It cannot be stated enough that there are many so-called training providers who tarnish the industry by offering unsatisfactory - or non-existent - courses and worthless certificates. They are likely to be not accredited or approved by statutory training bodies and may operate from barely acceptable premises without qualified 'staff'.The problem has been made worse by the recession forcing many individuals to look for alternative means of employment and find themselves signing up to bogus courses offering instant 'work' once completed. In 2009, Citizens Advice reported a rise of nearly a third in the numbers of general complaints to well over 2,000, where some of the unscrupulous training offered, claimed to get you qualified and registered, in as little as 2 weeks.In some worse case scenarios, the provider simply does not exist or goes bust, and paid-for materials and certificates fail to appear. Very quickly it is realised that there is no tutorial support, and when arriving at the "training centre, the "instructor" knows very little about the subject being offered.It must be emphasised that the recognised and industry approved qualification for training to be an electrician is the City & Guilds Electrical 2330 level 2. It requires students to attend a formally structured course, full time, at an approved and accredited training provider in fully equipped classrooms by experienced and qualified trainer verifiers.The Electrical 2330 level 2 provides the necessary foundation knowledge which can allow, upon passing assessment, students to progress to NVQ level 3 and then further develop both working knowledge and experience to become a 'competent' person.The Electricity at Work Regulations state the following regarding training to be a 'competent' person:"No person shall be engaged in any work activity where technical knowledge or experience is necessary to prevent danger or, where appropriate, injury, unless he possesses such knowledge or experience, or is under such degree of supervision as may be appropriate having regard to the nature of the work."Competent persons schemes were introduced by the Government to allow individuals and enterprises to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations as an alternative to submitting a building notice or using an approved inspector.Known as 'Part P', these rules mean that all 'notifiable' electrical work must meet the safety standards for electrical wiring. The rules state that to ensure that these standards are met, all work must either be carried out by certified electricians or the work must be tested to the satisfaction of the local Building Control Department.These rules?