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Thread: UK Electrician... just don't know what else to do...

  1. #11
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    Hi Jaques, that place in Cape town you mention. You say you can do the practical there. What I have asked by the ECA to do is a little portfolio with some pictures of faults and a little diagram explaining why its not to the sans regs and put soem test results in there for good measure. Now the obvious problem is that to do that I need a job, haven't had much joy in that department yet (my CV is spread far and wide accross SA, not one response) so I can't put together a nice little portfolio.(besides I don't want to do a load of work making a portfolio just for it to be put on the bloody great pile that they have at the ECA). When you say you can do practical does that mean you can go in there do whats needed and come out with the unit standards, because thats all I really want to do. Go in, pay, be assessed, walk out with unit standards, jods a good'n. I'm going down to cape town next week, I'm going to call in and see what they say.
    Cheers
    Skatingsparks

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by skatingsparks View Post
    Hi Jaques, that place in Cape town you mention. You say you can do the practical there. What I have asked by the ECA to do is a little portfolio with some pictures of faults and a little diagram explaining why its not to the sans regs and put soem test results in there for good measure. Now the obvious problem is that to do that I need a job, haven't had much joy in that department yet (my CV is spread far and wide accross SA, not one response) so I can't put together a nice little portfolio.(besides I don't want to do a load of work making a portfolio just for it to be put on the bloody great pile that they have at the ECA). When you say you can do practical does that mean you can go in there do whats needed and come out with the unit standards, because thats all I really want to do. Go in, pay, be assessed, walk out with unit standards, jods a good'n. I'm going down to cape town next week, I'm going to call in and see what they say.
    Cheers
    Skatingsparks
    This is exactly what they do. You walk in there with all your information, they go through some information on SANS10142, they take you to their panels (same as training centre panels with 3 phase and 1phase), they show you around, and you start practicing to test on these panels with their help. By the end of the week (Thursday/Friday) you test a 3 phase and 1phase installation by yourself, and if you pass, you pass. Monday the following week they send the information to DOL for accreditation. This process takes a few weeks.

    Phone them first, ask them what you need to bring with (they only do the course with a few people in attendace so you need to book). These guys are inspectors, and the time I were there some of them had master wiremans with more than 10 years experience......point is, they know the business and teach you learn a lot if you ask the questions. They supplied me with all the tools. The whole course is a week, from around 8/9am to 2/3 pm per day.

    A place to stay about 5 minutes away.....Vredekloof country Lodge. 27 Aristea Street, Vredekloof Heights, Brackenfell Tel +27 (21) 982 6505 Fax +27 (21) 982 2074. Bit expensive compared to a formula one hotel, but it works.
    IJS Installations
    Electrical, Residential Gas and Electric fencing.

  3. Thanks given for this post:

    Dave A (23-Nov-09)

  4. #13
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    Liz D

    Hi It is unaceptable that you have been given the run around by ill advised individuals. You can contact Nick at P and T Technology on 011 827 4113/6 and he will be able to help you. He works with the , ESETA, CHIETA,DOL, is chairman of the Electrical Inspection authority and will give you honest advice and steer you in the right direction. He runs a Electrical training
    centre which is also an accredited trade test centre. It is not about money with him but about doing things right.

    Quote Originally Posted by skatingsparks View Post
    I have been on here a few times asking bits and pieces about getting wireman's licence(installation electrician) sorted and this is basically my last.... don't know what you call it but anyway...

    So I am a UK trained electrician, 10+ years. I am here in SA on the Skills Quota Visa(girlfriend is South African) and after much messing around got my UK qualifications assessed by SAQA. When I say messing around I mean hours on the phone, dozens of emails, dozens of letters and a 4 month trip back to the UK for more qualifications and then sitting in there office 3 day straight to make sure they have everything they need. So SAQA say my qualifications equate to an NQF 4, which is bit rubbish because I have been told you can get to an NQF 4 in about 1 year and 3 months(correct me if I'm wrong) if you do all levels back to back and would take at least 3 years to get the papers I have(if you really went for it).

    So I hassel the ECA, trying to find out what I need to do to get my wireman's and have been doing so for over a year. I did the installation rules exam, passed(friking hard but passed). Did the COC course, not rocket science.

    All these courses(ones in the UK and here) and the trip back to the UK have basically wiped out my savings. Saved for hard to come here, and i mean F^%$£"g hard for a really long time just to be dicked around. I haven't worked here since last November and have spent the time since trying to get my wireman's.

    I have been signing of my own work in the UK for quite a few years and its not as if I'm fresh out of college. I'm not saying I know everything about electricity, no one does, but I'm sure I know enough to work out anything I come up against.

    I went to the ECA today and now(after all the times I have been up there) tell me I have to do another one of there course. An assessment of foreign qualifications, costing 2800 rand. Why they didn't tell me to do that course a year ago I don't know. Now I have to wait until Feburary 8th to do that and even then after that I have to do units of credit for testing of a single phase and 3 phase testing. I don't think they realize the impact of there advise has been on my life. If I need to do something, tell me and I'll get it sorted. I was told I needed and equivalent of an NQF 4 before they can do anything, I go back to teh UK get more qualifications, and it still isn't enough

    I can't start my own business, visa restrictions. Haven't done the SA trade test and don't intend to spend the 11 grand charged for the preparation to do it either. I'm due to do it some time between now and September 2010 according to the useless people at Olifontain, but who knows

    If anyone has any ideas what I can do as after a year of messing around with this I'm pretty much broke. I have spent a fortune trying to sort this out, not to mention the lost the wages would usually get if i had just stayed working in the UK.(don't care if you have the weather and the so called SA lifestyle ain't so great to be honest, not a patch on what life was like in the UK, you just sit and wait for things to be sorted here, great).

    I have wasted a year of my life on this

    Open to suggestions and no the girlfriend won't go back to the UK, her families here.

    CV if you know anyone who would be interested

    http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=9...8b19ba0e1b98eb

    Out of ideas and enthusiasm....

  5. Thanks given for this post:

    Dave A (24-Nov-09)

  6. #14
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    Hi there Jaques
    Went to see those people you recommended and it sounds very promising. They seem very sure of what I need to do, none of the usual d^%$ing around and come back in a while or , just wait. It was just right, you need this, this and this and this is when you can do it and this is how much it will cost.

    Which is exactly all I have wanted all along.

    Its not cheap like you say but I would rather fly back down from Jo'burg, hire a car, pay for a hotel and the course just to get it done because its better than being messed around anymore and waiting. As the old expression goes "time is money". Trying to sort out flights for the course before Christmas.

    If anyone can think of anything that the DOL could possible ask for then please let me know before I fork out another large wedge of cash.

    I have the NQF 4 (UK Certs assassed by SAQA came back as NQF 4), have installation rules papers 1 and 2 and will hopefully soon be paying a small fortune to come back to cape town to sort out the "testing and inspection of a 3 phase installation" unit standards as previously mentioned.

    I can do no more.

    By the, way many thanks to Jaques. Hopefully I'm on the right path now

  7. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by skatingsparks View Post
    Hi there Jaques
    Went to see those people you recommended and it sounds very promising. They seem very sure of what I need to do, none of the usual d^%$ing around and come back in a while or , just wait. It was just right, you need this, this and this and this is when you can do it and this is how much it will cost.

    Which is exactly all I have wanted all along.

    Its not cheap like you say but I would rather fly back down from Jo'burg, hire a car, pay for a hotel and the course just to get it done because its better than being messed around anymore and waiting. As the old expression goes "time is money". Trying to sort out flights for the course before Christmas.

    If anyone can think of anything that the DOL could possible ask for then please let me know before I fork out another large wedge of cash.

    I have the NQF 4 (UK Certs assassed by SAQA came back as NQF 4), have installation rules papers 1 and 2 and will hopefully soon be paying a small fortune to come back to cape town to sort out the "testing and inspection of a 3 phase installation" unit standards as previously mentioned.

    I can do no more.

    By the, way many thanks to Jaques. Hopefully I'm on the right path now
    Its a pleasure, I can only tell you what I know from my experience. Attached is a link to the DOL registered person brochure, on the last page is the foreign qualifications bit, which may help you. This is the DOL's form, so as long as you meet these requirements they can't argue.

    http://www.uif.gov.za/downloads/docu...%20persons.doc
    IJS Installations
    Electrical, Residential Gas and Electric fencing.

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    Dave A (27-Nov-09)

  9. #16
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    One last question...

    Just read through the paper work on that course. I need to do "valuation of previously coached or self inspection and test results collected by you"

    I don't have any, did weeks of testing when I was working at the airport, just never kept any of it. Didn't think I would need it again. I worked with an installation electrician and once he saw that I knew what I was doing he let me get on with it he, checked the results and that was it. Never kept copies of any of teh COC's or any of the test results.

    Signed of 100's of jobs in the UK and have a few bits an piece on that.

    Do you think I will need them?? did you have to take any with you when you did the course?

    I'll phone them Monday but today, I'm making plans, booking flight, hotels, cars etc....

    Thanks

  10. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by skatingsparks View Post
    One last question...

    Just read through the paper work on that course. I need to do "valuation of previously coached or self inspection and test results collected by you"
    As far as I know (and I may be wrong on this one, seeing as you're qualifications is a little different than mine):

    The fact that you are demonstrating practically your knowledge on the course satisfies the requirement of the unit standard to have eg. 2 practical examples. They will definitely keep the COC's you complete on the course as your evidence. I had no practical experience as a) at the time this was not my core business, and b) I asked other guys if I could join them on site, but they were reluctant as they have to sign you off etc. So the short answer, I think you're fine?
    IJS Installations
    Electrical, Residential Gas and Electric fencing.

  11. #18
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    Hi Skatingsparks,

    I myself did my qualification in the UK, ive been here for 10 years and im moving back to SA at the end of the year.

    I currently hold.
    C&G 2330 levels 2 & 3
    C&G 2356 NVQ level 3
    C&G 2391 Testing and Inspection
    17th Edition

    Did you eventually get your qualification transfered?
    If so, what did you eventually need to do and whats the best way to do this?

    Seemed like you had quite a nightmare getting things sorted, man I hope I dont struggle as much as you did!

    look forward to hearing from you.

  12. #19
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    Hi dark blue.

    Yep I got it sorted eventually. Right, to save you a year of life messing around this is the way I went.
    Take all your papers to SAQA, emphasize the NVQ 3, thats what equates to NQF 4. If you have NQF 4 you don't need a trade test and after working 10 years you probably don't need to anyways. Trade tests here seem pointless, no offence, but I haven't met many people who have a trade test who I would say that they are electricians.

    In the mean time your going to have to do your wiring regs course here papers 1 and 2. I went to the ECA, they run the course over weekends over 8 weeks. The exam is insanely hard. Seriously, even if you know your stuff they put things in there that you will never have come across or ever likely to come across. If your coming to Joburg, speak to Chris Koen at the ECA, he's a good guy. Its hard, you will have to study. Its not like the 17th edition exam, where you just need to know how to use a refernce book, here you going to need to practically memorise the book(s). Seriously HARD! 130 people took they exam the day I did and 2 passed.

    You also need to do the unit standards of testing a three phase commercial industrial installation and the unit standards for completing a Certificate of compliance. Do yourself a favor. Phone the the WCAEIA in cape town. Find out when they are running the course and pay. (http://www.wcaeia.co.za/)
    I got messed around a lot trying to get these unit standards. Lots of places told me I need to be doing tests and inspections on different installations and compiling a little portfolio. If you got the City and Guilds testing and inspecting you will laugh at how simple this one is. You got to have the bit of paper though, because TIA. If you don't want to be messed around just get to Cape Town, Pay your money, do the course and its done. They don't mess you around at the WCAEIA.

    Once you have your SAQA assessment(the part requiring patience, especially if they loose your papers, twice) , your wiring regs papers 1 and 2 (the hard part, study and study hard) and your unit standard for testing a 3 phase installation and completing a COC(er.. nice trip to cape town) then you just apply to the Department Of Labor. All the links are on this forum somewhere. If you can't find them let me know. Takes 8b week sonce all that is at teh DOL

    Hope it helps. Contact me if you need anything.

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  14. #20
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    oh, bring a tester with you, the fluke 1653B is around 25000 rand over here, I bought mine over from the UK and it cost less than half that, although they charged me Zuma Added Tax when I shipped it over. Still cheaper though.

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