“We will put you in touch with a specialist company that provides trades training courses for individuals.”

Be aware that some providers are not regulated or approved to offer qualifications, but will sub-contract others to offer these on your behalf.

You may also see statements such as this, which show that a third party is involved in your training:

Statements about third parties may also be hidden within the terms and conditions small print, for instance:

We’d recommend you contract directly with the training provider who is actually delivering the training and qualification.

Make sure they are regulated by an Awarding Organisation that offers industry-approved qualifications, such as City & Guilds, EAL or LCL Awards. Going through a third party may cost you more and if things go wrong, it will be more difficult to take action because your contract is not actually with the provider.

Example 1:

//Professional Electrician Course

The qualification you will be working towards:

• City & Guilds 2365 Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations (Buildings, Structures)
• City & Guilds 2392 – Certificate in Fundamental Inspection, Testing and Initial Verification
• 2391-52 Level 3 Award in Inspection and Testing

This example is a mix of a knowledge qualification (C&G 2365) and other courses that are best taken as further development after you have qualified.

It does not make you a Professional Electrician – unfortunately, because the title Electrician is not currently controlled, training providers can make these claims. See our What Training Should I Choose? page for a link to the courses that the industry truly recognises as leading to qualified, professional status.

However, some training providers use the word ‘college‘ in their title to try to give a similar impression. They may simply be agencies who will contract other providers to deliver training and qualifications to you.

Be very careful when using these services – we strongly recommend always contracting directly with the actual training provider and ensuring they are accredited by an awarding organisation. You can check whether a provider is approved through these links:

• City and Guilds
• EAL
• LCL Awards

The National Careers Service also has a search facility which lists approved training providers.

Check the provider’s accreditations

Some websites may look impressive with lots of official logos, but the training provider may not be authorised to use them.

Look carefully at any accreditations. The three awarding organisations that develop electrical qualifications are City & Guilds, EAL and LCL Awards, who regulate and audit their approved centres.

If you’re unsure whether the accreditation or a claim is genuine, check it via the website of the Awarding Organisation.

Some providers may also work with recognised industry bodies, such as JIB Preferred Providers and ECA Educational Associates.

If you’re doubting the authenticity of a training provider who seems to accredited, please contact us and we’ll check it out on your behalf.

• Being asked to submit your parent’s or partner’s details for the credit check if it’s unlikely you can pass the credit check yourself
• Being asked to falsify figures on the affordability statement, or the sales person telling you what to write in order to pass.
• If the affordability paperwork shows you do not have sufficient funds for the finance agreement. We have seen instances where people have signed up for a finance agreement even though the affordability shows they were living with parents, unemployed and had insufficient money available for training.

Read the contract wording carefully and consider the implications of what is being laid out.

Don’t be pressured, take advice from reputable industry bodies if you are unsure. Watch out for wording in the small print of the agreement that can cause unexpected issues.

Take a look at some of these examples and our advice:

A time limit on completion and costs for extension:

To become a industry-recognise qualified electrician with zero prior experience you would need around four years of training (check out the TESP routes for more details). , There is a risk that you would not be able to complete the qualifications on offer within the 36 months period, bearing in mind the NVQ requires work-based experience and evidence. Contractually you may not have the ability to extend without incurring further costs.

Additional costs for practical days:

There are no shortcuts to gaining industry-recognised qualification as an electrician and it cannot be done with self-study workbooks or classroom training alone. A significant amount of practical training is required. Be aware that the number of practical sessions on offer may not be sufficient and you may be subject to additional costs. There may be issues with availability and location of practical days, which could increase the time needed to complete.

Consider the feasibility of work experience requirements:

If you wish to complete the NVQ you will need a considerable amount of on-site work experience to demonstrate the evidence required and be assessed on site. Consider carefully if you are likely to secure this on your own and look at specific conditions around whether your training provider is likely to help you with this.

This may also impact on the duration of your course if you cannot find work experience within the time allowed.

Separate to the NVQ, any courses for ‘domestic installer’ qualifications are classroom-based and the training is short in duration. There is limited opportunity to practise skills in the workplace under supervision, demonstrate your performance in the workplace or develop the technical knowledge and understanding that’s expected of an electrician. Domestic installers require two years’ evidence of responsibility for the technical standard of electrotechnical work to meet the application criteria for a certification or registration body offering an electrical Competent Person Scheme.