Becoming an Electrician

Freelanc3r · 3 May 2011 at 00:01

Not enjoying my A levels atm, considering taking a Electrical Installation apprenticeship/btec next year(september). Either that or a btec level 3 in engineering, but I fear the maths will be a bit too complex for me, considering I only got a C at GCSE, it isn't really my strong point. So electrical installation seems a better route, considering I'm not extremely academic.

What's it like becoming an electrician? Anyone on here a sparky who can give me some advice as to what route to take? Is it worth phoning some local electricians to try and get on as an apprentice? As there seems to be nothing when I search online, even the apprenticeship vacancy matching service is useless for Stoke-on-Trent.

Any insight is useful, as for now it's just an idea.

BDEE · 3 May 2011 at 00:37

I would imagine apprentiship would be a good way to do it - You should check with the local council to see if they have any placements they have set up. It would be very difficult to train and then just set up with no experience / reputation, which is where apprenticships really come into thier own for people going into trades.

Only thing is the world and his wife are retraining as Plumbers / Sparkies at the moment, so competition is increasing and this will inevitably drive down labour rates in the next few years as people fight for business.

mufc802 · 3 May 2011 at 02:35

If you just want to go to houses and be a general electrician do the Electrical Installation course; it's much more practical than the theoretical BTEC course which is more about design and theory side like creating circuits rather than just installing ready made circuits. I'm doing the BTEC and plan to go to university, but I would have preferred to do A-Levels instead of the BTEC if I could go back. You can do an apprenticeship along side either course I think.

You wouldn't have much of a problem with the maths on the BTEC, it's just assignments that are very straight forward and everything is explained in the lesson no exams or anything.

HypnoToad · 3 May 2011 at 03:41

mufc802, how long dies a electrical installation course last? i quite like the idea of being an electrician, and always thought youd have to spend years as an apprentice in order to become one

Makhaira · 3 May 2011 at 07:42

True engineering is a very academic area, so I'd avoid that if you're not in to academia. Apprenticeships are a great and (in my opinion) seriously underestimated way into a career.

I'm no sparky, but as a general piece of advice, you could do worse than ringing a few electricians and speaking to them - some may be grateful of low paid help while you learn the ropes. I'd sort out a decent CV first though, and if your local college has evening classes, maybe attend a few so you have a basic grounding before you step out.

Best of luck matey!

MeEsH BaKkA · 3 May 2011 at 10:09

Get a city and guilds electrical instalation qualification (c&g 2330 is current I believe) then do c&g 2391 inspect and test over all probably around 3.5 years to do whilst in apprenticeship.

I am 23 an am a sparks on £40-45k a year plus bits on the side, Im not academic at all and found the courses fine, the 3rd year of installations can be a bit math heavy with some of the cable calcs etc... But is by no means hard, 2391 can be tricky though

Oh one last thing, as an apprentice your main skills need to be tea making, heavy lifting, fitting in small spaces, taking abuse and paying attention

Freelanc3r · 3 May 2011 at 10:39

MeEsH BaKkA said:
Get a city and guilds electrical instalation qualification (c&g 2330 is current I believe) then do c&g 2391 inspect and test over all probably around 3.5 years to do whilst in apprenticeship.

I am 23 an am a sparks on £40-45k a year plus bits on the side, Im not academic at all and found the courses fine, the 3rd year of installations can be a bit math heavy with some of the cable calcs etc... But is by no means hard, 2391 can be tricky though

Oh one last thing, as an apprentice your main skills need to be tea making, heavy lifting, fitting in small spaces, taking abuse and paying attention

Haha thanks for the advice!
Going to enquire about an Electrical Installation course, and ring a few local sparkys after I've got a relevant CV/Cover letter prepared. As I think with the electrical installation course you need employment in the industry

MeEsH BaKkA · 3 May 2011 at 10:50

It's best to ring round lots and send CVs everywhere, you will get knocked back or get no reply from some but keep at it and you will get a job.

On a serious note though do expect to do all the **** work that no one else wants to do but stick through it and one day you will have your very own apprentice to carry your tools, send under floorboards and send to the wholesaler for a glass hammer.

Rich1988 · 3 May 2011 at 10:56

finish your A levels would be my advice, not very useful I know but especially if your not going to uni its pretty much a last chance to doss about, you might not think you are enjoying it but boy is it easier than the real world

MeEsH BaKkA · 3 May 2011 at 11:00

HypnoToad said:
mufc802, how long dies a electrical installation course last? i quite like the idea of being an electrician, and always thought youd have to spend years as an apprentice in order to become one

Around 3.5 years of courses to be an electrician but... Many more years after that untill you are any good/know enough to do most things I.e you come out of college as an 'electrician' and I send you to install a smart lighting system like lutron it's not going to end well. Another example I send you to first fix a newbuild flat I can guarantee that you will either do something wrong (2way lighting) or take forever to decide where and how to do your runs.

I have been doing it since I left school and whilst I feel confident I can do most things I defiantly don't know everything, you learn something new on every job.

Freelanc3r · 3 May 2011 at 11:01

Rich1988 said:
finish your A levels would be my advice, not very useful I know but especially if your not going to uni its pretty much a last chance to doss about, you might not think you are enjoying it but boy is it easier than the real world

However sad this is it's so true

DJ_Hughesy · 3 May 2011 at 11:05

Makhaira said:
True engineering is a very academic area, so I'd avoid that if you're not in to academia. Apprenticeships are a great and (in my opinion) seriously underestimated way into a career.

I'm no sparky, but as a general piece of advice, you could do worse than ringing a few electricians and speaking to them - some may be grateful of low paid help while you learn the ropes. I'd sort out a decent CV first though, and if your local college has evening classes, maybe attend a few so you have a basic grounding before you step out.

Best of luck matey!

get a cscs card n work as a leck's labourer for a while if you can

i used to be a plumbers apprentice (till jobs stopped comin) but did odd jobs as a labourer when i couldnt do plumbin crap for others on site, lecky/bricky/plaster'r n sush.. learnt quiet a bit just from doing labourers tasks

MeEsH BaKkA · 3 May 2011 at 11:09

Rich1988 said:
finish your A levels would be my advice, not very useful I know but especially if your not going to uni its pretty much a last chance to doss about, you might not think you are enjoying it but boy is it easier than the real world

Whilst I agree slightly about dossing about time and being easier than the real world, I have to say probably bad advice.

I went from leaving school straight into an apprenticeship and work and have had a permanent job since 16. As I said earlier I earn good money and have no student loan to pay etc... If I 'dossed' I can be certain I would be living at home still driving a turd of a car and wishing about nice holidays...
My life is defiantly easier than most of my mates now.

Djhughsey: good call on the cscs and labouring

Rich1988 · 3 May 2011 at 12:03

I came out with pretty bad A level results and never really had too much of a problem finding a job, I earn a fairly good wage for my age and dont have any debts etc, I think going to uni for the sake of it is a bit of a waste of time but staying on at school for 2 more years is worth it.

Being a sixth former is much better than school ever really was, you can drink for one, you get a decent amount of a free time and you still have lots of contact with mates your own age, some of my best mates now I met through sixth form

MeEsH BaKkA · 3 May 2011 at 13:14

Whilst what you are saying is true about free time etc... It's more wise to make use of free education while you can

Narj · 3 May 2011 at 13:21

I wish I'd taken up a trade now I look back at at it. Would have been easy to piggy back this on to the BTEC I'd already done in Electrical & Electronic engineering. Also, come the zombie apocalypse, a trade will be more handy than any IT qualification!

Having a trade = massive scope for cash PJs. Kerching!

Still, mustn't grumble.

DJ_Hughesy · 3 May 2011 at 13:23

MeEsH BaKkA said:
Whilst I agree slightly about dossing about time and being easier than the real world, I have to say probably bad advice.

I went from leaving school straight into an apprenticeship and work and have had a permanent job since 16. As I said earlier I earn good money and have no student loan to pay etc... If I 'dossed' I can be certain I would be living at home still driving a turd of a car and wishing about nice holidays...
My life is defiantly easier than most of my mates now.

Djhughsey: good call on the cscs and labouring

thanks, yea i learned its best to tart at the bottom of something n try it out... if you dont like doin the dirty/boring work then you wont enjoy the propper job so.. been a labourer is a good start

Sinny · 3 May 2011 at 13:28

C&G Level 3 is being scrapped for a newer equivalent that requires an apprenteship, after doing 3 years and hopefully qualifying my level 3 soon I can safely say if you are rubbish at maths don't attempt it.

But if you're ok, you can do Transpositions, Trigonometry etc (basically a bit more advanced than GCSE) then you'll be fine.

I got C in GCSE Maths and and found it difficult, but if you put the effort in it's not too hard.

If you really want this as a career path I'd definitely try and find an apprenteship.

Freelanc3r · 3 May 2011 at 15:53

Sinny said:
C&G Level 3 is being scrapped for a newer equivalent that requires an apprenteship, after doing 3 years and hopefully qualifying my level 3 soon I can safely say if you are rubbish at maths don't attempt it.

But if you're ok, you can do Transpositions, Trigonometry etc (basically a bit more advanced than GCSE) then you'll be fine.

I got C in GCSE Maths and and found it difficult, but if you put the effort in it's not too hard.

If you really want this as a career path I'd definitely try and find an apprenteship.

Is this regarding engineering? Or electrical installation?

Freelanc3r · 5 May 2011 at 16:34

Spoke to the Head of Engineering at college today. He basically said that I can still becoming an electrician if I complete the L3 Engineering btec...

He said that engineer students know enough to become an electrician, but electrician's don't know enough to become engineers

Maths shouldn't be a problem. Starts from the very basics, and I have the relevant entry requirements so as long as I keep on top of assignments etc, should be good.

Hopefully this will be a step in the right direction for me! I've never been good at exams