CompEx training success - “Doing the course has completely changed my life!”

Author : C&P Engineering Services

03 October 2022

When Jo initially applied to the C&P Training centre to do the CompEx Ex01 – Ex04 Gas and Vapours course, she was working as a domestic electrician for several years and wanted to upgrade her skills and potential earnings by taking the industry recognised CompEx course which enables industrial electricians to work in potentially explosive areas.

Although the tutors were initially reluctant to let Jo take the course as she had limited industrial experience as a domestic electrician, she managed to persuade them that she had commercial experience and had already done her research on the subject and was determined to get the CompEx qualification to try and change her life and support her family.

The CompEx Ex01 to Ex04 course is run over five days and provides competence-based training and assessment in the selection, use, maintenance and inspection of electrical equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres.

When Jo arrived at the centre she met up with the C&P Training course tutors Dewi and Steve who helped, guided and supporter her throughout the course.

Jo studied every evening after each day of the course to make sure she was fully prepared for the theoretical and practical exams at the end of the week.

After taking the course Jo received her results a week later from JTL and she was so thrilled to have passed the CompEx course that she wrote an email back to the course tutors to thank them for all the help support they’d given her throughout the course.

This was an email they received from Jo when she received her CompEx Ex01 – Ex04 results:

"Well, omg DEWI. I passed… ME !!!??? Well, who has CompEx 01-04 …………….this girl here that’s who !!!!! Yesssssssssssss!!!!! Thank you soooooo freakin much for your fantastic tutoring :).

Jo (who as you may have guessed has passed her CompEx course !!). Whoop whoop !!!!!

Well, I’m as chuffed as a Choo Choo train!! I cannot put into words how fantastic you and Steve were in your tutoring!! But my goodness you boys taught a domestic spark and I managed to pass the bloody CompEx course !! a million billion thanks to the both of you"

After completing the course, Jo said: "CompEx is the Gold standard in terms of qualification but once you have passed the course and you are on site, that’s when the learning really starts! It has not been easy and I took a chance. I was a single mum, I was a ‘mature’ student, I self-funded my CompEx & all my offshore certs.

"I am repeatedly told how my age works against me, being a woman works against me, how being a mum, I shouldn’t be offshore or even working away from home but it’s all been worth it.

"CompEx 01 – 04 changed my life, my career prospects, my earning potential and has enabled me to better myself and my Children’s lives that is what being a Mum is about setting an example and bringing up your children to be the best they can be too. It always brings a smile to my face when they tell people about what I do and all the places I work – they occasionally admit I’m a pretty cool mum for it too!"

Over the years C&P Engineering has been actively involved in such schemes as Aspire2Be which encourages women to enter into the construction and manufacturing industries as electricians. With only an estimated 1 to 3% of women being electricians in the UK there is an enormous potential for females to train and work within the industry.

Jo currently works as a CompEx electrical rope access technician on the Oil Rigs in the North Sea.

Please feel free to share and comment on Jo’s inspirational story to encourage others to get involved in the electrical industry and work in potentially explosive atmospheres.