 18th by then anyway

 

[Adam_151]

My get out is that I start a Level 2 evening course in 2 months and will then start Level 3 next year, plus 17th and Periodic Inspections. So I expect to be qualified for domestic work within 2 years.

Not to rain on your parade, but...

The problem is, being able to do periodic inspections isn't just a case of a college course (thats only a small bit of it). Its a combination of experience (thats eperience installing AND experience doing EICRS), the right mindset, having someone to go to for advice, as well as having your 2391 (or whatever the number is these days) and the last one isn't all that important

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

@muffking
2 years for level 2 and 3, seems a bit quick on one evening per week and the one Saturday per month. I calculate that at about 114 hrs per level (at six month periods) Plus you need to calculate the wiring regs into that. At level 3 you should get a module that incorporates inspection, testing and certification.
I was also of the understanding that level 3 are now NVQ only, so where do you get your portfolio from?
As already said 18th editions will be with us soon, so taking the 17th editions would be not completely pointless, but you would still have to sit the changes.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The number of times on the IET forum (I don't look at any others) that someone asks about coding on EICRs only serves to show that they should not be doing them.

 

[muffking]

Periodic Inspection and 17th (or 18th as it may end up being) are in addition to Level 2 & 3. I'm doing it through EAL, although I plan on giving some time to my spark mate to gain experience.

 

[securespark]

Will you change your name to sparking?

 

[JohnW2]

By the time I do the Level 3 (starts in Sept 2018) I'd hope that they've added the 18th by then anyway

Quite so - which is why I suggested that you should forget about "the 17th" which you said you were going to do,

Kind Regards, John

 

[muffking]

Will you change your name to sparking?

I like that, although it might send out the wrong message

Quite so - which is why I suggested that you should forget about "the 17th" which you said you were going to do,

Kind Regards, John

Point taken. I've not signed up to that one yet, so I'm hoping that will change when the time comes towards the end of next year.

 

[flameport]

17th (or 18th as it may end up being)

A largely pointless exercise in checking whether you can read a book or not.
The 'exam' is a multiple choice affair and you can use the book to locate the answers.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Periodic Inspection and 17th (or 18th as it may end up being) are in addition to Level 2 & 3. I'm doing it through EAL, although I plan on giving some time to my spark mate to gain experience.

So not C&G then?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

A largely pointless exercise in checking whether you can read a book or not.
The 'exam' is a multiple choice affair and you can use the book to locate the answers.

Yes but if you do not already know stuff and rely totally on thumbing through the book, you will not have enough time to answer all the questions, unless you just randomly pick the options.

 

[muffking]

So not C&G then?

No not C&G. I looked in to this and NICEIC etc. do accept other bodies. Even my local collage is switching courses away from C&G.