Who owns a grade card?

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Just wondering after seeing a few threads of late regarding them, I am aware it is a gold card today, out of interest who has a grade card of somekind? post up what you have, lets see how many on the forum is actually a card holder, just out of interest, it doesn't mean much, I know several brilliant sparks who never even did an apprenticeship, they are retired now though.


I will start, I am a JIB gold card holder with Site Technician stamped on mine, next please.
 
I have a approved card, but they are funny about giving me a tech card as im lacking references which they seem quite strict on, difficult as previously i was self employed.

I really dont get all the negativity around the JIB card if you have the quals its a small out lay that can open many doors.
 
wozz said:
I have a approved card, but they are funny about giving me a tech card as im lacking references which they seem quite strict on, difficult as previously i was self employed.

I really dont get all the negativity around the JIB card if you have the quals its a small out lay that can open many doors.
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Yes it can be tough, there are 2 routes, you need the design course qualification or written references, they don't hand that grade out to just anyone these days. Without contradicting myself though there are a lot of sparks around who are easily capable of having one but they never did apprenticeships or took the right courses, they may be tough to get but it is a bit of a joke really lol, so far out of 7 people on here 3 have a card and 4 do not, all are sparks, it will be tough to get a single register of competance won't it lol
 
No negativity from here, if mr elecsa and mrs niceic started asking for a gold card lots of people like the Electrical Trainee would be caught out, but at the same time some of us would be forced into £500 odd for nvq 3 and god know how much for am2 and it goes on and on!! Until i need one i wont be bothering again
 
MDJ said:
Yes it can be tough, there are 2 routes, you need the design course qualification or written references, they don't hand that grade out to just anyone these days. Without contradicting myself though there are a lot of sparks around who are easily capable of having one but they never did apprenticeships or took the right courses, they may be tough to get but it is a bit of a joke really lol, so far out of 7 people on here 3 have a card and 4 do not, all are sparks, it will be tough to get a single register of competance won't it lol
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I wouldnt want them to hand it to anyone, and besides im far from anyone :cowboy:

Got the design course and nearly every other C&G and way better than they require H&S but they cant seem to get round previous employer reference as i dont have one! currently employed but its a bit un related so not sure what a reference from them would be worth, asked if the tutor from all the c&gs could give me a reference and they didnt like it. Its been on the back burner for a while will get round to sorting it out it wont be that hard with a letter sent to them explaining all.
 
I find it amusing that people moan about the Electrical Trainee and the scams taking anyone on. Yet the only standard which is in place and stands rigorously by that again people moan because they can't get a certain grade.

That's not a pop at anyone in particular, more just a observation.
 
I don't know what the equivalent is now of the old C course that was on offer years ago , or whats involved , Ive got the 2391 but I think its part of it , shows how long its been since I looked , I don't even know what all these new course numbers are these days ...
 
Wiresandthings said:
No negativity from here, if mr elecsa and mrs niceic started asking for a gold card lots of people like the Electrical Trainee would be caught out, but at the same time some of us would be forced into £500 odd for nvq 3 and god know how much for am2 and it goes on and on!! Until i need one i wont be bothering again
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Theres so much moaning on here and in industry in general about Electrical Trainee and then theres the JIB seeming to stand up in a small way to the downward spiral and they still get knocked. Yes people will get caught out, but if you are experienced and working in the industry a nvq3 will be a doddle, the money is a investment in yourself and your CV, after all if you dont have a NVQ3 you must hve done your quals a fair time ago, surely being a electrician merits spending that money on modernising your quals.
 
I have a gold card that says I am an electrician. Well... it sort of expired a year ago and I won't be renewing it until such time as I feel I need it.
I used to work for a JIB company until redundancy and then self employment came about, which is why I had one, and why I don't need one now.
 
wozz said:
Theres so much moaning on here and in industry in general about Electrical Trainee and then theres the JIB seeming to stand up in a small way to the downward spiral and they still get knocked. Yes people will get caught out, but if you are experienced and working in the industry a nvq3 will be a doddle, the money is a investment in yourself and your CV, after all if you dont have a NVQ3 you must hve done your quals a fair time ago, surely being a electrician merits spending that money on modernising your quals.
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I started early eighties and got my NVQ3 no problem, I got mine by sending my A,B and C certs to someone in the early 90s, they then sent me my certificate, I think back then A,B and C was the standard, I have no idea what is the standard today.
 
Im all for the JIB standing up and setting the standards, tougher the better, when it becomes a must have item it will catch me out and a great deal of others!! If i have to get one to continue trading then ill do whats required
 
Its well worth keeping it up to date , I think its easy not to because you have to do the ECS test every 2 years and you need that to renew your card every 2 years ..
 
did enquire once. told the lass my quals. "is HND same as nvq3", she asks. "no, it's equivalent to nvq4 or 5 " i says. " not on the list. might give you trainee" was the reply.
 
MJD pretty much the same but as there is no C course its just the design course and 17th i believe along with the usual 2360, now you alos need a H&S qual although a nvq3 does give you a couple of years grace. The references is the hard bit if self employed. Im not that fussed im employed as a technician, and hopefully the IET will agree with that when i get round to that aswel as my employer can help with that.

So can it be said from the early 80s a nvq3 was available to those willing/sponsored to do so.
 
Ray Galea said:
Its well worth keeping it up to date , I think its easy not to because you have to do the ECS test every 2 years and you need that to renew your card every 2 years ..
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I agree, my view is I earned my card, I let it lapse once, never again, I went down to Bristol last year and took the CSCS exam and re-applied to get my gold card, I don't need a card and never will, but pride makes me want to have what I earned in my wallet, I will always keep an up to date JIB card with me from now on, I will retake the CSCS every 2 years and never let it lapse again, I am proud of my card, even though there are thousands of better sparks than me without one.
 
Installation Technician on mine, I always keep it in date if I need it or not, it's the standard s far as I'm concerned hard enough to get, so to me worth keeping in date
 
telectrix said:
did enquire once. told the lass my quals. "is HND same as nvq3", she asks. "no, it's equivalent to nvq4 or 5 " i says. " not on the list. might give you trainee" was the reply.
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The nvq3 is on job training/experience which i believe is the part they want to see you can prove. Although i understand the HNC is a far higher level of education (i sat a entry exam for the course once and it was tough) does it actually require you to prove / show any experience?
 
Its easy to let it lapse when your busy and haven't got the time to do that test every 2 years , I didn't really realise how respected it is , i never needed it when doing my own work until I went on a site and had an induction and the guy asked for the ESCS card and I pulled it out (the card that is HA Ha) and it was passed round the room and shown to the Guvners...
 
Ray Galea said:
Its easy to let it lapse when your busy and haven't got the time to do that test every 2 years , I didn't really realise how respected it is , i never needed it when doing my own work until I went on a site and had an induction and the guy asked for the ESCS card and I pulled it out (the card that is HA Ha) and it was passed round the room and shown to the Guvners...
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how old was it?
 
I ran a site in the 80s for a DNO doing riser renewals and we had agency guys from ESCA , I had never heard of them before , I asked the guys bout them and they said it was a union based agency , haven't come across them since . do they still exist , the guys were real good at containment ..
 
wozz said:
The nvq3 is on job training/experience which i believe is the part they want to see you can prove. Although i understand the HNC is a far higher level of education (i sat a entry exam for the course once and it was tough) does it actually require you to prove / show any experience?
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at the time had 20 years practical experience, but 80% self-employed.
 
telectrix said:
at the time had 20 years practical experience, but 80% self-employed.
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My point was does a HNC actually prove any experience or real life experience or is it a measure of academic level?

A NVQ3 which they are after is to show you have actually been there and done it.
 
wozz said:
My point was does a HNC actually prove any experience or real life experience or is it a measure of academic level?

A NVQ3 which they are after is to show you have actually been there and done it.
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not sure if it does bud, I think 2 years doing nights at college is enought these days for the NVQ3
 
wozz said:
My point was does a HNC actually prove any experience or real life experience or is it a measure of academic level?

A NVQ3 which they are after is to show you have actually been there and done it.
Click to expand...

I knew guys with approved JIB Statius, no quals at all, years of on site experience, good reference from the company they are in. Maybe bit different know. lol
 
wozz said:
My point was does a HNC actually prove any experience or real life experience or is it a measure of academic level?

A NVQ3 which they are after is to show you have actually been there and done it.
Click to expand...

true. practical experience was zero at the time. that took several years and quite a few cock-ups before i considered myself competent.
 
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