One of the main things which 17th edition courses focus on tend to be the 17th edition itself. That may seem rather obvious, but bear with me – this is important. The trouble is that for several editions now, leading all the way up to the 16th edition, electricians have been able to become familiar with the oddities, quirks and idiosyncrasies of the IEE Wiring Regulations. So much so that when the 17th edition came out many people simply bought it and carried on as before.
However, this is not the best way of getting up to date. For a start the structure of the book is quite different, with new appendices, old sections torn out, new sections added in and existing sections moved about. Then there's the referring, grading and categorizing of many elements which have abandoned their old techniques in favor of moving more in line with European procedures and methods used in other industries.
So one of the key elements in many 17th edition courses is helping electricians to become familiar with these new changes. It's been said that no electrician can ever remember the complete contents of the IEE's Wiring Regulations, and looking at the sheer size of the 17th edition that's easy to appreciate. The best electricians will not have a photographic memory of the contents of the 17th edition, but will have the ability to find the information they need quickly.
This is why having completed a 17th edition course candidates will undertake a test or exam which will require them to provide the answers to scenarios, problems and questions while still being able to use the 17th edition. The test is not so much about getting the right answers, although obviously that's essential, but it's really trying to focus on helping electricians to find the information they need quickly. If you're on a job you do not want to have to spend hours trawling through hundreds of pages trying to find the information you need.
Today many electrical installations or repairs will require an understanding of the way in which things should now be done. Many things have changed, from simple domestic installations to large, complex and often unique business or outdoor installations. With whole new sections covering temporary outdoor installations such as theme parks, fairgrounds and such like, new sections covering challenging and potentially very dangerous installation locations such as marinas, and even new regulations regarding something as simple as a bathroom socket in a family home, it's Important that candidates are fully versed in understanding what's changed, how it's changed and where to find those changes quickly.
Many electricians assume that 17th edition courses are all about teaching granny to suck eggs, and certainly those electricians with years or decades of professional experience may feel that they do not need to undertake any more training, but the truth is that it can often be Hardest for those who have so much experience, simply because they're used to the way things have been for years.
The previous edition of the Wiring Regulations was published over twenty years ago, and a great deal has changed since then. It's there before particularly important that those people who only have a 16th edition level qualification undertake training, even if only for a few days, in order to make sure that they are able to fully, appropriately and legally implement the 17th edition requirements.
Many of the 17th edition training courses available are geared towards those coming in to the industry for the first time, but there are also plenty of theory only courses that last just a few days which are specifically tailor to help provide those with many years of experience With the information they need to become fully up to date with current regulations.