There are many ways to get yourself certified, even if you haven’t been to college. For example a wireman can get certified by Tenaga Nasional after 3 years of working experience. The only thing you need is a sponsorship from a registered wiring contractor. After getting your basic wireman certificate, you can opt to go for a higher certificate which is the ‘wireman-nil’ . There is difference on being just a wireman and a wireman nil.
A wireman has the authority to certify that wiring installations to a building is done according to specification. A registered wiring contractor must have the signature of a wireman on the application form before his work can be approved by Tenaga Nasional. However, if you are just a wireman, you can only certify jobs that has an incoming supply of 230 volts or single phase supply. That sets a limit to what a wireman can certify. He will be limited to signing for housing projects mainly.
A wireman nil, on the other hand can certify electrical installations that has 3 phase, 440 volts incoming supplies. Most bungalows and factory lots these days has 3 phase supplies. This makes the wireman nil certificate a hot item. Those with Wireman Nil certificates are always in hot demand. From electrical Contractors to Factories.
At present anyone wanting to obtain these certificates are tested on theoretical side as well as the practical aspect. Candidates are expected to be able to understand basic written Bahasa Malaysia to understand the questions. It is suffice to say, anyone who has attended school till Form Three should be able to understand.
After getting the wireman Nil Certificate, the next worthwhile certificate that one can go for is the Chargeman Certificate. The Chargeman certificate is also catogerised into Chargeman, Chargeman medium pressure, Chargeman High Pressure and Chargeman Nil. These certificates are quite tough to get as it involves a lot of theories which may be quite daunting for those with qualification lower than a Form Five education. Older generation Chargemen have an easier time getting these certificates as they are only tested orally and practically with no written test. That’s why one might wonder why all those all timers who can’t even write a word of English can manage to hold a Chargeman certificate.
There are lots of other trades that can be certified by the relevant authorities. A plumber can get his certification from the JBA. All these certificates are worth much more than a College Diploma. But what about those trades that don’t have the relevant authorities to certify them? There are other ways which I will discuss in my next post.
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First of all, I would like to say that being a beginner and a college student like me, I’m totally impressed by your blog. It’s just sooo cool! And 5X Mom recommended me to your blog because she thinks that your blog will be very useful for a student like me, and it’s true. I am a enlightened!
Thanx to you! XD
Glad you like what you read Cedric. Bring your friends along to share their opinions here.
Wow, I didn’t know that. This sort of info has probably been known “in the circles” for some time but kept under wraps.
It’s a shame really, as such information should be shared. We’re in dire shortage of skilled workers. There are probably a lot of people who would press on in such technical level jobs if they knew the value of persistance.
Thanks for sharing this information. I’ll share it with some people who think that technicians are “dead end jobs”.
If I already obtain the Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical & Electronic Engineering. Still need to take the Chargeman test?
Junjie
Since you are already so highly qualified, I don’t think you need those certificates anymore, though there are many electrical engineers who holds Chargeman certificates because this certificate lets them do things that even an electrical engineer are not allowed to do.
It depends on the field you are involved in actually.
I have diploma in electrical and have working experience for 6 years but not in housing wiring kind of thing. BUt my job required to do some panel control wiring to run a motor using MCB, contactor, relay etc both with 220Vac or 415 3 phase Vac. Im interested to get a chargeman certificate..so do i need to get wireman, wireman nil..cert first before go to Chargeman A0? and how to get that from the first step? Thank you!! Hope my quest usefull to others people too..