Kevin Boone and Danny McBean shone during the SkillELECTRIC UK final. Next step: electric vehicle training with NICEIC
NICEIC Media Team | Communications
Kevin Boone and Danny McBean headed to Bristol to complete the installation of an electric vehicle (EV) charging points course with Technical Training Developer Mitchel Smith.
Both had already been put through their paces on renewables, because the 2023 SkillELECTRIC final included a solar photovoltaics (PV) task, developed by NICEIC. In fact, McBean, who went home with gold, and finalist Boone, were part of the first set of finalists to tackle the task.
McBean and Boone completed the EV and EESS Awareness training as part of the prizes awarded by NICEIC to the 2023 UK finalists.
As they were now qualified electricians who met the entry requirements, they were keen to take the next step and pursue the Electrician Plus-aligned EAL award.
Moving on up
McBean travelled down from Scotland's Speyside region to the training centre in Bristol. He's been a qualified electrician since November 2023 and is still with Grants (Dufftown), near Inverness, where he did his apprenticeship. "Grants is mostly industrial and does a lot of Scotch whisky facilities," he says. So why make the trip to south-west England to learn about EV? "I wanted to broaden my horizons," McBean explains. "I saw it as a way for me to build up my skillset and open new opportunities for the future."
Boone, who's also qualified and is employed by Darke & Taylor near Oxford, where he apprenticed, has more pressing reasons to upskill in this way. "I've now moved into the renewables team in my company. I've been dealing with solar PV and battery storage up until now. It's a requirement to do this course," he says.
This is his second career, having been a bomb disposal technician in the army for 17 years. He'd already achieved the Solar PV and Level 4 Design qualifications with NICEIC. "I feel it's my preferred training provider," he says.
McBean adds: "I've known a few people who've done NICEIC courses. They've always said they've been good and it was worth the journey."
Men on a mission
Boone was surprised how much had changed since he'd had any EV training. "Before, it was still putting earth rods in the ground, but the technology has come on in leaps and bounds."
For McBean, it was considerations around installations where protective multiple earthing conditions apply that particularly interested him. He was also impressed with their trainer, Smith, who helped prepare them for the SkillELECTRIC final. "He was open to questions and explained everything really well," McBean says.
He's on a mission to build up his skills. 'I’m trying to do as many courses as I can, to see what I like. I want to learn continually."
He's already completed the Design, Installation and Commissioning of EESS course at NICEIC's base in Dunstable - an Electrician Plusaligned qualification. 'Tm now looking at the PV course that NICEIC runs, because it's in the same bracket."
Meanwhile, Boone's plan is to "give this role in renewables [at Darke & Taylor] a good go." But longer term, "my passion in the trade is the design element; maybe later down the line I'll see if I can move into a design role."
Go to shop.niceic.com/collections/alltraining-courses for more information on NICEIC's training.
Both had already been put through their paces on renewables, because the 2023 SkillELECTRIC final included a solar photovoltaics (PV) task, developed by NICEIC. In fact, McBean, who went home with gold, and finalist Boone, were part of the first set of finalists to tackle the task.
McBean and Boone completed the EV and EESS Awareness training as part of the prizes awarded by NICEIC to the 2023 UK finalists.
As they were now qualified electricians who met the entry requirements, they were keen to take the next step and pursue the Electrician Plus-aligned EAL award.
Moving on up
McBean travelled down from Scotland's Speyside region to the training centre in Bristol. He's been a qualified electrician since November 2023 and is still with Grants (Dufftown), near Inverness, where he did his apprenticeship. "Grants is mostly industrial and does a lot of Scotch whisky facilities," he says. So why make the trip to south-west England to learn about EV? "I wanted to broaden my horizons," McBean explains. "I saw it as a way for me to build up my skillset and open new opportunities for the future."
Boone, who's also qualified and is employed by Darke & Taylor near Oxford, where he apprenticed, has more pressing reasons to upskill in this way. "I've now moved into the renewables team in my company. I've been dealing with solar PV and battery storage up until now. It's a requirement to do this course," he says.
This is his second career, having been a bomb disposal technician in the army for 17 years. He'd already achieved the Solar PV and Level 4 Design qualifications with NICEIC. "I feel it's my preferred training provider," he says.
McBean adds: "I've known a few people who've done NICEIC courses. They've always said they've been good and it was worth the journey."
Men on a mission
Boone was surprised how much had changed since he'd had any EV training. "Before, it was still putting earth rods in the ground, but the technology has come on in leaps and bounds."
For McBean, it was considerations around installations where protective multiple earthing conditions apply that particularly interested him. He was also impressed with their trainer, Smith, who helped prepare them for the SkillELECTRIC final. "He was open to questions and explained everything really well," McBean says.
He's on a mission to build up his skills. 'I’m trying to do as many courses as I can, to see what I like. I want to learn continually."
He's already completed the Design, Installation and Commissioning of EESS course at NICEIC's base in Dunstable - an Electrician Plusaligned qualification. 'Tm now looking at the PV course that NICEIC runs, because it's in the same bracket."
Meanwhile, Boone's plan is to "give this role in renewables [at Darke & Taylor] a good go." But longer term, "my passion in the trade is the design element; maybe later down the line I'll see if I can move into a design role."
Go to shop.niceic.com/collections/alltraining-courses for more information on NICEIC's training.
