Apprenticeship Training - Maybe ADT

[The Comet]

Yep good point and thats what i thought. Seems to be alot of travel issues with the larger firms. I will try more local firms as there are many still to try.

Regards, Lee

[ian.cant]

Dont discount the large firms, you will get a much broader range of training and experience that small firms will not be able to provide. You will also be be better looked after generally with the large companies and if you pass your driving test and get some transport travel wont be such an issue.

[Guest Trulloman]

If your local office (Hub) is Leicester they would normally put you with an engineer that lives near you and you would arrange with that engineer were you would meet up, depending on the location you are working that day. You may have to make your own way to the office(Hub) or that location.

//.National Installer.// Offices are larger and cover a greater area than your local alarm company, thats why they are called hubs they probally have around 100 engineers workingout of one hub. Some hubs have sattellite offices in other towns which are not shown on their website.

Have you been to this website https://careers.//.National Installer.//-fire-and-security.co.uk/apprent.asp

see below:-

//.National Installer.// Fire and Security is continuing with the strong commitment to the company Apprentice programme with another intake of 120 Apprentices at locations throughout the UK and Ireland.

If you have gained or expect to gain at least 3 GCSEs Grades A-C or Standard Grades 1-3, and have an interest in training to become a Security Systems Engineer then we want to hear from you.

All interviews will be carried out in the local offices in May, June and July, with Apprenticeships starting in July, August and September each year.

The successful applicants will be working alongside qualified and trained Engineers where you would learn the skills and techniques to install Intruder and Fire Alarms as well as CCTV and Access Control systems.

You would attend college either on a day release or block release basis, where you would gain a recognised City and Guilds Electrical Qualification. You would also be attending our comprehensive and structured courses at our own Apprentice Training School. The programme is based over 3 to 4 years, which allows Apprentices to progress at their own rate through our continual assessment programme. This programme is suitable for school leavers between the age of 16 to 18 years.

At the end of the Apprenticeship you be become a qualified Security Systems Engineer enjoying an attractive salary, company vehicle, together with the benefits you would expect from the world's largest Security Systems company.

Good Luck

[jb-eye]

Dont discount the large firms, you will get a much broader range of training and experience that small firms will not be able to provide. You will also be be better looked after generally with the large companies and if you pass your driving test and get some transport travel wont be such an issue.

This may be true in security (i dont know) but in my own exsperience of electrical contracting i would have always recomended a small firm for training. I have known electricians to serve a 5-year apprentiship on one job so not much variety in that is their. Do //.National Installer.// move trainees between large and small CCTV systems then into fire, access, and intruder as well as communications, electrical principles, admin and IT training?

Jef

[Guest IM_Alarms]

This may be true in security (i dont know) but in my own exsperience of electrical contracting i would have always recomended a small firm for training. I have known electricians to serve a 5-year apprentiship on one job so not much variety in that is their. Do //.National Installer.// move trainees between large and small CCTV systems then into fire, access, and intruder as well as communications, electrical principles, admin and IT training?

Jef

Here Here, I fully agree that you will gain more knowledge with a smaller contractor, but also know that it is nice to see a larger contact and larger company to gain a wide pespective and to not then be frightened to tackle the larger contracts/ go up against the big boys.

[Guest]

Both large and small firms have their pros and cons. I've worked for one man bands fitting the odd socket in old peoples bungalows all day and I've also worked for large companies doing electrical\fire\access etc... in schools, leisure centres and large commercial developments.

I know that some of the people I have worked with on the smaller firms don't have a clue what to do with a length of steel tube or anything over a 2.5mm SWA and similarly some of the lads I have worked with on commercial projects wouldn't have a clue how to do a neat and tidy job of fishing a cable down a wall etc...

I have spent a lot of time on some jobs hiding wiring\fishing cables etc... because I know how buildings are put together from working in all sorts of places, domestic and commercial, from the ground up whereas some people will happily stick a length of trunking down a wall because they have no idea what's behind the walls.

I know that quite a few apprentices that I have worked with have started their training with a small firm then moved to a larger one in their 1st\2nd year, usually for more money but it does give them a wider range of experience.

[jb-eye]

I know that quite a few apprentices that I have worked with have started their training with a small firm then moved to a larger one in their 1st\2nd year, usually for more money but it does give them a wider range of experience.

Apprentices and more money cant see how these two can be used in the same sentence. I have NEVER had either an apprentice ask how much does the job pays and if i did i probably wouldn

[Guest]

Apprentices and more money cant see how these two can be used in the same sentence. I have NEVER had either an apprentice ask how much does the job pays and if i did i probably wouldn

[The Comet]

Wow! Some great points.. thanks guys.

Yeah, i have read the //.National Installer.// app. page...

To be honest, the money side of things has honestly never entered my head.. i am seriously looking for the training and experience. It wasnt until a company asked how much i would want that i thought about it. I think i would rather work with a larger company such as //.National Installer.//, Chubb, Initial.. but my worries still lie in the transportation. If as you said Trulloman, i could meet up with a 'local'-ish engineer each day, that would be better.. but the getting to the 'hub' could be to hard for me.

Thanks for the tips, advice and luck! Would still like to hear anything else anyone has got to say.

Regards, Lee

[Guest Trulloman]

Wow! Some great points.. thanks guys.

Yeah, i have read the //.National Installer.// app. page...

To be honest, the money side of things has honestly never entered my head.. i am seriously looking for the training and experience. It wasnt until a company asked how much i would want that i thought about it. I think i would rather work with a larger company such as //.National Installer.//, Chubb, Initial.. but my worries still lie in the transportation. If as you said Trulloman, i could meet up with a 'local'-ish engineer each day, that would be better.. but the getting to the 'hub' could be to hard for me.

Thanks for the tips, advice and luck! Would still like to hear anything else anyone has got to say.

Regards, Lee

I would not see this as a problem if this is your chosen career path. If this is want you want you will get yourself to the required loctaion come hell or high water. It may be an incovenience at first but I assure you things will change if you stick to it, you will respected more for it. Any company will not want you going to the office every morning, you dont make them any money in there.

Alternivatly you could go and work down your local shop etc for a basic wage with no prospects.

Its your choice and it will affect the rest of your life which way you go now is up to you. I hope you choose the right path. You seem like you have your head screwed on and I wish some of my previous apprentices showed as much enthusiam a you. I had one leave when I was on holiday because I could not take him to work for those two weeks.

When I was an apprentice I had to catch as bus from out in the country to the local town, then meet up with the rest of the team or make my own way to the site if it was easier. When I had to do a job on my own we had to use public transport with tools etc. Only two vans on the firm and twenty sparks.

Again good luck, Alan