The New Plan
This is not much different from the original plan I would expect, but with a few years to think about it, it would be something like this:
- Identify the qualifications required to be a "qualified electrician"
- Examine the job adverts
- Find universities and collages that offer this qualifications
- Identify and obtain the course guides, syllabus, programmes of study to find out what needs to be learned
- Public universities, colleges
- Tuition companies
- Find a full and detailed course that covers the content for the examinations.
- The aim is to do this for nothing
Getting hold of the course, exam, requirements should be pretty easy since this must all relate to government requirements and so these would be specified somewhere, some kind of professional association and awarding body. Getting hold of good, detailed and complete learning resources may prove to be harder, especially when I want them for nothing. The good thing about this is that many teachers and lecturers will make their notes and resources publicly available to their students. Actually, a good starting point might be the University I am part of, namely Bath, from the MA I have been doing. Maybe I can get something for free from them.
The reason I am doing this is three-fold. 1) I want to learn in order to be able to install solar panels safely and reliably. 2) A piece of paper tends to comfort people 3) I like to learn new things and it might open up future lines of employment.
I will probably run the solar panel learning and experimenting in parallel to the electrician study and work.
Resource Link
Working notes and resources that I collect will be stored in the Google Drive folder called Sparks
What is a qualified electrician?
Careers advice on becoming an electrician - The article states it takes 3 years part-time and there is a requirement for practical skills and experience to get a job. I am not too concerned about the practical experience, although it would be useful as my intention is to work independently, starting small.
"to be taken seriously you must be on a City & Guilds course."
"You should be aiming – eventually – for an Electrotechnical Certification Scheme competence card, a “pass” which allows you to work at any industrial or domestic site."
Check the sector’s skills council, Summit Skills, to make sure you’re on the right course at www.summitskills.org.uk.
Awarding Organisations such as BPEC, City & Guilds and EAL
UK Electrician Qualifications Explained - This looks good
if you wish to become an electrician and operates only in domestic properties then you will only need to qualify as a domestic installer or domestic electrician.
AN APPRENTICESHIP - If you happen to be under 25 - That's out for obvious reasons plus I work full time.
over the age of 25 and haven’t got 2 to 4 years to learn a new trade then you would be well advised to take a level II and level III diploma course at a local training centre. - OK, apart from I want to home study. 6 to 30 weeks! Nothing.
THE DOMESTIC ELECTRICIAN QUALIFICATION
From 2014 a new pathway has opened for people wanting to enter the electrician industry, allowing you to train as a domestic electrician able to start work on people’s homes once you have successfully completed the training. This is great, as this is as far as most people would want to go and it would allow them to start earning an income without faffing about on pointless courses that they would never need. It also gives you flexibility in the future, because if you would ever want to progress further in your knowledge this qualification would enable you to only do the courses that you need to do, and not re-do level I and II again.
NVQ is not a training course it is a qualification based on practical assessment. After completing technical courses that teach you the theory of electrical skills, you will be moved onto the practical assessments in a workplace environment. This is a problem, where and when and how would I be able to demonstrate and undertake the practical assessments. I'm guessing most colleges aren't going to just let me rock up to demo some wiring skills, plus since I would not have learned with them I would not be able to perform tasks in their preferred manner. Maybe there are ways around this.
I will need to do the NATIONAL VOCATIONAL Qualifications
you will need to do the NVQ assessments. Each assessment will build up a portfolio of work that is called evidence, for example install a phase 3 board or a metal conduit. Photos will be taken of your work and added to your portfolio Perhaps I could build up my own personal portfolio for submission. Sort of register myself as an independent candidate via a collage or university.
Once you’ve completed your portfolio you will move on to something called “achievement measure number two” (AM2). This will be your final assessment where you will need to complete tasks that the assessor gives you, this will take place in an assessment centre with exam like conditions.
WHAT THINGS WILL LEARN ON A DOMESTIC INSTALLER COURSE?
The skills you will learn on a domestic installer course will fully prepare you for all kinds of electrical installations you may find in a domestic dwelling.
You will be trained to work safely and competently on all kinds of projects including rewiring, new sockets, light fittings and extensions. Under current government regulations anyone who does this kind of work must prove their competent to do so, this is called the part P scheme.
