This will be useful for some of you wannabees

[MDJ]

 

[Pete999]

Fascinating, enlightening, gives you a nice warm glow inside, thinking about the 5 years you spentas an Apprentice, only to be informed you can do it all in 20 days and become a member of a CPScheme

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

20 days that is scandalous... some training sheds say you can do the courses in 18 days to join a scheme..... fancy ripping people off for 2 extra days!!!

 

[JAWS]

I have 2 years left at college yet I could do this in 20 days, not for me though I am afraid, not going to slate the course but it makes you wonder how much they can possibly take in with 20 days training.

 

[elsparko]

i wouldnt swap all the years ive spent as an apprentice for a 20 day course, barely any of the hours sitting in a classroom with no tutor played a part in my competence, onsite experience is superior, at least for me

 

[Jamie']

Blimey, who would have thought you could learn all you need to in 4 weeks! How much do they charge for these errrr not scamming you courses ?

 

[johnduffell]

2 days to go through building regs part p, it's barely a paragraph, does that include learning to read too? And 3 days to learn the wiring regs is after a speed reading course

 

[Squid]

20 days that is scandalous... some training sheds say you can do the courses in 18 days to join a scheme..... fancy ripping people off for 2 extra days!!!

Ahhhh but they include a field trip to the wholesalers......

 

[pirate]

Blimey! I AM a FKN electrician after all!
All your ducks in a row...
going forward...
utilising skill sets...

Guys and Gals...that is sh*t!
I can wire a plug, install a radial or RFC, cable up a kitchen or bathroom with shower and spa-bath, get the cable sizes right, get the right FCUs and install them...who needs 4 weeeks for that? It's not difficult!
However, connecting to a CU, and proper testing? No way is that a 4 week course! I'll do all of the above, but clearly a properly qualified, time served, experienced electrician is the only safe route...
I am not surprised about how some of you get so pi**ed off. You do NOT need videos like this...

I even understand diversity (a bit)...but only because I restrict my high-heels wearing to the weekends!

 

[The Ghost]

I am not so sure you would be accepted by a CPS scheme with just that. I know Stroma require a level 3 qualification as a minimum qualification. And that has to be EAL or C&G as far as I have been told by Stroma. Surely you could not do that in 2o days? That has to include initial verification and testing. And then when you get into the field and real work you are going to find it is nothing like the workshop each house is different. I just think that is one of those courses where they promise you will be an electrician but when you get to go out and sign up for the scheme you wont be able to. We have had more than one on here bemoaning the fact they have spent thousands on the promise of these kinds of results. I mean there are five prescribed (The Electrotechnical Assessment Specification Management Committee (EAS)) routes to enter the trade as an electrician and I am sure that course would not qualify you. I think I'm losing it...

 

[JK-Electrical]

These 'domestic installer' training schemes are a scam, and as such ought to be outlawed. This would protect s̶u̶c̶k̶e̶r̶s̶ trainees from unscrupulous r̶i̶p̶-̶o̶f̶f̶ ̶m̶e̶r̶c̶h̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ training providers and homeowners from inexperienced, under-trained, non-qualified 'electricians'. It is simply not possible to become an electrician in 20 days and is an insult to those of us who completed lengthy apprenticeships to contend otherwise.

 

[Dillb]

3 days to do the regs course? So they are saying now that all the experienced sparks who have been doing this job for many years have to do the same length of course for the new amendments as those with zero knowledge of electrical work.

 

[Wilko]

Oh dear.
Anyone who thinks a handful of days in a supervised workshop makes you competent to do this work in the real world is simply mistaken.

 

[Pete999]

Oh dear.
Anyone who thinks a handful of days in a supervised workshop makes you competent to do this work in the real world is simply mistaken.

Evidently, the CPS Schemes do, if what the presenter is actually true, and not just a marketing ploy, by the training establishment, if this is the case, then in my opinion all this does is enhance my views of the schemes involved, are nothing but a scam to make money, and not to Police the Domestic Electrical Installation industry. They need investigating, by an independent organisation, not by the likes of the people we saw when they had the cross party review, which was an item of discussion on this forum a few years back. I can't recall the Forum Member who observed the proceedings, but he was a well respected Forum member.

 

[Dillb]

I can't recall the Forum Member who observed the proceedings, but he was a well respected Forum member.

It was Damian Skelton.

Here are the minutes from said committee.

[Committee name] - http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/WrittenEvidence.svc/EvidenceHtml/4873

 

[JK-Electrical]

Evidently, the CPS Schemes do, if what the presenter is actually true, and not just a marketing ploy, by the training establishment, if this is the case, then in my opinion all this does is enhance my views of the schemes involved, are nothing but a scam to make money, and not to Police the Domestic Electrical Installation industry. They need investigating, by an independent organisation, not by the likes of the people we saw when they had the cross party review, which was an item of discussion on this forum a few years back. I can't recall the Forum Member who observed the proceedings, but he was a well respected Forum member.

Sparky Ninja has covered this issue too....

​

 

[Pete999]

It was Damian Skelton.

Here are the minutes from said committee.

[Committee name] - http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/WrittenEvidence.svc/EvidenceHtml/4873

Thanks Dillb, It was on the tip of my tongue, is Damien still around do you know? Not seen him about on this forum, thought maybe he has change to another, I liked him, good bloke I reckon.

Sparky Ninja has covered this issue too....

​

I know JK but I could never recall Damiens name, nor the name of the committees video, I do know though thanks to you and Dillbthanks both.

 

[Dillb]

Thanks Dillb, It was on the tip of my tongue, is Damien still around do you know? Not seen him about on this forum, thought maybe he has change to another, I liked him, good bloke I reckon.

No dont think hes been on here for a ling time, like alot of the others from that time but thats a story for another day. That remonds me gonna post something in the arms about the older members sometime soon.

 

[westward10]

Thanks Dillb, It was on the tip of my tongue, is Damien still around do you know? Not seen him about on this forum, thought maybe he has change to another, I liked him, good bloke I reckon.

I know JK but I could never recall Damiens name, nor the name of the committees video, I do know though thanks to you and Dillbthanks both.

He posted a thread a couple of months back where it seems he was having work as well as personal problems.

 

[Pete999]

He posted a thread a couple of months back where it seems he was having work as well as personal problems.

Thanks Westy, hope he has it all sorted now.

 

[Pete999]

No dont think hes been on here for a ling time, like alot of the others from that time but thats a story for another day. That remonds me gonna post something in the arms about the older members sometime soon.

Hope it's not going to be a derogatory theme.

 

[MDJ]

Damien was okay for a member of the ---- party

 

[elsparko]

Hope it's not going to be a derogatory theme.

i know the theme

 

[loplug]

The thing that I have found with some of the courses that I have done is that they can go off topic my people asking questions irrelevant to what is trying to be taught. then you bombarded with past papers and self learning to get back on track. can only imagine that this is even more so the case with entry level qualifications.

 

[elsparko]

The thing that I have found with some of the courses that I have done is that they can go off topic my people asking questions irrelevant to what is trying to be taught. then you bombarded with past papers and self learning to get back on track. can only imagine that this is even more so the case with entry level qualifications.

i could write a book on what my college days were like, in 1 of the classrooms there was some comfy chairs and some horrible plastic chairs, there used to be fights to get the comfy chairs

 

[elsparko]

i bought a roast chicken, some buns and a carving knife at asda for my lunch, took it into class and made me and some others sandwiches , the knife and chicken carcass stuffed into little andys bag and then into his locker once the meal had been eaten

 

[loplug]

i bought a roast chicken, some buns and a carving knife at asda for my lunch, took it into class and made me and some others sandwiches , the knife and chicken carcass stuffed into little andys bag and then into his locker once the meal had been eaten

exactly that how can you cram 4 years of dicking about in to 20 days ?

 

[elsparko]

exactly that how can you cram 4 years of dicking about in to 20 days ?

for little andys sake i reckon he would have taken the 20 days if he had the option lol!

the guy was like 5ft tall at the most, the steel beams in the classroom about 9 feet off the ground seemed like the only reasonable place to put his worksheets/stationary/jacket/hat after every breaktime, especially at home time

 

[elsparko]

things turned around for andy about half way into 2nd year, shaun launched a set square off andys head and made him cry, so we turned on shaun, shaun left shortly after as he could dish it out but could not hack it in return

 

[GBDamo]

As a product of one of these courses I’d like to offer a little balance.

Three points

1. There is a niche that these courses fill.

2. There is massive over reach and over selling of the courses.

3. They enroll totally unsuitable candidates.

As far as the niche goes, and why I completed the course, there is much work in the domestic environment that require minor electrical work.

Installing an air source heat pump requires about 4-6 hours electrical work in a three day installation. The other two and a half days are general labouring, plumbing and building. All relatively low skill and labour intensive work.

The kind of fully qualified electricians that you can attract to this kind of role are no better than 5WWs. They’ve either been clipping new builds for 10 years and forgotten all they learned or believe core drilling is below their station.

Basically incompetent or bone idle.

Now if you have a reliable and semi-sentient employee these courses can fill the gap that allows you to trade in a safe and compliant manner.

There is no doubt these course providers BS candidates on what the course can give them.

Especially the initial verification and periodic T&I elements. These courses do not deliver sufficient underlying knowledge and practical experience to comprehend the results you get on testing. Personally I had to rely on support from family, my old man and brother are proper electricians, and watching endless JW videos on YouTube.

Some of those on the same course as me id not trust with a brush let alone an MFT.

So on balance, I’m more inclined to agree that they are scammers but, as always, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. There is a gap to be filled by these courses but the usual greed and self delusion has led to the corruption of a good idea.

 

[Simonslimline]

A trip to the local wholesalers ffs

What a bloody shambles

 

[Adam W]

These courses seem to rely on potential targets' perceptions of the industry - that 17 year olds do a 4 year apprenticeship because they messed about at school and ended up on the trades scrapheap, then 20 or 30 years later they can't be bothered leaving the depot to go and change a cracked accessory, leaving a lucrative market untapped and waiting for someone with a bit of 'get up and go'.

If people ask about these courses we tell them not to bother, then they actually take that as some kind of endorsement and go and do it anyway, then they're back here expecting the internet to pick up the pieces when it doesn't pan out how they'd hoped.

To a certain degree most trades have seen it - older guys looking to leave the stress of the office and wind down towards retirement in an easy job, but it's generally electrics that's seen as the easiest since apparently people are willing to part with a shedload of cash for someone to come and tighten a screw onto a wire, then the hard part is hamming it up to justify the price tag.