Thanks.
When I left school, many years ago, I completed an apprenticeship to become an electrician. I worked for some 15 years in the industry, in various areas. I then started another career, from which I retired recently. Having semi retired, I decide to return to the industry by carry out domestic electrical works. I thought I need some additional training, to refresh my skills. So I did some training with one of the private training bodies. I also had to do a short course for the latest addition of the Wiring Regulations.
The private training I did, and the instruction was I have to say exemplary. The short course was not. Yes there was multi choice but practical skills were tested.
I also joined an electricians forum, just to learn from others experiences. Many of the members have qualified from short courses and many of them have a vast amount of knowledge and experiences, and would be insulted to suggest they are not capable.
On the subject of government approved schemes, whilst I think the fees are disproportionate for sole traders and larger companies, they do offer a way of checking electricians credentials, liability insurance etc annually. They also offer excellent technical guidance for its members. However, I understand the frustration of qualified electricians, seemingly unable to carry out domestic easily, without being in a Scheme.
In my time as an electrician, I have seen poor standards of workmanship, long before short courses. I've also seen poor standards from those that have been in an apprenticeship.
We've had some changes to the regulations in recent years, steered by LFB allegedly due to an increase in fires at consumer units for example. However, not all that can be aimed squarely at just poor workmanship. The death of firefighters, was result of entanglement, which resulted in regulation change.
In short, I disagree that standards have degraded in recent years.