Is a course worth it?

[aaronleflay]

Good afternoon all.

I am 28 years old and I'm looking to retrain as an Electrician.

I will hopefully be starting a course with ableskills.co.uk at their training center in Dartford in Sept.

I would really appreciate some independent advice about starting a career as an Electrician by using a course like the one I'm doing from ableskills.co.uk.

The course I want to attend is called the "JIB Gold Card Approved Electrician" package. It's full time Mon-Fri for 4 months. Most of the package is made up of different City&Guilds courses and aims to teach me to "be an Electrician, a Domestic Installer, how to test portable appliances and how to inspect and test on both single and three phase supplies". I will also achieve "a level 3 NVQ and AM2"

I can find plenty of shining reviews online about the course and the instructors. Which is great, but i can't seem to find out whether the qualifications gained on the course actually mean anything in the real world.
After spending 4 months and £8k training, am I going to be laughed at when I apply for work?

I did horribly at school when i was younger. Not because I'm stupid, but because I was too immature to realise that a good job will mostly require me to be learned in some way or another. I dropped out before my GCSE's and have spent my life convinced that I won't amount to anything because of my lack of qualifications. I don't want to waste my money. I want to better myself and learn something worthwhile that I can build a career out of.

Any advice on ableskills.co.uk or any similar course and whether or not it's worth it in the real world would be amazing.

Would you take on someone who has just been on this course?

Many thanks in advance.

The course is detailed here https://www.ableskills.co.uk/electrical-courses/jib-gold-card-electrical-training-course/

 

[Guest77]

Good afternoon all.

I am 28 years old and I'm looking to retrain as an Electrician.

I will hopefully be starting a course with ableskills.co.uk at their training center in Dartford in Sept.

I would really appreciate some independent advice about starting a career as an Electrician by using a course like the one I'm doing from ableskills.co.uk.

The course I want to attend is called the "JIB Gold Card Approved Electrician" package. It's full time Mon-Fri for 4 months. Most of the package is made up of different City&Guilds courses and aims to teach me to "be an Electrician, a Domestic Installer, how to test portable appliances and how to inspect and test on both single and three phase supplies". I will also achieve "a level 3 NVQ and AM2"

I can find plenty of shining reviews online about the course and the instructors. Which is great, but i can't seem to find out whether the qualifications gained on the course actually mean anything in the real world.
After spending 4 months and £8k training, am I going to be laughed at when I apply for work?

I did horribly at school when i was younger. Not because I'm stupid, but because I was too immature to realise that a good job will mostly require me to be learned in some way or another. I dropped out before my GCSE's and have spent my life convinced that I won't amount to anything because of my lack of qualifications. I don't want to waste my money. I want to better myself and learn something worthwhile that I can build a career out of.

Any advice on ableskills.co.uk or any similar course and whether or not it's worth it in the real world would be amazing.

Would you take on someone who has just been on this course?

Many thanks in advance.

The course is detailed here https://www.ableskills.co.uk/electrical-courses/jib-gold-card-electrical-training-course/

Yes you will, it took me 7 years in total before I became an approved electrician, 4 months is shear madness, others will be along later I am sure, but don't expect any glowing reviews of that course.

 

[Phil L]

If I was you I would think very carefully about spending that sort of cash on a quick fix course

 

[GMES]

Please don't go and blow that kind of money on a course of that nature, get yourself enrolled on a proper college course and in the meantime either keep doing whatever you're doing now or start applying for either labouring/ improver/mates work, It is impossible to become an electrician in 4 months.

EDIT use the 8k to bump up your wages if you get a job labouring for an Electrician.

 

[aaronleflay]

Please don't go and blow that kind of money on a course of that nature, get yourself enrolled on a proper college course and in the meantime either keep doing whatever you're doing now or start applying for either labouring/ improver/mates work, It is impossible to become an electrician in 4 months.

EDIT use the 8k to bump up your wages if you get a job labouring for an Electrician.

Thank you all very much. I should honestly of known better really. Things that seem to good to be true always are.

Best suggestion then would be to find an apprenticeship?

Does being 28 affect things? Will I be taken on as an apprentice or are.younger candidates preferred?

Thank you again for any advice.

 

[Andy78]

Don't do that course Aaron.
For learning to sink in takes time and application to practical situations. Too many people take a course in order to end up with a qualification. If you take a course in order to learn you will become a richer person with an in depth knowledge of your job at the end of it all.
In 4 month you might just be able to have all the info stuffed into your head and vomit it back out onto exam papers. You will forget most of what has been placed in front of you and be left ill equipped for this industry.

The streets are swimming with short course electricians who don't know what they are doing. We mop up after them all the time. Don't be a know nowt with a cert, learn a trade.

 

[GMES]

The only issue with your age Re an apprenticeship will be your employer probably won' get a grant however Give me a mature student any day of the week.

 

[Morley2012]

If you can spare your evenings once or twice a week you could enrol on to the "city&guilds 2365" course. Once you've completed your level 2 and 3 you can hopefully find employment, then it's just 2 bridging units for the 2357 (apprenticeship) course then on to the NVQ, Am2 and then collect the gold card once ready.

 

[aaronleflay]

Thanks all!

I feel a bit stupid really.

I suppose i'm old enough to realise that if it sounds too good to be true it normally is.

My best bet then is to seek out someone willing to take me on as an apprentice?

I will definitely take on the advice given here and call a halt to the course.

 

[newtothis]

May be ideal for someone with loads of real world experience, who never got around to formalising their experience. ?

Are the JIB are dishing out gold cards to people with no experience other than 4 months in the training centre environment ? That would be strange.

By strange, I mean I could be labouring to someone through an agency who has less experience than me, and they’re paid 3 times as much. That’s when the laughter would begin.

 

[shanky887614]

May be ideal for someone with loads of real world experience, who never got around to formalising their experience. ?

Are the JIB are dishing out gold cards to people with no experience other than 4 months in the training centre environment ? That would be strange.

By strange, I mean I could be labouring to someone through an agency who has less experience than me, and they’re paid 3 times as much. That’s when the laughter would begin.

no the jib dont recognise Electrical Trainee as far as i know.

if you dont qualify under grandfather rights then you need a level3 nvq for a gold card now

 

[newtothis]

no the jib dont recognise Electrical Trainee as far as i know.

if you dont qualify under grandfather rights then you need a level3 nvq for a gold card now

I think the OP is saying he can get the quals needed for a JIB Gold card in 4 months.
Including the NVQ 3, AM2

So I think it's fairly safe to say the JIB does in fact recognise short course people, by issuing them with a gold card after around 20weeks of 'training', give or take a day.
What do you think ?

 

[NJR]

What area are you from mate?

 

[aaronleflay]

What area are you from mate?

Am from Brighton, East Sussex area.

 

[aaronleflay]

The course includes these modules. ..City & Guilds 2365-02/03, 2382, 2377, 2394/95, NVQ, AM2

 

[telectrix]

and what about the portfolio of work done that's required for nvq?

 

[newtothis]

The course includes these modules. ..City & Guilds 2365-02/03, 2382, 2377, 2394/95, NVQ, AM2

Bizarrely, you'd be a fully qualified spark on paper, with no experience. :uhoh2:
Experience is of the utmost importance.
Well done for researching this before forking out 8K mate.

 

[firemanowl]

Ring your local college, if you've not got many qualifications then there maybe funding available. They will be sorting out courses ready to start in September. Ring/call in and explain your circumstances and see if they can help you out.

 

[vectraj]

You can't put a price on experience! nor can you force a library into a little bookshelf (4 months)

 

[DuaneMHunt1976]

The big thing is you have to pass each one of them tests

Im not sure why 2377 is there (pat testing)
2394/5 i was scared to do them with C&G (EAL was open book means if i footed up i had the book to bounce off, and when spending a few hundreds of pounds i do like some safty net) but thats down to my reading and questions with poor english skills.

i will stress (as ive done education) that HANDS on is DAM IMPORTANT, and some thing i rate higher than Education.
so its all about how you take information in and kick it out, SPEED COUSER wouldnt suit me and im not keen on them. I did 2330 Part time, giving me time to take it all in (not called 2365 i think {dysleix and two course 2365 and 2356 confuse the hell out of me} )

Level 2 C&G2330 £1000 Level3 C&G2330 £1000 Level3 C&G2382 £50 C&G2377 £150 (did it for fun)
Initial Verification (C&G 2394) I did with Logic Cerf (wouldnt suggest them tho) £600
Periodics (C&G 2395) I did with EAL (Open Book easier than C&G) £600
Cost £3350 thats not including Time off work, (Ie i had to use my holidays to do this) Plus BOOKS
But i can suggest the best books than some of the RUBBISH ones Ive brought

But will need REGS £70 and the Onsite Book £20 Rough prices and you can find them Cheaper/Dearer

---
So all in all can you cope with this type of Course, and it dosnt harm to read up on this before doing a course
IE KNOW You can PASS
Do Try your best to find someone to work with, learning HANDS on for Male Gender is on average far better.
Personally do things in BITE size than commiting to a £8500 course.
You might find that Insulation Resistance test on the Nipples isnt for you (Oh come on we all done it guys!!)

 

[rompling]

Is the 2394/5 really an open book ?
If that's right I'm surprised I'm sure the 2391 you had no reference books to rely on - could be wrong it was a while ago
My advise to the OP hook up with a local contractor be honest about your abilities take you time do evening courses at local college or do the 8k course and feel completely out of your depth !
Just sayin !

 

[DuaneMHunt1976]

The education board said it is ok to be open book
But city and guilds say you have to have it all to memory

So only.logic.cert.and eal are open book
I would guess.in the next.version of.2394/5 it.will.change
For it had a 40-50% pass rate on city and guilds
And even lower on the 2391 30-40%

But with new education bodies coming in.with their own version approved by the government city and guilds will have to.move with the time

 

[Andy78]

The education board said it is ok to be open book
But city and guilds say you have to have it all to memory

So only.logic.cert.and eal are open book
I would guess.in the next.version of.2394/5 it.will.change
For it had a 40-50% pass rate on city and guilds
And even lower on the 2391 30-40%

But with new education bodies coming in.with their own version approved by the government city and guilds will have to.move with the time

What utter rubbish. The low pass rates on the city and guilds reflect the difficult nature of the courses and exams, the unprepared and inexperienced people that are taking these courses, and the poor provision of these courses by some providers.

The other "equivalent" qualifications by other bodies that mimic city and guilds, set up to take in the failures from these courses and provide them with an easier to pass option.

City and guilds should in no way have to consider dumbing down to the level of other bodies to increase their pass rates.

 

[DuaneMHunt1976]

Go look it up your self before slagging someone off with your comment's

I looked it up so you are talking suit

 

[Andy78]

Go look it up your self before slagging someone off with your comment's

I looked it up so you are talking suit

Go look what up ? And I'm not slagging anyone off, don't take things to heart.
I'm merely saying that any open book exam on a particular subject is obviously easier to pass than a closed book exam, and disagreeing with your opinion that city and guilds must adhere to an open book system just because others do.

 

[Darkwood]

Come on lads.. your opinions obviously differ here but lets not lower the tone by getting into a slanging match... if you wish to express what you think about a qualification or course then do so but try not to throw in degrading comments like 'What utter rubbish' and 'Slagging off' this can only send the general tone downhill...

I suggest you move the conversation on or drop the negative tone.

Thankyou!

 

[Andy78]

Quite happy to drop it as it would clearly go nowhere as you have intimated DW. Cheers.

 

[shanky887614]

andy if you won't say it i will, me gran mother could pass it if it was open book, the closed book exams will always be rated higher because you dont carry your library with you from job to job

 

[terry1969]

4 months lol dream on

 

[DESTIX]

4 months lol dream on

Just browsing through threads related to approved electrician and came across this , had a look at the able skills site and to be fair its 4 months for the initial qualifications , it seems to state the NVQ 3 and AM2 would then start from this point , with a finish date dependent on the individual , just like the normal NVQ.

 

[Guest77]

The education board said it is ok to be open book
But city and guilds say you have to have it all to memory

So only.logic.cert.and eal are open book
I would guess.in the next.version of.2394/5 it.will.change
For it had a 40-50% pass rate on city and guilds
And even lower on the 2391 30-40%

But with new education bodies coming in.with their own version approved by the government city and guilds will have to.move with the time

The government will move for sure, they will be happy with easy exams, makes the unemployment figure look better for a start and teaching standards higher, however the C&G will hopefully stick to their guns and keep exams true to the course and not the muppets way out by letting anyone with a cheque book pass.