Electrician qualifications

[jon]

Career wise I've decided to move into the area of "odd job man". Doing anything and everything, such as fitting kitchens, bathrooms, etc.

Obviously this might involve some electrical work, which although I know I'm capable of doing "correctly", I might however not be doing as per a "qualified electrician" and per today's "upto date regs".

I've had a quick gander at this new Part P thingy-ma-bob and I'm already confused, so basically, If I want to do the odd bit of electrical work which will fully comply with all new and updated regs, what courses, exams, etc do I need to take.

My local college were very vague when I asked them this question, and I've a feeling they want me to go on any course they've trouble filling. Consequently they've told me a place is available on a PEO Electrical Level

2 (nvq2) 2 year part-time evening course. However they are also running a 2 week intensive Part P course for the princely sum of £700. Should I go on this one?

I've also had a look at the NICEIC website and they seem to offer a multitude of different courses, and I don't feel as if I'd get impartial advice from them either.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Jon

[Steve Walker]

IMHO, option 2. You'll be a much more marketable odd-job man if you've got a Part P ticket, so why wait 2 years?

[Peter Scott]

Take care. I was about to start a 'PartP' course and posted a couple of weeks to ask how much people thought was reasonable charge for testing. Dark Angel told me:

"Ummm, you do realise that even if you're qualified you've still got to be a member of an approved "self-certification" (Part P) scheme? Which will cost you somewhere in the region of £2000 pa to belong to, and before you can join have to have been trading for 2 years. Which creates a bit of a "chicken and egg" situation."

He saved me 370 ukp. I confirmed with the college that I had applied to that what he said was correct and cancelled.

[jon]

This is the problem I'm having, no one seems to know what the answer is, each body, college or individual, each has their own opinion on what course or qualification to get. There doesn't seem to be a definative route or answer (there probably is, except the people in the know aren't saying, for some reason).

So you are saying that Part P is a good standard/qualification, but it means nothing unless I register myself/it with the releavnt body and this will cost me over £2000 pa.

Jon

[Richard Conway]

This is the point - you can only sign yourself off if you are a member of a body, and as you say they will all charge you a small fortune to join

[Bob Eager]

What's the latest on the IEE '8 goes a year' stuff?

[david lang]

jon wrote: || Career wise I've decided to move into the area of "odd job man". || Doing anything and everything, such as fitting kitchens, bathrooms, || etc. || || Obviously this might involve some electrical work, which although I || know I'm capable of doing "correctly", I might however not be doing || as per a "qualified electrician" and per today's "upto date regs".

Hi Jon There is a certain amouint of work you can do without worrying about part P and it's this very work that a handyman should be looking for IMO.

To earn a decent crust as a handyman you need to specialise in those small jobs where you can charge a high fee for the first half hour or so - £30 or so seems average. If you get involved in bigger jobs your rate will have to drop to an hourly one which will have to be much lower.

Four half hour jobs per day, two of which extend into the second half hour at extra cost will earn you more that a daily rate.

Check out a few handyman web sites & check how they operate.

JMO

Dave

|| || I've had a quick gander at this new Part P thingy-ma-bob and I'm || already confused, so basically, If I want to do the odd bit of || electrical work which will fully comply with all new and updated || regs, what courses, exams, etc do I need to take. || || My local college were very vague when I asked them this question, || and I've a feeling they want me to go on any course they've trouble || filling. Consequently they've told me a place is available on a PEO || Electrical Level 2 (nvq2) 2 year part-time evening course. However || they are also running a 2 week intensive Part P course for the || princely sum of £700. Should I go on this one? || || I've also had a look at the NICEIC website and they seem to offer a || multitude of different courses, and I don't feel as if I'd get || impartial advice from them either. || || Any advice greatly appreciated. || || Jon

[Lurch]

On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:00:33 GMT, "jon" scrawled:

Well, it lost me completely so I gave up altogether and I now just ring my NICEIC registered mate when some says "certificate".

I did toy with the idea of joining NAPIT as I've heard good reports about their expectations of you, down to earthness and pricing being a touch more sane than the NICEIC, but I never made the final push to actually join.......

[DJC]

'Part P' is not a qualification, nor a standard. Part P of the Building Regulations simply says that to do domestic electrical work either you have to get it approved by Building Control or it has to be done by someone who is a member of a scheme [to fleece the public].

[jon]

Finally we're getting somewhere.

So how do I become a member of this so called "scheme"?

[Owain]

I suppose most electricians have little need of a Part-P compliant scheme. It doesn't apply to industrial installations and doesn't apply to wiring in new build dwellings which would be covered by the Building Control application for the building?

Owain

[DJC]

That's where the pay £2000 pa to be registered with NICEC or whoever comes in.

[Lurch]

On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 00:32:04 +0100, Owain scrawled:

ATM, only about 20% of my work is electrical, and little of that requires me to be part P compliant so, on average, at best, I would only need to be registered as a competent person for probably 10% of my total work which is never going to pay for itself.

I may review the situation in the future but I still don't see anyone being 100% sure of what's going on WRT part P.

Problem is that our local council won't certificate on your behalf (or not without a battle which leads me to believe they don't generally get asked) so you have to have a contractor who is a member of one of the 'schemes' ceretificate for you.