“There needs to be a level of control and authorisation that currently does not exist,” commented Paul Meenan, The e5 Group, a non-profit organisation that offers free advice and support to the industry, during an interview on The Electrical Show with Thomas Nagy.

“Our industry has to do more to help develop our skills and knowledge and how to apply that,’ he added.

In recent years the rapid rise of short training courses promising to turn candidates into qualified electricians in a matter of days has caused confusion and anger in equal measure across the industry.

Industry pushback has seen training bodies retreat from the more misleading qualification claims. However, the electrical industry is still plagued by ‘rouge trainers’.

To combat the problem The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP) launched a video to help the next generation of electricians choose the right course for their career.  

“There are still too many reports of people spending thousands of pounds with companies who wilfully mispresent where their training leads, said Ruth Devine, TESP chair and managing director of SID Electrical.

“Some providers use high pressure sales techniques to trap learners with a large financial commitment, but devious contract terms mean there no realistic prospect of achieving the qualification,” she added.

Industry trade associations, like NIC are disavowing short courses. However, not before “tens of thousands of people”, have completed short electrical courses, said Meenan.

“It is a difficult conversation that the industry bodies need to have because we cannot kick these people to the curb. We need to do something to try and help support them,” he explained while on the show.

Meenan is regularly contacted by learners who are trying to “level-up”, their skills, but are being failed by their training organisations. “They have almost consciously realised that there is a problem with the training they have been sold,” he added.

Unfortunately, competing ‘awarding’ bodies in the industry is also causing confusion among some electricians and consumers. Many of those responsible for hiring electricians will not have 'like for like' understanding of the different courses and qualifications. Although EAL and City & Guilds courses are comparable, EAL has a much lower profile with industry professionals, said Meenan.

The confusion extends into the consumer world, where most customers have no idea of the value of an electricians’ qualifications. The absence of a single industry certificate to operate, such as the Gas Safe system enables operators to practise with a minimum of qualifications and without further surveillance or checks.

“The industry needs to do more to say ‘any electrician that knocks on your door must be qualified, but the awarding bodies are these – so get familiar with these brands,” said Meenan.

“In my opinion we should just have City & Guilds and that is it, because it is the brand the everybody knows and trusts, like Gas Safe. Everybody knows you’re Gas Safe accredited – end of. It just removes any confusion and homeowners get that,” he explained.