Certificate in Electrical Installation Work

[DIYalot]

In 1981/82 I completed a City and Guild course.

Here is what I achieved:

* "The part one certificate in electrical installation work"

* "The part two certificate in electrical installation work"

I never went on to take up a job as an electrician.

It's a very long time ago now, but are there any old timers that can say what did that qualification allow me to do, in 1982?

And, is there a rough modern equivalent? Thanks.

 

[DIYalot]

Aaah, I think I did C&G 2361 & 2632.

Perhaps also known as 2360 Part 1 & 2.

There were practicals, but no actual "on-the-job" training element.

 

[ericmark]

I think the NVQ took over but as far as what you can do there is no requirement to have any qualification to be an electrician.

However in order to become a scheme member there is. So for domestic you need qualifications to work as a sole trader. But a company may employ who ever they want to do domestic work.

Many companies use semi-skilled labour be it an electricians mate or an apprentice and clearly to get new electricians that must continue.

Experience counts and there are many electricians of my age who have few formal qualifications. As to if C&G holds the qualification on a data base is another question. Back in 1992 when 16th Edition came out many colleges were setting their own exams for 16th Edition and so there is no single data base. When 17th came out one could take a short version to update and many electricians were caught out because although they had a certificate it was not from C&G.

As one goes over level 3 one takes exams set by different learning colleges and universities and all the EU qualifications have to be recognised so there can't really be a single qualification. You may well find one scheme provider will accept what you have and another will reject it.

Over the years I have taken many tests, done many courses, and attended many tool box talks some which remain valid and some which have been superseded. It would seem my HGV is no longer valid even if I take my medical and my original cherry picker licence is no longer recognised. But had I been using them then they would be.

I trained as a motor vehicle technician but today I would not have a clue on motor vehicle repair. The same is true on electrics, when I started no one had ever heard of a PLC or Semi-conductor fuses. But wiring a house unlikely even today you would need to know.

As a maintenance electrician I had no real need to know what was in BS7671 some one else installed I only kept it running. So it's all down to what you want to do. Even the local authority building control don't seem to know what qualifications mean so even doing work for yourself and registering with the LABC there is no set list of qualifications.

Ask me to do calculus now and I would have to get the books out I can't remember all I was taught so the big question is what do you want to do?

 

[DIYalot]

Actually, I don't want to become an electrician. But, I was very curious as to what I'd been qualified to do all those years ago. I look at my CU, that needs rewiring, and I ask myself -despite me thinking I am competent to do it - was I actually qualified to rewire a CU when I passed 2361 and 2632? So long ago, I cannot recall. Logically I think, I must have been - back then.

 

[JohnW2]

... was I actually qualified to rewire a CU when I passed 2361 and 2632? So long ago, I cannot recall. Logically I think, I must have been - back then.

"Qualified" in whose eyes? Prior to 2005, there were no legal restrictions at all as to who did what electrical work, and what 'approval'/'certification' that work had. Even today, anyone can do any electrical work (regardless of qualifications or the lack of them), provided they do it 'safely', the only additional issue now being whether or not notification to LA (and attendant 'controls') is required.

Kind Regards, John

 

[DIYalot]

Hi. It's a long time since I started this thread. Does the fact that I took a course in Electrical Installation & Maintenance, give me any heightened "right", permission or privilege to disconnect and then reconnect a shower switch? In the circumstances where I'm a tenant in a council house. I think as long as the work is done by a competent person and thus done safely, the answer is no, or it's irrelevant that I did such a course, with respect to a "right" or permission, but I'm not 100% sure. So, as mentioned above, the issue boils down to one of notification and any inspection or supervision, or controls. I think I need to do some more digging on this with the council. I may post back on this, on what I find with the council. My council is Kirklees council. P.S. Would doing the course be "evidence" of competence or likely competence? (You know, because I did the course, I tend to think it should somehow matter in some way. But, I don't think doing the course matters to the council, or anyone else. That's where I'm at more-or-less).

 

[ericmark]

Down to your council, and same if you owned the house, the Part P regulations require notifiable work can be notified two ways, either with the scheme provider, or direct with LABC, you have to pay fee and inform them before you start, and they decide if you have the skill to inspect and test yourself, or if you need some one to hold your hand, and so you pay more.

The first hurdle is you need test equipment,

these are the cheapest loop impedance tester and RCD tester (red) and insulation tester (blue) I can find, at around £70 and £35 plus in Wales for first £2000 worth of work, the fee is £100 plus vat, so unless you already testers, not really worth buying testers for one job, why would you want to pay £200 to do a job the landlord should do?

 

[DIYalot]

Yes, that's it: It's down to work is notifiable or not. I'll have to find out and what the council says. OK, so what I am getting is that when I notify the council, they may take note that I did an electrical and installation course. And it's up to me to get test gear and know how to test if I am allowed to do the work. Of course, it's probably cheaper just getting an electrician to do the job of re-connecting a shower switch. When you think about it though, what a council really wants to see, I think, is a certificate proving a person knows how to test a circuit. That could be expensive. And I'm not sure now if the course I did included testing a circuit. Which is quite telling! P.S. I accidentally broke the shower switch pattress. The council may come and do the work for free. But if they don't I'd have to pay then doing the work. I should find out what council intend to do.

 

[DIYalot]

I over worry sometimes over the council coming and doing work & billing me a ridiculous charge. That's why I'm often banging on about the idea doing my own work, which then leads to talk involving subjects such as what is notifiable, testing, certification, whatever. Well, to day the electrician from the council came and re-connected the shower switch. I asked him if there is a charge, he said no. So, the switch is sorted and very simply.