Electrical Engineering Courses....

[Jamieneathuk]

Could you tell me how long a course in Electrical Engineering is please?

I have no qualifications as a sparky at all - so i would have to start at the very begining.

Are there any shorter courses? And would i have to do other courses when the main one finishes to do extras like Self certifying (All Certs) and Part P etc? Or is it all included in one course?

If i go to college, would a 31 year be able to go or is is just for 16 year old school leavers?

Any advice that you all could offer me - would be gratefully received. (and any further advice that you think may be of help or importance - that i have missed?)

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

[breezer]

electrical engineering is differnt than being a spark.

as for who waht where how long ask the college.

I personally dont recomend the "learn to be a.........." in 3 months things, they can tell you whas what, not all of it and you dont get any real experiance

 

[Jamieneathuk]

Thanks for the reply Breeze.

I read on a thread last week that they it was called an 'Electrical Engineers' Course.

So it is actually called an 'Electricians' course is it.

I don't believe in the 3 Month courses either.

It is bad enough to try and fit everything into a 3 or 4 year course, let alone 3 months.

As i said in my OP, I am 31. But i wanted to go to Tec (college) and have on site experience too

 

[Adam_151]

The main course you want to be looking at is the C+G 2330 (formally 2360), It'd be best to ask your local colleges about this course.

The other course of note once you have got that is the 2391 in testing and inspection, also the 2391 part two (formally 2400) in design might possibly be a usful addition.

 

[Jamieneathuk]

Thank You very much Adam. I appreciate that!

 

[baldersj]

Just done C&G 2360 and 16th Edition, and goin on to do 2391 in September, and I can thoroughly recommend the long drawn out version rather than the 3 month wonder courses, which seem to try and teach far too much in far too short a time.
As for your age, as long as you can stick sitting with a load of 16 year olds who just want a day off from their apprenticeships (I'm 32), you'll be fine, and probably a lot more keen! In the later stages I found that more & more people had paid for the course themselves and were more keen to learn rather than sitting in the canteen smoking B&H and discussing "The Fast & The Furious"....they're good for poncing fags from though...!

GOOD LUCK

 

[Jamieneathuk]

Thanks Baldersj. How long does all these courses last (*combined) when you say 'Pay yourself', How much did you have to pay? (if you don't mind me asking?)

 

[baldersj]

I did the old C&G 236 Pts 1 & 2, it took 3 years once a week. I think each year cost about 2-300 quid, then 16th edition took 10wks (another £100).

Got some work as a mate with an electrical firm on and off during this time, what you will learn from practical experience is probably just as important as the quals...

As far as I'm aware you CAN work and notify without the 2391 if you count yourself as competent, but that's a big "if", and I would definitely recommend it.

once again, gd luck

PS I'm sure there are colleges that wil do the same course quicker *I think its the 2360 now), that was the only way I could make it fit around work, etc.)

 

[Jamieneathuk]

Thanks again Baldersj. Much obliged to you.

 

[industryspark]

definetly try getting some part time work with a spark, the practical stuff that you will learn will be essential. whilst your doing this you could do the college courses but my opinion is that the things you will pick up from hands on work will be just as important as doing the courses, but obviously you will need the papers.

also some courses are available to do in a shorter time. when i did my 2381 & 2391 i did them on quick courses where you did the course in 3 days then sat the exams the week after. i can understand peoples arguments against doing it this way but i already had a good knowledge and had been in the industry a while so most of it wasnt new to me anyway.

only problem with this is that the course fees are more pricey this way (£500 + VAT for the 2391!). check out a company called NECTA for info on these courses if interested.

other thing to remember is dont try taking too much in at once, learn the basics and other stuff will make more sense when you come across it later.

 

[Jamieneathuk]

Thanks industryspark - I will look into that too.

 

[Dippy]

My advice would be to first decide what sort of learning style you have, bearing in mind that it tends to change with age. At 31 you ought to be much more capable of "teach-yourself" than you were at 16!

If you're unsure about this, just get ahold of a cheap book. There are loads on e-bay (I just picked up a copy of the 2001 16th Ed for a few quid, and of course the amendments can be downloaded free from the IET website). Have a go at reading it and see how much you understand and absorb. You might be surprised.

Of course if you struggle then you know that you need help and that paying for a course would be worth it.

I would also advise you to consider exactly what you want to achieve. As others have noted, practical experience is important too, and often makes it easier to understand the academic stuff. Do you want a course just because you want to learn, or do you need a qualification from it. If the latter then is it the right qualification?

If you're not sure about part P requirements then read up on it. There is a lot of misleading information being spread about, designed to "scare" you into joining one of the chosen schemes. I'm not saying you shouldn't, just that you should fully understand why!