If you wish to
train to be an electrician and have an
electrician career, it could allow you to benefit from great opportunities coming up across the UK. Construction Skills estimate that there will be a need for an extra 14,000 qualified electricians over the next two years - so
becoming an electrician is a great career option and electricians' salary expectations are good.
What does an electrician career involve?
Installation electricians, also known as domestic electricians, fit and test the electrical circuits and wiring found in every home and business. Installation is probably the most well-known type of electrician career, involving tasks from rewiring a circuit for a domestic shower to laying the equipment cabling in a new office development.
A wide range of organisations employ electricians, including:
- electrical contractors
- building firms
- manufacturing and engineering companies
- kitchen, bathroom and shop fitting companies
- local authorities and public institutions
An electrician will plan where to fit wiring, sockets and points. They will then carry out an initial installation, known as the first fix, which involves:
- running wiring along wall cavities and through ceilings and floors
- fitting fuse boxes, circuit-breakers and earth terminals
- mounting back-boxes on walls to take plug sockets and points
Once building work is finished, installation electricians carry out a second fix, connecting the wiring to sockets, switches, light fittings and appliances.
Other electricians jobs can include:
- cabling to connect equipment to power supplies & computer networks
- installing security systems such as CCTV
- inspecting and testing wiring systems and equipment
Electrician working hours and environment
Becoming an electrician can involve regular travel to homeowner properties or construction sites and may require periods away from home. Learndirect states that an electrician will normally work between 37 and 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday.
Typical electrician skills and interests
Below are a few attributes that help to make a good electrician so if you want an electrician career then read on:
good practical skills to work with a range of hand and power tools
ability to follow technical drawings and instructions
methodical approach to work and attention to detail
commitment to keep up to date with industry developments
the ability to work unsupervised and as part of a team
good communication skills
full colour vision
a thorough understanding of electrical safety rules and regulations
Electrician salary expectations
Guideline figures for electrician salary, provided by SummitSkills:
newly qualified - £16,500 - £19,000
with experience - £20,000 - £25,000
experienced with specialist grading - from £28,000 upwards
Electrician salary will vary depending on qualifications, location, reputation and more.
Train to be an electrician
To qualify as an electrician, you must hold an Electrotechnical Services NVQ/SVQ at Level 3. The route to achieving the NVQ/SVQ will differ depending on where you train in the UK.
The NVQ contains several options, depending on your role but for installation work, you take the one for Electrical Installation (Building & Structures). This option includes the C&G (2330) technical certificates. Employers may ask you to train for two additional awards when you train to be an electrician:
City & Guilds 2391 Inspection, Testing and Certification of Installations
City & Guilds 16th Edition IEE Wiring Regulations (2381)
Other electrician career training courses you can take for becoming an electrician - professional development - include the City & Guilds In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (2377), often known as portable appliance testing (PAT).
Competent electrician under Part P of the Building Regs
Part P of the Building Regulations states that certain types of household electrical work must be approved by a certified contractor or building inspector. As an electrician you can certify your own work by completing a short Part P training course and registering with a competent person scheme ... find out more here.
Overseas qualified electricians
If you are a qualified electrician from outside the UK and are thinking of becoming an electrician in the UK, you need to register on the Electrotechnical Card Scheme (ECS). You will need to do three things to register:
contact UK NARIC to find equivalent qualifications in the UK
complete the City & Guilds 16th Edition IEE Wiring Regulations (2381)
complete the ECS Health and Safety Assessment
Electrician useful information
SummitSkills - skills council for building services engineering
England Apprenticeships - find England apprenticeships
Education and learning Wales - Welsh assembly training information
Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust - apprenticeships training
Electrical Training Trust (Northern Ireland) - electrical training
Good luck in your electrician career and if you wish to train to be an electrician then hopefully the above advice will get you well on your way!