Our british qualifications any good in South Africa??

[bossmanmonkey]

Hi.

I have studied to be a electrician in the UK. I've been here about 8 years! i've had enough of this grumpy country and all! I miss the sunshine and the rugby!!!

I have studied city & guilds 2330 level 2 and Level 3
with the update 17th edition wire regulations!!

could anyone share a light on this!

Thank you

Michael

[bossmanmonkey]

Does anyone have something to say??
Im south african and i want to return home!
i need to know if my qualifications will be any use back home!!!!
Cheers
Michael

[Dave A]

Apparently it's still a nightmare, but Skatingsparks seems to have blazed the trail.

[skatingsparks]

If you have your NVQ3 your on your way. If you don't, do it quick before you come back unless you have already done the south african trade test. The rest of the info is on this forum. Got my wiremans licence here now but it took a year and a half of b&^%s&*^. Its the NVQ 3 you need to get you ahead, even though its worthless, in my opinion, compared to the 236 pt one and 2. Seriously though GET THE NVQ 3. Your life back here will be easier. They just want bits of paper. 8 years of experience counts for nothing here.

[bossmanmonkey]

i've got my NVQ 3 and the updated wire regulations last year!
will it be hard to get into a well established electrical company? with these qualifications ive got?

[skatingsparks]

Well, I applied to over 300 jobs in 2009 and got one interview. I have City and Guilds 236 part 1 and part 2, testing and inspecting, design and verification, NVQ 3, City and guilds 16th and 17th edition wiring Regs and 16 years experience and the last job I did in the UK was running a housing rewire project worth 60 million pounds. I have my JIB Site technician grading, platinum card and the only job I managed to get was fitting Geyser controllers for 50 bucks an hour. BEE + white foreigner + lots of people desperate for jobs = me getting my wiremans license and strating out on my own.
If you have you NVQ 3 you don't need to do a trade test when you equate you UK qualifications to SA ones. A NVQ3 is the equivilent of NQF 4 which is what comes after your SA trade test usually. You then have to do unit standards for testing and inspecting a 3 phase installation(there sylabus is like 3 A4 pages and takes 2 days and is so simple compared to teh testing course in the UK. Also unit standards for Completing a certificate of compliance. You also need to do the Regs exam over here which is a rediculously hard exam, go see the ECA and they run courses on it. Then you can apply for your wiremans license as an installation electrician which will give you a better chance of getting work.
The strange thing I found was that because I didn't have my NVQ 3 when I first came to SA I was considered an apprentice because I hadn't done my SA trade test. Went from Plantinum card holding JIB rated site technician to apprentice just by getting on a plane. And the standard of work is sooooooo low compared to the UK. Better of trying to work for yourself. Even when you have your wiremans they wages are still kak usually and you will be asked to sign of some rough work, which I just won't do.
Its quite easy to get a little business going over here if you do a good job.

[AndyD]

I agree with Skatingsparks, look to setting yourself up in self employment. You'll need enough outlay for a vehicle but after that most of your expenses will be relative to your income assuming you're importing your tools and testers. Unless you have a good contact, the chances of walking into a decent paid job with a large or well established company are slim....bordering on anorexic, regardless of NVQ 3 qualifications.

[skatingsparks]

that reminds me, bring testers from the UK. INSANELY expensive here. Fluke 1653B in uk about 7000 rand, here 30000+.

[Electrical Inspectors]

Yes go to SAQA and get foreign qualification / NQF 4 depending on UK qualification