Trade qualification
Discussion
Hi all
Just after some information here. I am 31 years old and have been working in an office environment for the past 13 years and will possibly be made redundant at the end of the year in my current role. I want to start working in the trade industry either Electrician, Plumber or Gas Engineer. I have no experience in either of these apart from the basic changing a plug or light bulb. I have noticed there are intensive courses you can do that claim you will be qualified after 10-16 weeks and have an NVQ Level 3 and can cost anywhere from £1500 for Level 2 or £7495 for Level 2 and 3 in your field .
I am just wondering if these are "legit" as in you could apply and get a job working at a company with these qualifications or if there is a catch?
Just after some information here. I am 31 years old and have been working in an office environment for the past 13 years and will possibly be made redundant at the end of the year in my current role. I want to start working in the trade industry either Electrician, Plumber or Gas Engineer. I have no experience in either of these apart from the basic changing a plug or light bulb. I have noticed there are intensive courses you can do that claim you will be qualified after 10-16 weeks and have an NVQ Level 3 and can cost anywhere from £1500 for Level 2 or £7495 for Level 2 and 3 in your field .
I am just wondering if these are "legit" as in you could apply and get a job working at a company with these qualifications or if there is a catch?
These intensive courses won’t equip you with the skills required to walk into a job as a fully quialified tradesman. The thing that they don’t give you is real work experience. An apprenticeship will provide with the experience over several years and a time served tradesman will probably never struggle for work.
These courses sound more appropriate for someone maybe already working in a trade who wants to fast track way to an NVQ.
The only way to learn these trades is through real life experience gained over the years working alongside experienced workers.
You may have a qualification to do the work but you would be as much use a chocolate teaspoon if sent to do jobs by yourself f suspect.
Maybe working as a ‘mate’ until you have more experience is also another option but will obviously not pay as well as a skilled tradesman.
I am a timed served electrician so can confirm I was a like chocolate teaspoon for a good while also when first starting out.🤪
These courses sound more appropriate for someone maybe already working in a trade who wants to fast track way to an NVQ.
The only way to learn these trades is through real life experience gained over the years working alongside experienced workers.
You may have a qualification to do the work but you would be as much use a chocolate teaspoon if sent to do jobs by yourself f suspect.
Maybe working as a ‘mate’ until you have more experience is also another option but will obviously not pay as well as a skilled tradesman.
I am a timed served electrician so can confirm I was a like chocolate teaspoon for a good while also when first starting out.🤪
I'm retaining as an electrician presently just under taking level 3 NVQ
I'd say get on a college night course there's a lot they want you to learn and intensive learning would be very hard going. Maybe if you can soak up the knowledge and retain it an intensive is doable. But for me no way. Maths is also key so you'll need a good understanding or you'll struggle, A lot of the people have fallen by the way side on level 2 and that is relatively straight forward learning.
I'm lucky as already have the practical skills, so fast track some of that and focus on the theory. Also got a job as a maintenance tech in a factory as that give me loads of on the job experience
I think my college fees are about 4K and so far looking at doing it in two and a half years of two nights a week for 3 hours.
I'd say get on a college night course there's a lot they want you to learn and intensive learning would be very hard going. Maybe if you can soak up the knowledge and retain it an intensive is doable. But for me no way. Maths is also key so you'll need a good understanding or you'll struggle, A lot of the people have fallen by the way side on level 2 and that is relatively straight forward learning.
I'm lucky as already have the practical skills, so fast track some of that and focus on the theory. Also got a job as a maintenance tech in a factory as that give me loads of on the job experience
I think my college fees are about 4K and so far looking at doing it in two and a half years of two nights a week for 3 hours.
Philv8s - Thanks for your response Phil, this isn't the first time I've been faced with redundancy and now with a little one I need something a bit more safe. I have searched numerous job sites and have come up short finding trainee electrician or electricians mate and cant really afford to go studying fulltime or an apprenticeship so proving a little difficult at the moment. Did you do an apprenticeship when you first started? Do you work for yourself or for a company?
TVR Tommy - Thanks for your response Tommy, I seem to be a bit like a sponge when it comes to learning new things and Maths was my strongest subject at school and with me working with data am good with numbers etc. I wish I had of saw this coming so I could have studied part time like yourself. Did you have previous experience in maintenance tech to being successful in getting the job? Is Level 2 tough if you haven't really worked with electricity before?
TVR Tommy - Thanks for your response Tommy, I seem to be a bit like a sponge when it comes to learning new things and Maths was my strongest subject at school and with me working with data am good with numbers etc. I wish I had of saw this coming so I could have studied part time like yourself. Did you have previous experience in maintenance tech to being successful in getting the job? Is Level 2 tough if you haven't really worked with electricity before?
I did a 5 year apprenticeship when I left school as an industrial maintenance electrician but packed the job in as soon as I finished my qualifications.
Went back into electrics after a 15year break, the apprenticeship made getting into a job much easier as I had the experience even if awhile ago. Been working as a service engineer for 13 years now fixing auto doors so electrical fault finding is a key skill for me which was learned when I was in the factory as an apprentice.
Maybe you could go self employed rather than employed but you will find it hard going until you have more hands on experience under your belt. Do you like a challenge??
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Went back into electrics after a 15year break, the apprenticeship made getting into a job much easier as I had the experience even if awhile ago. Been working as a service engineer for 13 years now fixing auto doors so electrical fault finding is a key skill for me which was learned when I was in the factory as an apprentice.
Maybe you could go self employed rather than employed but you will find it hard going until you have more hands on experience under your belt. Do you like a challenge??
Good luck with whatever you decide.
TVR Tommy said:
TVR Tommy - Thanks for your response Tommy, I seem to be a bit like a sponge when it comes to learning new things and Maths was my strongest subject at school and with me working with data am good with numbers etc. I wish I had of saw this coming so I could have studied part time like yourself. Did you have previous experience in maintenance tech to being successful in getting the job? Is Level 2 tough if you haven't really worked with electricity before?
A lot of the electrical science is remembering formulas. transposing formula. Remembering your Systeme international d'unites. None of it very logical so needs learning and is easy to go wrong. If you where good at maths at school you should be fine and it'll all come flooding back to you. I got the job a little bit by luck by having an inside contact at the company. As if they've read my IT bias CV and probably not been interested. Up to that I was self educated from working on car electrics and could do board level repairs on IT equipment. If something is logical I pick it up fairly quickly and can work with my hands. Be ready to take a pay cut. I've had swallow a 30% reduction but have the means to weather that. I hope to combine my IT side with the electrical side once qualified to give me some scope.
Good luck to you. Anyone can achieve anything with some hard work and determination.
Edited by TVR Tommy on Wednesday 29th January 16:26
Mate, I don’t know if you have ever thought about it......but I have a lad who has just done his NVQ level 3 in Refrigeration and Air conditioning. Along with his basic electrical papers.
He’s 20 now and I’ve had him with me from when he left school 3 1/2 years now. He’s now on £10 per hour going up to £12.50 next year when’s he’s 21. As an hard worker and keen learner you can earn anything from £30-65k easily a year working for a company in this job.
Very specialised as nobody knows what you do and if you think about it everything is either refrigerated or Air conditioned 👍👍
Just another option ?
Would he be any good after a quick 3 month NVQ course ??? Not a chance, you need time served knowledge
He’s 20 now and I’ve had him with me from when he left school 3 1/2 years now. He’s now on £10 per hour going up to £12.50 next year when’s he’s 21. As an hard worker and keen learner you can earn anything from £30-65k easily a year working for a company in this job.
Very specialised as nobody knows what you do and if you think about it everything is either refrigerated or Air conditioned 👍👍
Just another option ?
Would he be any good after a quick 3 month NVQ course ??? Not a chance, you need time served knowledge
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