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Time Business News
5 days ago
- Business
- Time Business News
Switching Careers into Electrics: A 2025 Guide from First Screwdriver to NVQ Level 3
Redundancies in retail, the rise of hybrid working, and the unstoppable march of green technology have all pushed adults to rethink their job security. One trade keeps surfacing as both future-proof and well-paid: electrical installation. Yet many would-be learners stall at the starting line because they don't know which electrician course to trust, how long each stage truly takes, or where the on-site experience will come from. Elec Training Birmingham has spent the past two years building a 'classroom-to-career' ladder that answers those questions step by step. Below is a fresh, 700-word overview for 2025 entry—ideal reading if you are starting from scratch, part-qualified, or simply curious whether you could earn a Gold Card before the decade's out. Net-zero deadlines – Every EV charger, heat-pump retrofit, and solar-PV array requires certified sparks. – Every EV charger, heat-pump retrofit, and solar-PV array requires certified sparks. Aging workforce – Almost one-third of UK electricians will reach retirement age by 2032, according to JIB data. – Almost one-third of UK electricians will reach retirement age by 2032, according to JIB data. Regulatory complexity – Each new Amendment to BS 7671 creates compliance tasks that can't be automated or shipped offshore. Result: national job boards now list more electrician ads than there are Gold Card holders to fill them, and day rates continue to tick upwards. Elec Training's pathway is modular; start where it suits your experience and diary: Module Duration Outcome Entry Skills Week 5 days Strip & terminate cables, wire two basic circuits Diploma Block 6 weeks (part-time) City & Guilds Level 2 & foundational regs Advanced Design Block 8 weeks (part-time) Level 3 diploma; ready for on-site role Placement & NVQ 8–10 months Evidence for the nvq level 3 electrical logbook AM2E Test 3 days Competence certificate → ECS Gold Card 2 weeks admin Higher pay + site access Learners may skip Entry Week if they already hold basic hand-skills or have worked as a mate. Colleges often deliver the theory then leave learners hunting for the site evidence that the NVQ demands. Elec Training fixes that with two full-time recruiters whose only task is to match students with vetted contractors: 120+ partner firms in domestic, commercial, and renewables niches in domestic, commercial, and renewables niches Average gap between Level 3 finish and first paid shift: 12.4 days 87 percent of 2024 cohort completed NVQ portfolios in under ten months The placement desk remains at your side: if a firm's workload dries up or evidence variety is lacking, you're moved within seven days so logbook progress does not stall. To gain full status you must show competence in twelve categories: safe isolation, containment, first-fix, second-fix, three-phase terminations, test and inspection, fault rectification, and client hand-over. Evidence lives in a cloud app: Photo or video – demonstrate the task Supporting document – test sheet, risk assessment, permit Supervisor e-signature – authenticates the work Weekly mentor nights review uploads, flagging gaps early. Two assessor visits then confirm authenticity. One tiny grammar error in a note is fine; missing safe-isolation pics is not. Exam nerves fall when nothing on the rig looks new. Elec Training's lab mimics the NET assessment bay—same trunking, same timed fault board. Learners rehearse each section until they can finish with ten minutes spare. 2024 pass rate: 91 percent first attempt, 14 points above the national mean. Role Typical Midlands pay (2025) Gold-Card domestic installer £200–£240 day Commercial site electrician £25–£28 hour Solar-PV & battery specialist £46–£52 k salary EV-charger subcontractor £260 per 7 kW unit Add evening call-outs and small works and a motivated sole trader can surpass £60 k by year three. Interest-free instalments over 12 months. over 12 months. Skills Bootcamp grants up to 100 percent for green-tech add-ons (EV, PV, storage). up to 100 percent for green-tech add-ons (EV, PV, storage). Swap cohorts once per module free—handy for shift patterns or childcare changes. 'You need a van first.' False; borrow centre tools & lift-share during placement. 'Amendments force full retakes.' False; CPD session suffices until a new edition drops. 'I'm too old.' Our oldest 2024 graduate was 52 and now mentors apprentices. Book an open-evening tour—try the safe-isolation simulator. Download the pathway PDF for dates & prices. Choose a start date; intakes cap at 14 to guarantee bench time. Secure funding—speak to advisors about grants or instalments. A skills gap plus rising green-tech demand equals genuine opportunity. Pick a structured electrician course, commit to the nvq level 3 electrical evidence plan, and Elec Training Birmingham will steer you from novice to Gold Card holder before some of your peers finish their second year at university. The market needs sparks; the timeline is clear; your circuit to a new career is ready to close. Plug in and power up. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Time Business News
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
From Classroom to Gold Card: How Elec Training Birmingham Streamlines the NVQ Journey
The UK still needs thousands of qualified electricians, and most vacancies specify one credential above all others: the nvq level 3 electrical. At Elec Training Birmingham we meet adults every week who finished their Level 2 and 3 diplomas elsewhere yet remain stuck at 'part-qualified' because no one showed them how to complete a site portfolio. This article explains the full pathway, the pitfalls, and the support systems that turn paperwork into a Gold Card—without stalling your income. Employers, insurers, and scheme providers agree on one thing: theory exams alone can't prove competency. The NVQ gathers real evidence—photos, test sheets, safe-isolation videos—showing you have carried out core tasks under site conditions. Finish it and the ECS Gold Card follows, instantly lifting your day rate by 20 percent in many regions. Skip it and you will often be capped at improver wages. Roadblock Typical cause Elec Training solution No qualified supervisor to sign evidence Small firms can't spare one In-house recruitment desk pairs you with vetted contractors who understand the logbook Poor photo quality or missing test data Learner uncertainty Workshop session on 'evidence that passes first time,' including a checklist app Assessor delays Over-booked freelancers Two staff assessors on payroll, site visits booked at intake It are amazing how many weeks disappear chasing corrections—our system prevents 90 % of re-submissions. Weeks 0–4 – Fast-Track Theory Block Small-group classes cover science refreshers, cable calcs, and 18th Edition updates. Evening revision is online, saving commute time. Weeks 5–6 – Skills Bootcamp Live consumer-unit swaps, fault-finding on three-phase boards, and the first mock AM2 tasks. Week 7 – Placement start Before you leave the building our recruitment desk confirms your first paid site day. Evidence logging begins using the cloud app you practised in class. Weeks 8–32 – Portfolio building Twelve critical tasks: trunking, testing, containment, three fault rectifications, and two final-circuit commissions. Mentors check uploads every Friday. Week 20 – Assessor visit #1 Safe isolation, continuity testing, and RCD auto-sequence witnessed on site. Instant feedback so you know what still needs polish. Week 32 – Assessor visit #2 Final inspection. If all boxes tick, the logbook heads for internal quality-assurance. Week 36 – AM2E exam Three-day competence test at our partner centre. Mock exams and kit practice slash nerves. Week 38 – ECS Gold Card application Admin team scans results, populates your online JIB profile, and hits submit. Typical turnaround: 14 days. Elec Training Birmingham runs monthly clinics on invoicing, VAT thresholds, and late-payment steps, because earning well means keeping cash flowing. Graduates also get six months' free access to our Smart-Home lab, letting you practise Zigbee and EV-charger setups before pitching them to clients. Do I need my own tools to start? No. We provide calibrated testers and hand tools until you're earning enough to invest. Can I keep my day job while training? Yes. Evening theory blocks plus Saturday workshops fit around most nine-to-five schedules. Is prior site experience essential? Helpful but not mandatory. Our placement network includes low-risk domestic rewires for true beginners. How do I actually learn how to get your nvq level 3 electrical portfolio right first time? Start with our free PDF checklist, then follow the evidence templates inside the learning app—every assessor tick box mirrors those forms. Priya, 27, career-changer: 'Finished Level 3 elsewhere, got stuck for months. Elec Training placed me with a local maintenance outfit; portfolio done in five visits and I passed AM2 first go.' Damian, 35, ex-army: 'Fast-track timetable meant I kept my security-guard job at nights. Sixteen weeks later I'm on £180/day and booked solid.' Thousands of electricians hold the theory but not the full NVQ. With structured mentoring, guaranteed site time, and in-house assessing, Elec Training Birmingham collapses that bottleneck. Book a campus tour, test the VR rigs, and see how close you already are to a Gold Card. The trade needs you qualified—let's finish the job together. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
CNBC
20-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Trump deportations are a headwind for this fast food stock, Stifel warns
Aggressive U.S. immigration policies could mean trouble for Jack in the Box , according to Stifel. The investment firm downgraded shares of the fast-food restaurant chain to hold from buy. Analyst Chris O'Cull also lowered his price target to $20 per share from $32, implying 17% upside. O'Cull said President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration policies will likely create a significant sales headwind, with unrest and fears of deportation further squeezing the stock. The analyst noted that Jack in the Box is significantly more popular with Hispanic consumers in particular, versus other quick service restaurants. "With a heavy concentration of JIB stores on the West Coast (50%+ system units) and specifically in SoCal (~30% of system units), the disruption to foot traffic, curfews, and broader community unease has likely weighed heavily on sales in some trade areas," he wrote. "More broadly, we believe Hispanic customers are likely to pull back in response to the highly publicized immigration enforcement actions that sparked the unrest." Deteriorating sales are also a headwind for a stock that's down 59% year to date, O'Cull said. JACK YTD mountain JACK YTD forecast "If sales trends continue to deteriorate, the company may fall short of its internal free cash flow targets, which could delay or reduce the scale of planned debt repayment. While we continue to believe the company will be able to execute a sale of Del Taco given the steady inbound interest, the timing and valuation of the transaction will be critical in determining how much deleveraging progress can be made," he noted. Jack in the Box shares shed more than 1% in the premarket following the downgrade. Most analysts are on the sidelines when it comes to Jack in the Box. LSEG data shows that 13 of 20 analysts covering the stock have a hold rating.
