Big genaralisation there PD..
Lots of diferent scenarios in the 5/7ww..
I agree that there are a lot of kids moving through the 5/7 week schemes who arent up to scratch at all. They've had no practical experience and are nursed through the Part P exams with 100% pass rate guarantees. I can't imagine these kids last long on their own. Don't see them shelling out for a CPS scheme and taking on any but the most basic work with any success. But most of those kids are planning to go out as mates anyway which is about the closest thing to an apprenticeship theyre going to be able to get these days.
Then there were the 'I know everything' sparks on 1 dayers boning up on 17th edition for their CPS. Their regs knowledge and some of their procedures were rusty (doing IR's before continuity tests for instance). Funny how they would argue that 'the regs are wrong' and 'thats's not what NIC say'...
Then there are the 50+ 'change off career' people. Worked in diferent aspects of the building trade or some technical industry, have technical knowledge, can chase a wall blah de blah who need to get up to scratch with the regs.
My take on all this is if you want to setup and run a domestic installation business you need to know a lot more than how to fill out an EIC etc.. Apprenticeships, 5/7ww's, work experience are not enough.
Pricing, admin, tax, promotion, website, handling clients, dealing with conflicts and miss-understanding and and and...
I've invested around £10K (not including my transport etc) so far in setting up my business. I'm still underestimating how long things take (I'm no slouch on the tools thou') but I will not cut corners or sign-off sub standard work which is endemic in this industry.
I think Part P is a good thing given the standards of workmanship and dangerous practice out there. So far I havnt managed to do a job where I havent found something that's outright lethal (like live cables just cut off and left in ceiling voids (and it was looped off a ring main, *stards)). But it's toothless because it isnt enforced to any real degree.
Resources like this excelent forum are really useful for raising standards. The cowboy, (just break the seals) attitudes are always challenged and people have put real effort into explaining things properly (like adiabatic equations, sheesh!).
Cheers
s