You might be considering choosing the electrical field for your new career path. What does an electrician do and how do you become qualified? What kind of electrical training do you need?
Why should you consider becoming an electrician?
There are many reasons why you might choose an electrical career. It is a particularly rewarding career, with great progression opportunities. Here are some more great benefits to becoming an electrician:
- Interesting variety of work. You’ll be working with a variety of electrical equipment and systems, with different jobs to challenge you daily.
- It is the highest paying job of all the trades. The average annual salary of an electrician is £30,000.
- Skills for life. You’ll learn skills that will support you throughout your life, as well as always being sought after for work.
- Be your own boss. If you’d prefer to work as a self-employed electrician or start your own business, this could be a great opportunity for you.
- Fast, cheap training. You won’t need to attend university to train as an electrician and you will be able to work as you complete your training.
- Progression opportunities. If you choose to further your education and training, you can work your way up to more specialised electrical careers.
- Skills shortage increases the demand for work. Electricians will always be needed, making it an incredibly secure career choice.
What is the role of an electrician?
Electricians might also be known as electrical fitters, electrical technicians or installation electricians. Their role is to fit, service and repair electrical machinery, equipment, circuits and wiring. Day-to-day tasks might include:
- Ensuring that electrical systems are operating correctly and safely
- Installing control panels that operate electrical systems, such as lighting
- Working on transformers in industrial machinery
- Installing traffic management systems and street lighting
- Fitting electrical components to homes, including wiring, sockets and switches
- Carrying out rewires in homes and commercial properties
To carry out these tasks, every electrician must have the relevant skills and knowledge. All electricians will obtain skills and knowledge through formal training and experience, such as:
- The ability to repair and perform maintenance on various electrical machines, using the necessary tools
- Building and construction knowledge
- Maths comprehension to understand technical plans
- Attention to detail and a methodical approach
- Ability to problem-solve – using initiative when approaching problems
- The ability to use equipment safely
- Customer service skills – to work effectively with clients and colleagues
- Basic IT skills to input or read the relevant information on computers or hand-held devices
All qualified electricians will be able to prove that they have the required qualifications and experience to practice their trade. This includes holding an Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) card.
What are the different types of electricians?
There are many different types of electricians, all of which are qualified to carry out different tasks within the electrical field. These require different types of electrical training.
The most common type of electrician is the Domestic Electrical Installer, typically the person you call when you need electrical work carried out in your home. A domestic electrician is qualified to carry out a range of tasks in your home, from small jobs such as socket replacement to large jobs including full house rewires.
Commercial Installation Electrician
will work on more complex projects compared to a domestic electrician, in professional establishments such as shopping centres, office buildings, hospitals and schools. They are qualified to carry out work on and install complex lighting systems, security, fire systems and structure cabling.
Maintenance electricians
are responsible for ensuring the safety and efficiency of electrical installations such as power grids and machinery. They generally work behind the scenes to make sure everything is running smoothly, hired by private businesses to carry out maintenance work.
Electrotechnical Panel Builders
work with complex programmes, software and information technology. They use these programmes to build and manage control panels such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.
Instrumentation Electrician
is to commission, test, fault-find and repair building control systems such as air conditioning, heating and refrigeration. They work on similar equipment to electrotechnical panel builders, however, their job is more hands-on, working on physical components as opposed to technical.
Highway Electrical Systems Electricians
are trained to maintain and repair street lighting and traffic control systems. This is an important role as working highway systems are vital to improving the safety of our roads.
Different electrical jobs will require different levels of training, with domestic electricians requiring the lowest qualification level. Most electricians will work as domestic electricians before progressing into more specialised roles.
How do you become a qualified electrician?
There are different options to train as an electrician, depending on your circumstances. If you have just completed school at GCSE level, you could choose to train through an apprenticeship. This involves attending college while working on-site with trained electricians to gain experience. You will complete an installation and maintenance electrician advanced apprenticeship to provide you with the relevant qualifications needed – this course normally takes around three years to complete.
Alternatively, you could complete a course to give you the relevant practical skills and qualifications. For example, you could complete a Level 2 and 3 Diploma/National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in Electrical Installation or Engineering. These courses are ideal if you are past the age limit for an apprenticeship, or if you’d prefer to complete your training sooner. Fast-track courses sometimes only take a few weeks to complete and you can work alongside your training with a flexible schedule. You will still need practical experience in the workplace to become fully qualified.
If you’re interested in finding out more about electrical training courses, feel free to reach out to us at The Trades College to find the right course for you.
