Re: [OT] - Becoming a qualified electrician?

["Frank Mc Alinden" <fmcalind@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Ben
Some comments below

>But you don't want to do that for 2 many years, well I don't. But then
again
>I know some people who love it.

Well i would say they are early twenties...can you imagine crawling round
roof spaces in your forties  ...Done my fair share  of domestic electrics
/security installs   luckily my main work these days is Industrial Machine
wiring....
Here in Oz the Plumbing  and Electrical trades are licensed and all
electrical  jobs done have to have  a Safety Certificate submitted to the
Chief Electrical Inspectors office within 2 days of completion...Public
Liability Insurance costs approx $500.00 per year plus your contractors
licence another $150.00 per year ....plus sparkies licence (5 year)

>The regs laws etc are getting harder to keep you with, so most
qualified
you
>are the better. Most people asked you now unless you are just doing
bits in
>houses and even then I have had one or two people ask me.

You can have qualifications coming out of your rear end but not much good
if
you dont have experience.....Most good House wirers here (mainly young
guys)
can do a rough in (first fit) of a 3 bedroom bv house (bungalow) in 4 to 5
hours......Timber frames make it much easier.....

The trade is still a 4 year apprenticeship and when i did it  it was c+g
"A"
Certificate and approved from memory.....

Here there are quite a few fines for bodgie wiring  work and even though
some sparkies dont do the trade any justice...the  work that some Joe
Public
people do is shocking ...pardon the pun.....

>The salary will take a knock for a while but sparks in my area
(Guildford)
>are currently earning around £280/day

$670.00.....If they are earning that then i would say they must be sweating
blood ...most industrial sparks that i know here would get around $500.00
per day..

Frank


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ben Addison" <ben@xxxxxxx>
To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 7:17 AM
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] [OT] - Becoming a qualified electrician?


Neil,

Add some comments below.

Ben Addison
Electrical Contractor
Tel 01924 430767
Mob 07889 845712





Dean is quite right about experience counting for more than qualifications
if you want to be employed.

However, my understanding is that many are looking to be self employed and
do what is known in  the trade as "House Bashing".

But you don't want to do that for 2 many years, well I don't. But then
again
I know some people who love it.

My own route in to the business was a 5 year apprenticeship but these days,
apprenticeships are few and far between. Couple that with the lack of
"qualified" sparks and I know that there are a number of
fast-trak courses
available so it could be worth retraining.

Lets face it, "Electrician" is not a protected title so anyone
can call
themeselves an electrician (builders, plumbers and the like often do!)

The regs laws etc are getting harder to keep you with, so most qualified
you
are the better. Most people asked you now unless you are just doing bits in
houses and even then I have had one or two people ask me.

The main things you need to do are to put a job in safely and neatly but
quick enough to earn money.

So what's to stop anyone being an "Electrician"? Nothing really
but if you
do manage to burn someones house down or electrocute granny in the bath,
you
had better make sure your insurances are up to date.

You may even get your name on the telly and give the rest of us a bad name
:(

So, I'd suggest your route in to the trade is

1) Check with an insurance company for what they consider to be the minimum
acceptable "qualification" for an electrician.

Most ask 4 2 or more year in the trade, but never been asked for the number
of years qualified or proof.
2) Find a fast-trak course (the ones I have seen are 6 months full time +
night school)

I know of a 1 year full time course, Which will give you c&g 236 part
1.
With 3 year experience will make you a wireman. E.g installing 1 phase
cables to a drawing and house bashing.

3) Find a local sparks who will be willing to take on an improver for a
year
or so so that you can gain the necessary experience before going solo.

I have worked with a couple guy who are around 30 years old doing this, and
they have been very good.

The salary will take a knock for a while but sparks in my area (Guildford)
are currently earning around £280/day.

Looks like I need to work down ur way, up here I and only charging 1/2
that.




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