Electrician – Career Guide
Simon Thompson on An Electrician tends to work in three areas:
– Installation – installing and testing equipment and wiring systems.
– Maintenance – fixing and servicing electrical equipment.
– Production electricians work from wiring diagrams to construct electrical appliances.
Typical duties depend on your specialist skills. You could be re-wiring a house, laying cables, testing electrical items in an office or systems in a factory
A practical, analytical mind, adaptability, attention to detail and the ability to work from detailed, and sometimes complicated, instructions are a must. Electricians often have to work in confined spaces or high places, so you’ll need to be comfortable in these situations too.
A common way into electrician jobs is through an apprenticeship scheme. These are aimed at people under 25, take four years to work through and involve both practical tests and theory-based work.
Both under and over 25s work towards a City & Guilds diploma in electrotechnology. GCSEs in maths, English and ICT will mean you don’t have to take an aptitude test to study for the diploma. Everyone has to pass a colour vision assessment test prior to enrolling.
Browse our current vacancies in:
Other recommended resources:
Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Offering a chartered mark for electricians and access to the latest industry information and networking events.
National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC)
The UK’s voluntary regulatory body for electrical contractors allowing you to become an approved member and connecting you with clients.
Electrical Contractors Association
A trade association for all those involved in electrical design, installation, inspection and maintenance. It supports the interests of its members and is another opportunity to put yourself ahead of the crowd by becoming a registered contractor.
NAPIT training
An online resource for the regional network of electrical training centres, including information and booking information for all of their courses which help to get into the electrical contractor world and improve your skills.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
The world’s largest technical professional society dedicated to engineering advancements in the electrical world. They host a number of events for members and have the latest news in the electrical industry.
Apprenticeships.gov
The government’s portal for applying for apprenticeships in the UK with plenty of information about apprenticeships, how to apply and how they could help you get into the career you want.
