Who earns a living PAT Testing?

PASS Training and Development’s PAT Testing courses are popular in the main Stockton on Tees training centre and across the country. Often people ask who is suitable for PAT courses and who earns a living from PAT testing.

The answer is simple, anyone is suitable to complete the PAT testing course. There are no pre-requisites, however candidates should be willing to learn, be familiar with the IEE Code of Practice and have a keen interest in electrics.

It is quite common for tradesmen to undertake PAT testing businesses as a second income and in addition to other work. Some ex armed forces personnel take up PAT testing as a career after leaving the service. PASS Training have helped many such personnel to re-train and complete courses to allow them to start a new civilian career.

Full time PAT testing technicians fall into two categories, those who are employed by a facilities maintenance company such as PASSfm and those who are self employed full time PAT Testers.

The benefit of working for a Facilities Management company is that you have the security of a steady income and regular workload, but you do not have the ability to keep any of the extra profit from your work as you are earning a regular salary.

As a self employed technician, it can be difficult to gain work contracts and it may require a lot of time and effort to produce a full time income as a self employed PAT tester, but any extra income of benefits you receive will be your own.

As a PAT testing technician, you should expect to be working in dirty environments and constantly be on your knees under desks. However, the flexible hours, locations and the possibility of a high income is the advantage of being self employed.

If you are interested in becoming a PAT testing technician, you have a few options.

1. Learn from a recognised NAPIT PAT training DVD such as the PASS PAT Training DVD with Online exam and certification.
2. Learn from a book, there are several books and handbooks for PAT Testing. However, at PASS Training we would recommend sitting a course and using a book as a reference as books can’t offer you hands on experience or help you when you get stuck.
3. Sit a PAT Testing course. These come in three varieties;
   • One day PAT Testing competency course ran in 12 locations across the country by experts in PAT Testing.
   • City & Guilds 2377-20 PAT Testing course which is a widely recognised qualification in PAT Testing and runs in Derbyshire, London and Stockton.
   • Start a PAT Testing Business Course. This is a new and innovative three day course for anyone wanting to learn PAT testing and practical business and marketing information. This course includes the City & Guilds 2377-20 PAT Testing course and qualification.

Check out some of success stories for PAT testing in the electrical training case studies section.