ECS card and me being thick!

[Big n Daft]

Luke............feel the FARCE

 

[brucelee]

or are they X - men lol and some kind of mutants think the C&G are from the same planet lol

 

[VoltzElectrical]

no nvq 3 = no gold card, only trainee, and before anybody hijacks this thread with a million heard before comments. This is fact, and i don't make the rules and i'm not interested in your opinion.

 

[sparky1502]

voz u bitch u are intrested admit it
:59:

 

[Electricalserv]

The JIB want NVQ3 or a letter from god. If you want to work for a JIB company get the NVQ3. Otherwise there will be people looking down at you on site even though you could well be more experienced and a better spark than those walking round with a gold card in their pocket.

Thats how it goes with the JIB. Rightly or wrongly if you go into that world you play by their rules or stay well away. They do good for people who did proper apprentiships. But they don't look after people who took other routes.

Mattmoo. Maybe you are not being proactive enough in your search for work. You should be marketing your company left, right & centre. Have you put an add in the local paper? Have you had your car/van sign written. Have you sent letters to builders, Kitchen suppliers etc etc.


Some weeks are slow self employed but others are very busy for me. Last week I made enough to pay my bills and live well for a month alone.


What you put in is what you get out...also with a little luck involved.


If people don't know what you do and don't see you company telephone number your phone won't ring!

 

[mattmoo1974]

Here's my list Serv.
Iv rung every builder/kitchen fitter/plasterer any one i know in the building trade.
Iv Posted ads in my local Parish magazine(£10 a year) and a few other's withing a 20 mile radius.
Iv put my Business card in every chippy/kebab shop/chinese/curry house withing 10 miles at least(this option is making me fat)
Iv posted 500 flyers in area's where i think i mite hit.
The local rag which covers a massive area in fairness for the money.
2 Cars both have car maganet's with my number/business tatto'd all over.(I ll get a van when i can afford one)
I tell any 1 who will and wont listen.
My misses is a carer and covers about 30 mile radius of us and shameless tells every 1 she meets.
Iv personnally been into every estate/letting agent local to me.
My misses wrote a very well worded letter waffling on about using local people etc etc and iv posted to this to all the local businesses that i think would you my services.(30 so far)
Iv been into about 20 caravan/camp sites that are small enough not to have there own spark.
Iv registered with the local Housing association(They have outside labour for there PIR's)
As you ve mentioned yourself Elecserv most builders have got there spark they use, Unless they do somat very bad there never going to swap.
Im not out to steal anybodys work just get my name about, Its not worked to date so its to the dreaded agency i go.
And now i hit this ECS card wall.
I realise the Pro's and Con's of a JIB for us all, Its the fact that most agencys just blanket put must have JIB for a PAT testing job etc etc

 

[malcolmsanford]

Matt I just renewed my JIB card in May but I won't tell you what it cost me as I had to fast track it. The actual grading is free the cost of the ECS exam is 35 pounds and the card is 15 pounds, which in all hoesty is not that bad. It's the day off work ,travel to a centre that mounts up.

What I did find amazing is that the JIB card is valid for 3 years in my case May 2014 but the ECS part is May 2013. I only notice this when I scanned the cert and card into my computer, and have emailed the JIB to ask why.

 

[mattmoo1974]

Its was hard enough to work out what grade ll get let. Had to ring them in the end, And there very very cagey and just basicly say "fill in the form and send a cheque" and we ll grade you.
So i pay them £36 they ll send me a date for thetest and tehn once iv done that i pay JIB for another card?
Im a bit confused Malc cos the ECS card has a JIB grade on the front?

 

[malcolmsanford]

My JIB card on the top as the ECS logo and the JIB logo underneath, and the holgrams of of the CSCS and the ECS with my picture and grading.

 

[mattmoo1974]

Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) card That picture confuses me lol