Female Graduate Retraining As An Electrician. Help/Advice.

[telectrix]

it may be for you, who knows. lads just pointing out that it's hard, sweaty, physical work, not just connecting wires. itchy poo in lofts, splinters from lifting floorboards, plumbers nicking your precious tools. plasterers filling your toolbox with their sloppy crap, labourers chucking all your screws,wagos, etc. in the skip. project managers deciding they don't want it there after you've spent all day wiring it up. .........

 

[Des 56]

Unless you are aware,the role of electrician is quite wide
The main two types are described below,maybe choose which appeals to you and mould your aims to suit hat role

Installation electrician
Domestic--------------------- Labour intensive and hard graft
Commercial/industrial------Slightly less labour but greater skill requirements
Testing------------------------Minor labour and greater use of your neurons
The above electricians are usually(but not always) clueless about the more technical maintenance electrician role

Maintenance electrician-------------- Much greater technical understanding of circuitry and electrical theory required,preventative maintenance and fault finding can be specific to a particular industry
These electricians are usually(but not always) identified by their abysmal standards when they venture into installation attempts

The choice seems to be

 

[telectrix]

you missed one des......

plumber/builder/kitchen fitter.... has a basic understanding of matching red-red, black-black. thinks that's all there is to it. wheels come off when someone mentions load and/or volt drop. cure-all is some 2.5 T/E, wrapped round hot water pipes to keep it warm. there's a spare conductor in there, not sleeved so we can use it for any purpose, just bung some coloured tape over it, hope nobody notices it melting.

 

[123]

Why don't you think its not for me? Just curious?

I have no idea if it is for you or not...Just saying rather than retrain and waste a few years doing that to find out it's not for you, do a few days in the field and find out if it is for you beforehand.

 

[Chann]

I have no idea if it is for you or not...Just saying rather than retrain and waste a few years doing that to find out it's not for you, do a few days in the field and find out if it is for you beforehand.

I have no idea if it is for you or not...Just saying rather than retrain and waste a few years doing that to find out it's not for you, do a few days in the field and find out if it is for you beforehand.

Sorry misread your previous post and you're right.

 

[Chann]

@Chann welcome to the forum, these people seem to have forgotten their manners. If you want to become and electrician follow and read this link carefully. Right now there are five proscribed routes into the industry and the link will tell you exactly what you need. Well done for rejecting a non useful degree and we need more female electricians so doubly welcome. Morris Services - Getting Started - http://www.morrisservices.co.uk/gettingstarted.asp
And forgive me if I called your degree a non useful degree, but there it is. I have a female trainee electrician that works for me. It is really useful as some places only want females attending. As to social worker, please don't do it! You will become an apparatchik of the state. You don't seem like you would last in that career.

Thanks for this. It's what I was looking for but my degree wasn't entirely useless e.g. If I wanted to set up my own business in the future, not only in fashion.

 

[Chann]

Hi Chann,

I got my degree (Business Studies) 20 years ago and haven't really used it at all. I then retrained as a nurse and worked as a nurse for 15 years. Then I retrained as a domestic installer (just do electrics in houses) and have done that for 5 years now. My point is that I think it's absolutely fine to chop and change. In fact I think its quite healthy. Plus going to university isn't just about getting and using your degree is it. The experience you have adds to the person you are.

Good for you for choosing electrics. I personally quite enjoy crawling around lofts. I feel quite content sitting up there by myself pondering on the situation

Thanks for this.

 

[telectrix]

maybe you could combine your degree learning with our trade and design workwear. eg. work trousers that are hard wearing without being heavy and don't show your bum crack whenever you bend. fleece tops that are warm in winter, cool in summer, and don't constrict movement. steel toecap boots that don't cripple your feet, maybe some hi fashion hi-vis and designer hard hats. the world, as they say, is your lobster.

maybe even go on to design light fittings for b&q and Ikea, fittings that can be practically installed.

 

[123]

maybe you could combine your degree learning with our trade and design workwear. eg. work trousers that are hard wearing without being heavy and don't show your bum crack whenever you bend. fleece tops that are warm in winter, cool in summer, and don't constrict movement. steel toecap boots that don't cripple your feet, maybe some hi fashion hi-vis and designer hard hats. the world, as they say, is your lobster.

maybe even go on to design light fittings for b&q and Ikea, fittings that can be practically installed.

If any one person could do that they would be worth billions. Regarding boots - spend a few quid more and get some decent ones. Other than my first day in college with the supplied boots, no steel toe cap boots I have had have ever needed breaking in or hurt my feet.

 

[rolyberkin]

You get a degree and you want to retain as an electrician, what a waste

I have a degree and numerous other specialist qualifications and I re trained as an electrician. Mind you I was an apprentice electrician before I took my degree and now technically retired at 48. I am with happyhippydad on this, do whatever makes you happy as life is too short, just make sure you know what you are getting yourself into if you want to be a domestic sparks, I have been now fully self employed for just over six weeks and ache like an achey thing, mind you I probably have a few years on you. My only bit of advice is go for city and guilds rather than EAL course and do not rush things, also go for a proper college course rather than a five week quick course and do not under estimate how physically demanding being an electrician can be.

 

[rolyberkin]

You get a degree and you want to retain as an electrician, what a waste

I have a degree and numerous other specialist qualifications and I re trained as an electrician. Mind you I was an apprentice electrician before I took my degree and now technically retired at 48. I am with happyhippydad on this, do whatever makes you happy as life is too short, just make sure you know what you are getting yourself into if you want to be a domestic sparks, I have been now fully self employed for just over six weeks and ache like an achey thing, mind you I probably have a few years on you. My only bit of advice is go for city and guilds rather than EAL course and do not rush things, also go for a proper college course rather than a five week quick course and do not under estimate how physically demanding being an electrician can be.

 

[Andy78]

agree with pete. while being a spark can be a satisfying and rewarding calling, it is hard physical work with pathetic remuneration compared with other professions. if i had my time again i'd have been a lawyer ( win or lose you still get paid) or a doctor (mistakes get buried).

Apparently the best doctor to be is a dermatologist. Patients never die nor get any better.

 

[KEV 1 N]

A few years ago, my wife worked at a community centre and they needed two maintained emergency exit lights fitting, so without my knowledge, I was volunteered into to fitting them for free! (With help from the wife)
So I went in the loft, took a permanent LNE from the existing lights to a new key switch, then ran the cable to the two eme fittings.
I set the cable stands up and instructed the wife to poke the cables up the ceiling holes as needed.
Anyway as I was crawling about this 3foot high loft, meanwhile my wife is been watched on the CCTV by one of the staff and her friend. I later found out that my wife was praised by the friend of the staff, for being an electrician!
I said “typical, I’m up there sweating and itching and you take all the credit!”

 

[KEV 1 N]

Forgot to add, good luck with the training and as previously mentioned, suggest you go for city and guilds.
Be prepared for building site banter and awful portaloos!

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I would suggest finding a course that includes the NVQ3.
Without the NVQ3, you will not be able to obtain a JIB/ECS card or I believe become a member of a Competent Persons Scheme.
Taking the NVQ3 separately from what I understand, is quite expensive.
You might also consider contacting some of the larger Electrical firms with regards to becoming an Apprentice.

 

[Chann]

maybe you could combine your degree learning with our trade and design workwear. eg. work trousers that are hard wearing without being heavy and don't show your bum crack whenever you bend. fleece tops that are warm in winter, cool in summer, and don't constrict movement. steel toecap boots that don't cripple your feet, maybe some hi fashion hi-vis and designer hard hats. the world, as they say, is your lobster.

maybe even go on to design light fittings for b&q and Ikea, fittings that can be practically installed.

"maybe even go on to design light fittings for b&q and Ikea, fittings that can be practically installed" --> This sounds interesting. I believe it's called product design engineering. My uni actually offers a similar masters course on this called:MA INDUSTRIAL DESIGN [MA Industrial Design - Central Saint Martins - UAL - http://www.arts.ac.uk/csm/courses/postgraduate/ma-industrial-design/] May apply for this at a later date but I would like to try my hand at the city and guilds qualification beforehand.

Also about the first problem, my uni actually does a variety of live industry projects, so the manufacturer can collaborate with students to come up with some sort of solution. I have had to do a live industry project before at uni and my group won the collaboration.

 

[7029 dave]

Welcome to the forum, you need to do some research in this trade before you take the plunge. (regarding no knowledge about this trade)

 

[Chann]

Thanks everyone for your replies whether positive or negative. Got all the info I was looking for and thought about other career routes as a result of all your comments x.

 

[7029 dave]

Thanks everyone for your replies whether positive or negative. Got all the info I was looking for and thought about other career routes as a result of all your comments x.

Good luck

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Apparently the best doctor to be is a dermatologist. Patients never die nor get any better.

I would disagree, met a home office pathologist at a dinner party once, she was going out with a friend of mines dad, had an interesting convo, she said she liked her job as the patients don't complain and you cant do any harm as they are already dead.. and its nothing like silent witness!