No revision for domestic installer qualification
The electrical industry has breathed a sigh of relief as newly announced delays mean a
smoother 2012 for all.
Training providers such as Trade Skills 4U and electrical industry officials alike will now be able to relax as the domestic installer’s qualification changes have been delayed until April 2013. Although revisions to the qualification were eagerly awaited by all, due to the complexity of the qualification, officials confirmed that it was too comprehensive to rush to meet the expected launch date of 1 January 2012.
The decision to delay the revision was agreed at the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification Management Committee meeting in December 2011 where it was announced that ‘the new level 3 qualification is expected to become available by June 2012, with the first candidates completing some two month later.’
The new requirements will come into effect on 6 April 2013, still leaving five different routes satisfying the requirement for registration as a Qualified Supervisor.
The first announcement of the revision came in July 2010 when qualification body, EAL, announced that the entry requirements for the domestic installer’s qualification were to be raised to contain a level of technical competence equivalent to a level 3 NVQ. This revision was said to move the industry towards a safer future, however due to the complicated process of reviewing a qualification of this form and the intricate elements contained within it, the changes to the Domestic Installer Qualification have been delayed until April 2013.
How does this affect the installer?
“Essentially, the existing qualified supervisor will not be affected by these industry revisions,” says Carl Bennett, Managing Director of Trade Skills 4U. “When the new requirements come in during April 2013, they will not apply retrospectively to existing qualified supervisors nor will they need to complete the new qualification to complete works after April 2013.
“Those looking to register under the existing requirements should do so aptly before the new revisions come in as it is likely that an entrant after April 2013 would have to hold the full electrical NVQ in order to register for the domestic installer scheme – however this notion is yet to be confirmed.”
How does this affect the industry?
There is no doubt that revisions to the domestic installer qualification were long overdue and would present a real positive asset to the industry. Training providers alike have been calling for one solid route into the industry for years.
“It is unfortunate that valuable changes have been delayed in this way. However, this new notice period of almost one and a half years will give a long awaited qualification time to settle in and become a real trusted and valued part of the electrical training process,” adds Bennett.
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