ChoosingCareer.co.uk

A Brighter Future With Electrical Qualifications

Train For A Profitable New Career As An Electrician

Electricity and the electrical industry play a vital role in all of our lives. Both commercially and domestically we need good electricians. As there are many different jobs within the industry, the nature of an electrician's work will depend on the type of specialist training they've had. The electrical trade overall is now responsible for 20 Billion pounds of business a year in the UK alone. If you've thought about moving into electrical work, now is a great time to gain your skills and qualifications.

What's The Work Like?

People often question whether they'd be any good in this role. If you're a practical, reasoning sort of person and are good with your hands you'll be off to a fine start. As safety is paramount, you need to be logical and well disciplined.

You'll need to be able to work independently, and make decisions for yourself. You'll also need a good head for heights, as work isn't always at ground level! Finally if you're planning to work for yourself you'll need plenty of initiative and self-motivation.

Read Everything You Need To Know In Our FREE Report

Whether you've already got some relevant skills or not, once you've trained and got yourself certified, you can start making money. To make life easier for you, we've done extensive research on electrical training and careers, and written a very detailed E-Book.

There's no charge for this - we'll email a copy across to you within minutes of your request. It'll help you see the wood from the trees where electrical training's concerned.

Download the latest version now and go through each part. Then return to this page and visit some of the training organisations listed alongside. It could be an idea put us in your Favourites file to make this page easier to retrieve.

Becoming Self-Employed

The desire for self-employment is what frequently triggers a move into the electrical industry. Without doubt this is proving to be the way forward for many. And as the need for electrical work in peoples' homes continues unabated, it's likely to continue. It's also not unusual for other tradesmen to get some electrical qualifications to boost their offering to clients. Then a smaller number enrol on courses to extend and legalise their DIY electrical skills.

In common with all the trades, good electricians get a lot of their work through word of mouth recommendations from satisfied customers. Your chosen college should give you all the technical expertise, but do remember to maintain a good attitude whenever you're working for others.

Although overtime is sometimes possible, employed workers usually work 9-5, Monday to Friday. They can expect an average income of twenty-six thousand pounds a year taking the UK as a whole. Domestic electrical contractors in their own business are wise not to stick too rigidly to a 9-5 routine, as they can bring in a great deal more money if they're flexible. Being self-employed also means there are overheads to consider, so prices have to reflect that.

Which Training Will Suit Me Best?

In the UK, look primarily for C&G (City & Guilds) and EAL (EMTA Awards Ltd) training. Some people (mainly youngsters out of school) also attain NVQ certifications through industrial placements. Overall this extends training to 36 to 48 months. Mature entrants generally study courses in their own time on a partly distance-learning basis.

This training usually leads to work in the domestic market, so excludes the necessity for lengthy NVQ's. Commercial training companies provide a variety of options to help students prepare for work in the shortest time possible. This reduces the overall qualification set, but it meets the trade requirements for the areas involved, and so provides a quicker and more direct route to the market.

Domestic Installer Courses

Whatever your starting point, you'll cover certain essential practices whoever you train with. A good all round programme for beginners would be an EAL Domestic Installers Course, at Level 2. Your course will deal with basic wiring principles - installing new electrics, rewiring houses, fitting appliances etc. As everyone carrying out domestic electrical work now has to be Part P certified, your training will give you an understanding of what's needed.

Your training will also enable you to understand and meet the standards of the IEE wiring regulations. Working towards these industry-recognised qualifications will equip you not only to work on jobs in kitchens and bathrooms, on lighting circuits and wall sockets etc. but also to self-certify them as well.

Your training will include distance-learning work to complete at home, and all your workshops and assessments in-centre. How quickly you get a through the course will be down to you. Create the success that you're looking for by making a start right now.