Qualifications Needed

Gone midnight again but achieved a lot. A search of a jobs database for electrician jobs showed that most ask for two main qualifications:

1. 2382 (17th edition) - I think this replaces the 2381, which is based in a 16th edition of some kind of wiring rules or something. It isn't exactly clear what the pre-requisites are for this course. On the one hand it says anyone can take this and on the other is says centers will be penalised for entering people who do not have the old 2381 or some other qualification. I am going to have to look closer at this. There seems to be two versions also, the 2382-10 (or 100) and the 2382-20 (200). Not sure what that is about yet.

2. 2391 - Inspection and testing. This one seems understandable and clear and is a progression from the one above.

3. Solar, CSCS and NICIEC qualifications - No idea what these are but they seem suitable for renewable electrical work, something I am interested in given the reduction in world oil.

City & Guilds UK have all the info about the courses above. They also run an online system to help students called SmartScreen (smartscreen.co.uk) which have these courses, reasonably priced also. These courses are going to come under some new scheme called QCF, which seems to be a standardisation for loads of qualifications. It might be possible to do an online exam perhaps, although I think this would be at a Center. The next question is, what does it take to become a center as my nearest one is in Singapore. I did a search and found I do have some down the road from my parents house in the UK.

I need to:
1. Check to see if I am supposed to do a qualification before the 2382
2. Figure out what the two variations are i.e. 2382-10 and 2382-20
3. See what it takes/costs to set up a centre, maybe offering qualifications (ICT) at school. Since I have set up a couple of ICDL test centers before I don't think this would be too bad - apart from a) Selling the idea to the school and b) The cost to the school
4. Sorting out the resources for learning 2382
5. See what resources I can get off the Internet for free

Also, I've remembered that I have an aunt who's dad installed alarms and designed them. He may be a good contact in the UK for help and resources.

Not a bad nights works. Loads downloaded to read tomorrow.