Thread: TradeSkills4U Feedback

Since two other posts give a detailed - and in my opinion, accurate - summary of the training TradeSkills4U delivers, I won't go into great detail. Basically the training centre gives highly focused courses that aim to get you to pass the exams. I travelled 130 miles to do the training because they offered good value, made it very clear what they were delivering (a domestic installer is not a fully qualified electrician of course) in the training, and gave real practical tuition, whilst other centres wanted up to £6000 just to get you to qualify as a domestic installer, whilst appearing to tell you that would give you a full electrical qualification.

All the Tradeskills instructors (3 of them) on my 4 courses (4 day foundation, Part P, 17th edition (2382), and Practical inspect and test of initial installations (the new 2392 course)) were extremely knowledgeable, practical, and excellent teachers. But, if you have little background in electrical installations, you will need to do a lot of hard studying to pass all the courses first time (and yes, I worked very hard and passed all first time). One of my fellow students even went home and created his own "test" board to practice on. I took the course having spent 30 years doing amateur work on vehicle, domestic and computer electrics. Now as a property renovator and developer I wanted the qualifications and training to improve my own work.

Overall I think it was a valuable investment of the £2090 I spent on the courses. As for the coffee - there is an excellent tea stall across the road...

Hi all

Second post just to break my duck ;-)

I can understand your scepticism about good posts on the course providers. I still stand by what I said and here is an update on life post TradeSkills4U:

As I mentioned before I am primarily an IT person and I still do that 5 days a week. I am however running adverts in the Oracle (local free rag) for electrical work. Heck, I can even be found on yell.com for my sins. No work from that ad yet either for those interested. Looking like a couple of hundred smacker wasted.

So far I have been quite busy with mainly small stuff and one quite exciting short circuit (DIY bodge). I am not taking on rewires or anything like that. Small modifications and changes that can be done over a weekend or in an evening are my target and things are ok.

So, nothing to add re the training company and I am happy and confident in the work I am undertaking. I do have a very healthy respect for strange wires though and test everything with my mains tester at least three times before touching it.

Registering with one of the happy clubs is next as some of the jobs I am getting asked about need notifying. At 250 quid each time it is a no brainer really (haven’t done one yet for this reason). Best example so far is a surface mounted new spur from CU to a double socket. Must be nearly 18 inches long but at the end of the day still a new circuit so needs notifying - bummer.

I did read this and other forums extensively before booking my courses and still felt I was going in a bit blind. I had not posted previously as I simply had nothing of value to say about anything at the time.

Anyway, I hope this allays some fears and helps others trying to select a training provider. Don't forget though, you don't really start to learn until after you finish the course. They really are an exam passing exercise.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Shakey

but if you felt that these courses were purely about passing exams, then something has gone wrong

my students, are expected to learn what they need to know to work safely and competenetly 'outside', the exam is secondary to that

of course, they may get more experienced, but that it is a different thing to not starting to learn till after you have finished the course

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I learnt the most in the foundation course where basic circuits and safety were covered. There was a significant section on testing too which was fantastic. This was essentially an optional course and I chose this one as I knew my testing knowledge was non existent.

The Part P course was an informative exam cram. You could absorb it and remember it or simply repeat it parrot style. You got from it what you put in. Again it was good to do the testing bit under tougher assessed conditions.

The regs course really was a cram. I remember a lot of what was said but I do that as part of my day job and not everyone is good at that anyway. I learnt my way round the regs manual which was the best outcome. I guess in a way the pressure at the time was on the exams but we all learnt quite a lot on route whether we realised it or not. The talk between the students in the Part P and regs courses was really exam based. There is no doubt we could have learnt more and become more proficient given more time but time is really limited.

I was happy the courses did their bit, some others on the course I did may not have quite the same opinion. So, did it prepare me for the outside world? Well, yes but I have to say that my previous experience here helped a lot.

As for my comment 'not starting to learn till after you have finished the course'. I did not expect anyone to take that quite literally To cite an example of what I meant (I hope) - many years ago I took an ACU motorbike course prior to starting to ride on the road. I passed the course with flying colours but didn't really start to learn how to survive on the road until after the course. It wasn't that the course didn't teach me exactly what it set out to, it was just that there was so much more that is gained from experience including the swerve balls fired at us by others.

Enough of my babbling

Originally Posted by IanB

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I learnt the most in the foundation course where basic circuits and safety were covered. There was a significant section on testing too which was fantastic. This was essentially an optional course and I chose this one as I knew my testing knowledge was non existent.

The Part P course was an informative exam cram. You could absorb it and remember it or simply repeat it parrot style. You got from it what you put in. Again it was good to do the testing bit under tougher assessed conditions.

The regs course really was a cram. I remember a lot of what was said but I do that as part of my day job and not everyone is good at that anyway. I learnt my way round the regs manual which was the best outcome. I guess in a way the pressure at the time was on the exams but we all learnt quite a lot on route whether we realised it or not. The talk between the students in the Part P and regs courses was really exam based. There is no doubt we could have learnt more and become more proficient given more time but time is really limited.

I was happy the courses did their bit, some others on the course I did may not have quite the same opinion. So, did it prepare me for the outside world? Well, yes but I have to say that my previous experience here helped a lot.

As for my comment 'not starting to learn till after you have finished the course'. I did not expect anyone to take that quite literally To cite an example of what I meant (I hope) - many years ago I took an ACU motorbike course prior to starting to ride on the road. I passed the course with flying colours but didn't really start to learn how to survive on the road until after the course. It wasn't that the course didn't teach me exactly what it set out to, it was just that there was so much more that is gained from experience including the swerve balls fired at us by others.

Enough of my babbling

and that was my point, you may have become more experienced, but like i said, that it is a different thing

got to be honest, your comments about learning the part p 'parrot fashion' do not sit well with me

my EAL students (assuming this is the part P you are talking about) will spend probably 15 hrs on the meter on that part of the course, never mind the 2392 and 2391 they have to go through

they simply cant learn it parrot fashion, they HAVE to prove they fundamentally understand it

and like i said, i anot criticising this particular privider, it may just be your interpretation

i am simply comparing your experiences to what i KNOW my students have to go through/acheieve

Hello Shakey.

Re your previous comments on several posts concerning our EAL part P course. I'm assuming your probably a competitor of ours.

However for the information of any genuine person considering our centre for their training. I think it worth sharing with you our most recent EAL inpectors report.
He stated only 4 weeks ago, and has similarly done so consistently since we started running Part P. I quote "Tradeskills4u continues to perform well delivering excellent quality EAL qualifications, they take quality control very seriously"
Perhaps worth mentioning we were the first centre to prepare inexperienced people before the Part P course by introducing the foundation course, it not only includes lots of practical testing practice, it ensures people are prepared well for the Part P.

Your right Shakey when you say " you pays your money, you takes your choice"
'That's why we're the No.1 electrical training centre in the South East'. Not my words. EAL 's Dept Head .

Regards
Carl Bennett
Tradeskills4u

Hi guys
Attended 10 day course recently from trade skills and not got one bad point to say,
Very good and meet some great people to.
10 out of 10 to trade skills
Received 1 of 2 certificates today hooray!!!!!
Justin

Originally Posted by wisesparky

Hi guys
(Snip)
Received 1 of 2 certificates today hooray!!!!!
Justin

Sorry to steer this slighly off topic but, congratulations.
Good Luck getting your 2nd Cert~.

Hi, Been looking at the level 2 & 3 2330 course with these. Has anybody done this course with them? if so how was it? Would be grateful for any feedback on this as I have only found reviews on other courses by tradeskills4u i.e 17th edition part p etc.

Thanks

This sounds good.

I have been thinking about doing there domestic installer course, get a job in this field again (have some previous experiance) then once I have my hand in again look to do my c&g 2330 (but ill do at collague maybe, not a slate on ts4u, just a location thing for me)