vasquez

Hi.
I am starting a 2330 course at my local college which will last 3 years, my career aim is to become a qualified electrician.

But, scouring through these forums, it does actually seem very hard to find an apprenticeship... also i am aged 23.

For the past 5 months since i have got back from travelling i have phoned up companies, posted my CV and i have not heard anything back.
I have reiterated that i am extremely focused and hard working and do have experience in the field after working for a company in Australia.

The advice is need is...

Why is it so difficult to find work in the UK? Especcially as an apprentice?

Does my age (23) play a massive factor into finding an apprenticeship?

At the age of 23, will things be extremely hard going to college at that age, finding work within the next 2 years and settling down in the proffesion?

Will it get easier to find work as i get further into my course at college?

Thanks in advance

wayne

at 23 apprenticship will be near impossible ,time for doing it on your own

vasquez

I think i knew deep down it will be difficult and finding an apprenticeship will be hard.
I'll have to just bite the bullet and expect the next 3 years to be very hard, but it'll be worth it, i hope.

Also... how will i find work, if no employer wont take on an inexperienced electrician with near no experience on tools (i've had 4 months) even if i have finished my qualifications after 2-3 years?

How will i complete the NVQ practical part of my qualification if no-one can offer work?

Im baffled.

lukese

do as a mate mate. i doubt you will get an aprentiship as such. apply to all your local agencies as a mate. and take any work you can get, before i got my apprentichip i sent out over 150 letter to varios sized companies in London, i got one call back and you know what the guy siad?

he said you forgot to put a stamp on the letter i fought it was something important and dragged myself down the post office for nothing haha.

he did offer me a job though, i refused as i had allready found work, i offered to refund the postage cost.

you just gotta keep trying mate there is work out there you just gotta hunt it out.

wattsup

I have to be blunt, no chance whatsoever of getting an apprenticeship at 23. I get cv's from loads. A minor downfall of having a website, I would love to take loads on, if work I had permitted, but even if I had tons of stuff I still would not employ, legislation does not encourage, except for the major huge companies.

But there are options, join the forces 'engineers corps' you will get a good grounding, you will get a job when you come out (assuming you qualify, electrical engineer)

Or work as a mate with a major contractor, and do home study courses...expensive i know but it can be spread out over several years.

When I was at it in the old days, real apprentice...making tea taking scaffold down, going to bank for gaffers, going to day release at college etc. Mates would be 'made up' to electricians through the JIB if there was a shortfall of electricians for a particular job. I think you had to work for the company at least 2-years before they would consider making you an electrician. It was corrupt beyond belief, anyone could be a spark even if much less than 2-years depending if the 'gaffer liked you' or desperate for electricians.

It was much disliked by many real sparks, and derogatory names came up...he's only a made up spark etc..

Some were ok, but many could not wire a christmas tree without instruction.

It seems to me the days are coming back, this guy has no clue how to terminate a 19 core micc, or 240mm 4 core swa, but he can test it and he can learn how to test it in 4-weeks...

Ps I resent being made to pay £500/1000 to enable me to be told, do not install 230v heater/light/fan etc near or adjacent to a bath tub. I do not care for the earth impedance, the z1 = blahh

if the rcd does not trip on test, then there is something wrong. And a warning issued do not use, similar to gas appliances, if serious cut off the circuit.

Anyone can go to wickes, buy a shower buy the cable and hook it up...there is no point in the current regs, it will not stop cowboys.

It is absolute bull**** and a moneymaking racket to sway the easily led.

All they needed to do was say, all installations should now be protected by rcd's, which would include alterations, additions and new build, in certain areas.
A)bath shower room
b)outbuildings
c)kitchens (except 1-2 stand alone circuits for fridge/freezer only)

Any exceptions would need explaining in full as to why not protected. Any installation not complying with the latest wiring regs, your insurance may be null and void.

A qualified electrician to 16th, or 17th edition only should be employed for electrical work...(maybe in a few years the 16th could be dropped and 17th or 18th instead)

Test results will be challenged in court one day, similar to mot for cars..it was ok when i left, I could understand the principal more if self certification were not allowed.
It does not make sense, it is a normal government shambolic red taped bungle.

vasquez

Okay, i think i'm even more confused now.

Suppose i'll just have to try complete my qualifications and literally hope a mate job pop up over the next few years so i can complete my NVQ lol

Victorcrane

Hey there, I am you from the future!

I'm 29 and have just completed level 2 C&G 2330. I passed with distinction in all but one exam, which was a credit, (my practical as I took my time and made a superb job of it, you have to finish in under 2 hours for distinction and I came out at 2 hours 20 minutes)....

I'm moving on to the level three course which is day release, so am now looking for work. No hope whatsoever of an apprenticeship, forget it. Chelmsford electrical don't even consider anyone over the age of 19!

I have nine months site experience and excellent references, I have proven my aptitude and reliability and guess what? Nobody and I mean NOBODY will give me a job. The sickener in this is that half the lads on my course have already secured apprenticeships because they are all 16 or 17 years old. Most of them barely scraped through the course, they roll in late, talk all the way through the lessons, and their theoretical and practical abilities are limited at best... but they got a job!

In desperation I've registered with various companies as a mate, I've even posted on here asking for work but no replies so far....

Best of luck to you friend, it really makes you wonder about all those tv adverts saying things like "35 and no career yet? Be an electrician! It's easy and you'll be a millionaire in seven minutes!!!"

Yeah right. I'm starting to wonder if I just wasted £1000 and a year of my life on this....

Victor.

London Luke

Wattsup

your right....90% of the rules and regs are crap. Its like saying guns are illegal but you can buy what the hell you want....but you need to attend a 4 week course before you can kill someone !

wattsup

Well it creates work for councillors - I didn't like the colour changes either, some prick in an office said we need to be like germany and use their colour coding, then every one in europe is de same..No problem for new guys not much probs for domestic stuff either. But 3-phase stuff can make your head ache, in dis boards, ryb in, some ryb out, then some brwn blk grey out.

Then at the control side, back to ryb, or sometimes visa versa. So then the blue and black becomes prone to mistakes. Wtf did they do it for? Make it easier to import labour?

The young uns won't realise the fuss..I don't know any electricans over 30 thought it was a good idea, but then what do we know?

Some tosspot thought it was, me I'd have said oh no, you people have to adopt our colour code...talk about straight bananas - Oh, in china green is a phase colour can't see why we don't adapt that method soon.

Oops sorry vas, I'm a major script writer for grumpy old men. The goverment made me this way. Good luck anyhow

linzilou72

Hi Vasquez,
hang on in there, I finally got a job after sending out over 50 cv's and ringing constantly all of the mid range and large companies to take on young people cos they don't have to pay them as much. Eventually I managed to find a one man band and practically begged him to give me a job. I had to work two years on £35 a day
But while t six months on all the apprentices on my course were still sweeping up and spending all day erecting metal conduit, I was hands on doing everything but the CU's.

It's tough but I got loads of excellent domestic, commercial and a couple of industrial experience. ( wanted to try and break into commercial and currently hitting same prob no experience = no job)

I now work for myself and the others on my course are still struggling to understand basic fault finding cos they haven't got practical experience.

Best advice i can give you is find an old boy who has loads of experience and beg him for job until he gives in.

Good luck