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18th Edition Regulation

The 18th Edition regulation is a set of guidelines for the safe installation and maintenance of electrical wiring systems in the UK. It is published by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and is commonly referred to as the Wiring Regulations. The 18th Edition regulation came into effect in July 2022 and is the most significant update to the Wiring Regulations in over 20 years.

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18th Edition Regulation

The 18th Edition regulation is a set of guidelines for the safe installation and maintenance of electrical wiring systems in the UK. It is published by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and is commonly referred to as the Wiring Regulations. The 18th Edition regulation came into effect in July 2022 and is the most significant update to the Wiring Regulations in over 20 years.

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City and Guilds Electrical Courses

So you want to change careers and become a professional electrician? Great! You'll love the electrical trade, and the UK's current skills shortage means that you should have no trouble finding plenty of work, especially with our C&G electrical courses and qualifications

But you can't start working as an electrician without the proper training and qualifications. Electrical work is very dangerous if you don't know exactly what you're doing, so it's very important to learn all the relevant theory, develop your skills under the supervision of an experienced electrician, and get certified before you begin your new career.

Here at Access Training, we offer a range of accredited City and Guilds electrical courses that are specifically designed for inexperienced electricians who want to train up, get qualified, and go professional. Even if you've never so much as changed a plug before, our City and Guilds electrical courses will mould you into a skilled electrician in no time - we'll teach you everything you need to know and help you to earn the industry qualifications that domestic electricians are expected to hold.

Browse our C&G Electrical Courses

Established in 1878, City & Guilds - or the City and Guilds of London Institute, to use its full name - is one of several trusted awarding organisations with whom we work to deliver high-quality electrical courses. If you're interested in earning City & Guilds electrical qualifications through our C&G electrical courses, Access Training can help.

 

What Electrical Qualifications can I earn with Access Training C&G Courses?

Depending on which training programme you choose, you can earn some or all of the following certifications on our City & Guilds electrical courses:

 

Domestic Electrical Installer

This is one of the basic industry qualifications that all electricians must hold. Part P qualifies you to install and repair lights, electrical sockets, cooker circuits, and other consumer units in domestic properties.

Included in the following electrical courses:
Essential // Professional // Premier

 

Level 3 Building Regulations

This is another must-have qualification that's included in all of our career change electrical courses. Earning this certification will show that you have a good working knowledge of the latest electrical regulations.

Included in the following electrical courses:
Essential // Professional // Premier

 

Level 3 Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)

Many self-employed electricians find that they can boost their income by performing PAT tests in addition to domestic installations and maintenance. This course component will teach you how to test electrical devices and prevent potentially dangerous accidents.

Included in the following electrical courses:
Essential // Professional // Premier

 

Level 2 Fundamental Inspection & Testing

Inspection and testing is an important skill for professional electricians to hold. This qualification - also known as City & Guilds 2392 - will allow you to inspect and test new installations (as well as new circuits on existing installations).

Included in the following electrical courses:
Essential // Professional // Premier

 

Level 3 Periodic Inspection & Testing

This qualification goes further than the City & Guilds 2392 certification, enabling you to issue safety reports and recommend any additional works that may be necessary. Sometimes known as City & Guilds 2391-51, the periodic inspection and testing qualification is ideal for budding electricians who wish to carry out commercial and industrial (as well as domestic) work.

Included in the following electrical courses:
Essential // Professional // Premier

 

Our electrician courses combine online learning with intensive hands-on training to give you a comprehensive understanding of your new trade in a relatively short timeframe. If you'd like to enrol on one of our C&G accredited electrical courses, please click on one of the course options listed above or contact Access Training today!

 C&G Electrical Courses

Last updated 17 December 2021.

As of the 1st July, the Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS) are no longer issuing the Green Construction Site Operative (CSO) card, replacing it with a brand new Green Labourer Card.

The CSCS’ role is to provide a scheme for the construction industry that confirms site workers’ training and qualifications. However many site workers carrying out skilled occupations have been applying for the green CSO card simply as the easiest route to gain access to construction sites. This in turn has made it difficult for contractors to use CSCS cards as a reliable method of checking that site workers have the appropriate skills to work on construction sites safely and effectively.

The new card requires applicants to achieve the Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification, designed to improve safe working practices on UK construction sites. This isn't just applicable to newcomers to the construction industry either - those who need to renew their card will also require this qualification.

City & Guilds will be supplying this as the 6072 qualification, which we are approved to run here in Cardiff at Access Training. For those closer to the Kent area that need to complete this to start their brand new career, we will soon also be providing the same service at our sister centre the Plumbing Academy. For more information on what this qualification entails and to book your place, get in touch with our course advisers on 0800 345 7492.

Every so often its good for this blog to break away for the wealth of industry news going on in the world, and there's never a better reason for it than to share our own students' success stories. Today we've got some REALLY good news to share, as we congratulate last month's electrician students on completing their 2395 Electrical Inspection and Testing courses with a 100% pass rate!

The City & Guilds 2395 Periodic Inspection & Testing is renowned for being a notoriously difficult qualification to achieve. It is aimed at experienced electricians (and thus there are specific criteria candidates need to meet before they can even attempt the exam) who wish to gain further knowledge in the inspection, testing and certification of electrical installations. The assessment itself consists of the following three parts;

  • A multi-choice online exam
  • A closed book written exam
  • A practical exam

Upon successful completion, candidates will be able to complete the Electrical Condition Installation Report. However the difficulty of the course is reflected in the pass rate, with the last Chief Examiner's Report (dated December 2013) showing a national pass rate of 47%. Nevertheless, Access Training has remained confident in its ability to deliver the test, promising candidates that against the odds they too will be able to gain this highly sought after qualification. And our results for February prove that we weren't wrong.

100% of our entrants passed the exam last month, and our sister centre The Plumbing Academy wasn't far behind with four out of five of their candidates also achieving this prestigious qualification. Very few, if any, centres have achieved such pass rates in the past, collectively making Access Training Academies among the top training centres in the country for this qualification. But this isn't our success - a huge congratulations to all our successful students and all the best with your new qualification and career prospects.

Centre manager Tony Maus said, "When you compare the national pass rate with our own in both centres the results just speak for themselves. This is fantastic news and well done to all our successful candidates. They've earned it."

If you're an experienced electrician looking to further their career and skillset, have you thought about giving the 2395 qualification a go yourself? At Access we are determined to maintain this excellent pass rate well into the future and look forward to you being a part of it, so give us a call on 0800 345 7492 to find out more.

The apparent skills shortage and lack of young people joining the construction sector continues to be a burning issue for the industry, training centres, colleges and awarding bodies alike. Construction productivity has been steadily growing over the past few months and is expected to continue in the next few years, however a significant portion of the existing workforce is set to retire and meanwhile schools seem to be actively discouraging leaving students to take up vocational careers in the industry. These things mixed together sound like a recipe for disaster, so it's no wonder that the CITB have referred to the incoming scenario as a "ticking time bomb". Something needs to be done, and the first port of call is better promotion of apprenticeships and an eventual career in the construction industry to young adults - namely 16-25 year olds. And the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Construction Training Industry Board (CITB) and City & Guilds have all been doing research into how this can be achieved.

To begin, the CIOB and CITB joined forces last month to help produce a cross-party parliamentary enquiry entitled "No more lost generations: Creating construction jobs for young people". The cover of the 23-page report sums up the problem succinctly - Britain has one million NEETs (Not in education, employment or training) aged 16-24, and there are at least 182,000 construction jobs to be filled by 2018. However only 7,280 completed a construction apprenticeship last year - prompting the bodies' to firmly say "We have to do better."

Amongst the full report, which highlights the difficult economic recession the construction industry went through and how its recovery is progressing, a number of different strategies are suggested to solve this very real problem. These include:

  • Improving understanding in schools of the wide variety of careers the construction industry offers. This includes traditional crafts, management and even computer-based modelling.
  • Making it easier for young people to find an appropriate entry route into the industry - whether it be through apprenticeships or qualifications.
  • Ensuring training programmes are better linked to the nature of jobs likely to be available
  • Using the levers available through public-sector procurement and the planning system to require realistic and effective training and employment commitments from employers.
  • Securing greater commitment and buy-in from industry leaders.

The report also put forward a selection of proposed actions to help bring about these improvements, including a training summit between the CITB and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with backing from the Construction Leadership Council. Additional measures suggested included a revitalised apprenticeship strategy, local authorities to leverage planning obligations, more leadership from social landlords and public bodies and finally a step change in the careers advice young people receive.

Meanwhile City & Guilds own research, titled "Building Futures on Shifting Foundations", looked at what skills, education and training was currently required by the construction industry. It took a sample of 344 respondents - made up of 168 senior managers from construction businesses and 176 education providers who deliver qualifications needed to break into the industry. The research was done in relation to Construction 2025, a joint strategy between the Government and Industry that sets out how Britain could be at the forefront of global construction in the future. 

The survey identified that employers do indeed recognise a skills gap when it comes to driving the construction industry forward, with the main skills they felt lacking being:

  • Trade skills - 42% recognising a gap
  • Maths and English - 39% recognising a gap
  • Problem solving - 35% recognising a gap
  • Technical skills - 31% recognising  a gap

Most importantly though the survey revealed although apprenticeships may be the key to fixing the industry's problems, employers aren't utilising this vital role. The survey found:

  • 42% of businesses said that they currently employ no apprentices
  • 40% said apprentices made up less than 1% of their workforce
  • Just over half (56%) said they don't plan to take on any apprentices in the next year
Problems cited by these employers included "funding issues" and "uncertainty around my firm's workload", however a significant proportion (70%) recognised the financial support they could receive by taking on an apprentice. They also questioned respondents on the Richard Review - an independent report issued to review the current apprenticeship system and identify how it can changed to meet the needs of the future economy. While half (49%) admitted that they had not heard of the report before, upon learning more about it 56% agreed it is important for the future of the construction industry. 

For more in-depth detail, read the full reports here:

CIOB/CITB: No More Lost Generations: Creating construction jobs for
young people (PDF)

City & Guilds: Building Futures on Shifting Foundations (PDF)

 

The outlook is currently very bright for the construction industry, however in order for things to work out successfully the path it must take is clear. Official bodies of all different origin agree that young people taking up a career in construction in the key to plugging this skills shortage and ensuring that the construction "boom" really is a boom. Careers in bricklaying, carpentry, plastering, tiling and painting/decorating are not the stereotypical jobs many media outlets portray them to be. As well as the crucial element of skill and technique required by them, these active careers are varied and exciting - with workers citing them as among the happiest of careers as well as enjoying an impressive salary. If academic education doesn't appeal to you or you want to enter a line of work where this is actually a place for you, then a construction career may be just what you're looking for and Access Training is right here to help. We offer intensive training courses in all construction trades, making us one of the most varied training centres in the UK. At our state-of-the-art training centre just on the outskirts of Cardiff city centre you'll be able to learn the vital skills from experienced professionals, earning the necessary qualifications in a fraction of the time you would with a college course - without skimping on any of the quality!

To find out more about what we can offer you here at Access to kickstart your new career in the fastest and most effective way possible, give our advice team a call on 0800 345 7492.

Get in touch to learn more about our training courses!

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