Difference between C&G 2330 and C&G 2382, 2377 etc e

[oharaf]

For those of us 'late' to the trades the typical qualification profile is

2330 Levels 1 -3 2 nights a week for 2 to 4 years

17th Edition

2391 or 2392 depending on your needs thou quite honestly 2391 is the baby you need

After that it is a matter of adding on the other parts you want, of which there are so many I'm not even going to attemp to list them

 

[dingbat]

2391 or 2392 depending on your needs thou quite honestly 2391 is the baby you need

As always, it depends on what you want to do.

If you are not looking for direct employment where the 2391 is stated as a prerequisite, why opt for a qualification that the majority fail and which is beyond many electricians?

Inspecting, testing and verifying your own single-phase work? That's what the 2392 is there for.

Nothing to stop you aspiring to the 2391, but as that qualification is aimed at already experienced inspectors, why not go for the one that is expressly aimed at those starting out.

 

[ericmark]

All I was trying to say is some how you need some experience. This may come from many ways. Fitters would work with electricians, Electrician's mates, Auto Electricians, all have some involvement for years before they swap to become an electrician.

I originally trained as an Auto Electrician, and working in Algeria and Falklands I was forced to do both. And became an Electrician more due to drifting into the trade than any special effort to more over.

But even now from time to time I come across gaps in my training. For example working with mineral insulated cable. Know theory but never tried using it.

When you have done a job for years there is nothing worse than a young lad telling you. "You can't do that!" and you realising you don't know if he is right or wrong. Especially when your his boss. So about 10 years ago I started taking courses. In the main I had been doing it right but now I know it's right rather than just knowing I have been doing it that way for years.

Being mainly industrial it was not such a problem. Bosses more interested in ones ability to fix things than following regulations. And finding an electrician who also understood when it was a pneumatic fault was more important.

And how many can also write SCARDA programs for the PLC as well? But I did make mistakes as we all do and thinking back some could have been quite dangerous. Lack of earth rods etc. Back in 1980 in Algeria I was connecting and disconnecting 250kva to 750kva generators and didn't know what earth loop impedance was. Know one killed thank god.

Mind you I have found Electricians who could not work out ohm's law. And could not understand why a 220 volt AC would soon fail when connected between phases on a 110 volt to star point three phase supply. Non of us know it all. But regulations are a lot more important today then when I started and today one needs access at all times to big red book where as when I started if you asked boss to look at 15th Edition he thought you were a trouble maker.

I did many years ago work with TOPS and that did work. Although those leaving were not really up to scratch at least they had full 6 mouths intensive training as stud a chance but of course my dad told me my apprenticeship was too short his took 7 years before he was considered as a tradesman and in his day he could insist that any non apprentice served man must give up the job so he could do it. Dilutes the non apprentice served people were called. Did the job all through the war only to be told at war end sorry we have a time served man wants your job.

Can you imagine how that would go down today?

 

[scarypants]

HA106420

my thoughts are as follows,
It is all about progression, start of with the basic stuff and move up from that point.
Did you say you was 28 years old so I assume by now you have something between the ears and not just wax!
Your best route would be 2330 Level 2&3, you don't need to be in the trade to take these course it is do-able. But recommend you did attempt to find an employer or part-time work in the trade.
You will find along the way that in your work and studies you will get a grasp of the 17th eds, after you have completed Level 3 you will then be able to progress on to 2382 with you already having a Level 3 qualification you can do the short exam.
A lot of the Inspection and Testing will be taught at Level 3 as that is how it is geared up Inspection, Testing, commisioning, fault finding and diagnoses.
At this point depending what route you wish take, you can evaluate if 2391 is needed.
If day release it would take about 18-24 months, if part-time evenings about 30-36 months.

 

[sparkybird]

Hi again

And in reply - I think yes!

Beware these £5K 'I'll make you an electrician courses!' I've got a work experience girl just started with me who did one of the better ones over the course of a year, so technically is 'qualified to 2382 and 2392', but hasn't a clue about knocking out back boxes, running cable, lifting floor boards, what to do when the bricks are all crumbly.... etc - that can only come with on site experience. Needless to say she's learning fast!

Replies all sensible - just to add that I was way too old for the apprenticeship route, so the way I got into it was to do 2330 (levels 2 and 3, managed to skip level 1 due to prior learning) one day a week then worked the rest in domestic. However, getting work when you know nothing is hard - I worked for free to start with, but if you are quick you'll soon pick it up and your money will increase.

Hope this is helpful


SB

 

[bongos]

As far as I am aware these apprenticehips are now hard to come by and only available to those under 25. I am 28 and as such, do not have the option of doing such an apprenticeship. The next best thing, and the only apparent realistic option is to do a course (such as C&G 2330) to gain the thoretical knowledge and then to build on this with practical experience. I realise many people see this as a quick fix, but in some cases it is the only option.

I'm in a similar position (same age too ). Because of this I couldn't get an apprenticeship.

Try local sparks, friends, relatives or anyone you know who's a spark and see if you can get some work experience with them. At the moment I help out a couple of lads for free. I don't mind not getting paid as it's all valuable experience and as Sparkybird says if you do all the quals and then come onto a site with no experience it can be very demoralising trying to make ends meet.

I work shifts so I do the odd day here and there with sparks when available. I'm learning alot and still enjoying it but at some point you will need some formal qualifications to build on.

Best bet is try and get some work experience and make sure its what you want to do. You'll learn loads too.

 

[Spark123]

And how many can also write SCARDA programs for the PLC as well?

Oh no - not another PLC language to learn
Just when I finally got my head around computerised fire alarms

 

[ColJack]

pity that there isn't an adult apprenticeship scheme for when you want to change careers..

I can't get a JIB approved electrician card because I didn't do an apprenticeship..

did a YTS in electronics and got my ONC in electronics and electrical engineering, then did C&G 236 parts 1 and 2 in 1 year ( thanks to covering all year 1 theory in my ONC.. ), then did my 2391 2 years ago and my 2382 last year..

card comes back from them as a senior graded electrical trainee until I do my NVQ3..

 

[Spark123]

Can you get yourself on a course and do it? I know it is a lot of work, is probably even more paper based than when I did it years ago!

 

[ColJack]

no, the bummer is, I'm currently unemployed and have time to do such a course, but you need to be working to do an NVQ... it's work based assessments..

 

[Spark123]

Aye, it is worth a shot tho - see if anyone is taking on mature trainees.
Failing that, have a word with your local NVQ centre - they might allow work you have completed in the past to count towards it.