What to look for when choosing an Electrical Training Centre

We have recently had feedback from our customers and potential customers that finding the right electrical training provider can be very difficult, time consuming and extremely confusing so we thought we would take this opportunity to list a few key points that must be considered when making your decision.

1. Class Size – In this case smaller is better. Ideally you should be looking at a class size of no more than 8 Students per instructor as this will allow the trainer to highlight very quickly any additional support that you may require. Any more than 8 in the class and you may get lost in the crowd! Make sure you ask before you book!
2. Approved Centre - Make sure that the courses the training centre offers are accredited by awarding bodies which in our case is the City and Guilds. We would encourage all customers to go to the awarding bodies’ website and check that the training centre is approved for the qualification it is delivering.
3. Learning Environment – When considering workshop based courses make sure that these are as close to real life scenarios as possible. Simply training in work bays alone will not give you the real life training you need. Make sure you ask the question before you book!
4. After Course Support – Find out if your training provider is prepared to go the extra mile by holding you back at the end of the day if required to give you one to one training to address an area you may be struggling in.

We strongly recommend that all customers wishing to undertake any Electrical Training address the points mentioned above to ensure they receive the right training, Qualification and support.

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ET4U partner with Megger UK

ET4U have recently broadened their services by teaming up with electrical testing equipment experts Megger UK. Megger UK have provided high quality electric test equipment for over a hundred years, having first registered their trademark in 1903, and are best known for their world-renowned range of insulation testers.

The aim behind the strategic partnership is to provide ET4U’S customers with an opportunity to get their hands on key equipment at affordable prices, and the chance to get familiar with these instruments during the course.

Nigel Best, the director of ET4U, thinks the partnership will be extremely beneficial to his customers, and the availability of equipment such as the MPU690 Proving Unit, the MFT1700 Series and the TPT200 Series will ensure that his clients will “leave our centre with a quality and reliable product, and a full understanding of how to use it”.

For further information, please click here.

Your Brightest Resolution

The New Year is fast approaching and it’s time for some exciting new beginnings. For many of us the last few years have been as bleak as a winter sky, and as barren as the trees. The economic situation has cast a long shadow over most of the working population, and many people have had difficulty adjusting to the financial demands placed upon them.
However, there have been really uplifting stories that have come out of the recession, many of these centre around people who have been forced to change careers, and have found that the new direction they have chosen has not only stabilised them financially, but has also given them a whole new level of job satisfaction that has previously appeared unimaginable.

One such avenue that a number of people have been exploring is electrical training courses such as those offered by companies like Electrical Training 4 U (ET4U). Electrical training offers the opportunity to learn an entirely new skill set, a skill set that is always in high demand, meaning that once you become a competent electrician, you have a great chance of securing a steady income.

One advantage that ET4U has over many electrical training courses is that it offers a wide range of practical DIY tips for its installers, covering all of the obstacles that electricians are likely to come across in the real world, allowing them to reach the highest levels of competency. In addition to the electrical training, the course also gives students valuable information about marketing themselves online, ensuring that they are able to secure as much employment as possible.

If you are stuck in a rut and need a bright spark, then consider electrical training. It’s affordable, exciting, and could open up all the right doors to give you a secure and rewarding future.

What Makes a Good Domestic Electrician?

We always get asked the question ‘What makes a good Domestic electrician?’, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to briefly answer this once and for all.

1. Qualifications: Nowadays it is crucial for a domestic electrician to be fully trained and qualified within his/her field. Anything less and he/she will be putting themselves and their clients at risk. Training should take place in an approved training centre which meets industry standards and regulations. In the case of Electrical Training 4U, we are approved and regulated by City & Guilds and NAPIT, therefore ensuring our students a high level of teaching throughout.
2. Experience: Having qualifications is one thing - but having real-life trade experience is another. Experience is invaluable and adds a wealth of depth to a domestic electrician’s existing knowledge. It is for this reason that Electrical Training 4U decided to devise and offer our unique ‘Experience Week Course’ to our students... We understand the importance of having experience and directly address this issue in this course. Experience not only empowers a tradesman to make the best decisions on behalf of his clients, but it also gives him/her the confidence that he/she needs to best deal with day-to-day challenges.
3. Punctual: If you have made an appointment to quote for some work make sure that you arrive at the agreed time. Quite often you have been asked by the customer to look at issues that need resolving quickly and a good domestic electrician should always understand the urgency and anxiety of the customer’s requirements and be able to provide a quality service in a timely manner. At Electrical Training 4U we have integrated business and commercial advice into our courses to focus on and address this very issue so that our trained domestic electricians stand out amongst the crowd.
4. Reliable and polite: A good Domestic Electrician will always turn up to start a new job on the day and time that he/she has stipulated. Customers want people to keep to the agreed time and date and be polite and courteous. This on the face of it is very simple to achieve but sadly lacking in the domestic electrician market. Electrical Training 4U makes all of its students very aware of this fact within the courses .We do this to highlight to the students that the most effective and cheapest marketing is simply a happy customer as he/she will undoubtedly tell many other people.

If you have got all of the above qualities, chances are that you are destined for a healthy and successful career as an electrician! And, if you need to brush up on any of your qualifications, do not hesitate to get in touch with us... We offer a range of comprehensive electrical training courses, including Part P Training, a PAT Testing Course or full Domestic Electrician Training.

The Right Switch For You

None of us know what the future holds, but we can make sure we are as fully prepared as possible to meet whatever challenges lie ahead, and in this uncertain economic period, there is no better time to give yourself a solid foundation from which to build.

I am the manager of an electrician training course, and these are my top tips to those looking for somewhere to train, whether it is in the electrical field or not.

• Research a lot of courses, and be thorough. Don’t choose the first course or training centre you come across.
• Get on the phone or drop by to talk to the training staff in person. Ask as many questions as you need to build up an accurate picture of the training course, and whether it will be right for you. The staff should be willing and able to answer anything you put to them.
• Watch out for hidden costs. Good training centres will always be honest and upfront about their prices, and there should be no nasty surprises. Most prices should be listed on the course’s website, but if not, speak to someone and find out the exact costs involved.
• Choose a centre that will not abandon you once your training is complete. A good training centre should offer after-course support and advice. My electrical training course, for instance, helps you find cut-price tools, offers advice on marketing yourself, and has people available to answer any questions you might have regarding an unfamiliar scenario or problem you encounter.
• Choose something you are passionate about or think you will enjoy. At the end of the day, you will get out exactly what you put in, and if you commit fully to a training scheme, then you are in a great position to build a successful and rewarding career!

Remember the VAT increase!

A quick word of advice: For those of you considering electrical training or any other type of training course, booking sooner than later might be a good idea. As of January 2011, VAT will be increasing from 17.5% to 20% and this is likely to come as a bit of a blow to those wishing to train or re-train in a particular field - especially if you are not VAT registered. So, keeping a step ahead of the game and booking this side of the New Year could certainly make things easier on your bank balance!