Change Careers Now With An Electrician Course

Electricity is one of the most important aspects of modern life. We constantly need skilled electricians for both domestic housing and industry. Electrical certifications can lead to a wide variety of jobs, depending on the individual's training and experience. Approximately three percent of the UK's GNP can be attributed to the electrical industry. It could be a very good decision to bite the bullet and start your electrical training now!

Training Information E-Book - Yours For Free

You may have a few skills under your belt already, or you may know next to nothing. Whatever your present knowledge, good industry training will have you equipped for the job very quickly.

Yet many people find it hard to know who is best to train with, and which courses to take. That's why we've compiled an impartial report to help you understand. This is free to download, and tells you all you need to know about the different training paths into industry.

With so many training companies offering electrical courses in Britain, you'll find our information really useful to help compare the benefits of each one.

Download the latest version now and go through each part. When you've done that, come back to this website and refer to a number of the training companies listed on this page. You might like to bookmark it now (Ctrl D) so it's quick to find again.

Is It For Me?

People often question whether they'd be any good in this role. Electrical work involves using a number of different tools - dexterity and hand to eye co-ordination are vital. It's important to be able to follow safety guidelines and procedures, so you need to be able to carry out tasks with great precision. It's not uncommon for electrical workers to spend much of their time alone, so you must be content with your own company. 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.

Get Your Own Business Off The Ground

One reason many people retrain to become electricians is because they want to become self-employed. Colleges are constantly enrolling new students who want greater freedom in their working lives. And there appears to be an on-going healthy demand for electrical contractors in private housing, so it can work very well. Then again, there are those who want the skills as a safety net, to do small jobs alongside their full-time work. And the last group of trainees are those who are into doing their own home installations and need to work within the law.

As with plumbers and builders, electricians will get some good referrals if their customers think they've done a good job. Your chosen college should give you all the technical expertise, but do remember to maintain a good attitude whenever you're working for others.

It's normal for employee electrical workers to put in around a 40 hr week - sometimes with extra overtime. Average salaries in 2009 were around 26K according to SalaryTrack 2009. Electricians who work for themselves and take on a variety of domestic jobs can bring in significantly more than that, although their hours are usually longer. They will also have to allow for added business costs such as tools, transport and administration.

How Should I Get Going?

City & Guilds and EAL are the Trade Certification organisations to be aware of. Students training in their teens usually add work experience and NVQs to their C&G exams. Overall this extends training to 36 to 48 months. Career-changers typically go for more condensed courses that will fit around their existing commitments. As most of them are preparing for work in housing rather than industry, they don't need NVQs. Specialised colleges focus on teaching skills that will help students learn what they need in months, not years. 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.

So What Would I Learn?

Domestic electrical installation training will generally lead to an EAL qualification. With an eye always on safety, you'll be shown how to install electrics, rewire houses, test circuits and more.

The law aims to ensure that all domestic electrical work is done in accordance with 'Part P' regulations, so your training will equip you for that.

Your training will also enable you to understand and meet the standards of the IEE wiring regulations. Other short C&G courses will give you more opportunities.

If you include the Inspection, Testing and Certification of Electrical Installations you can register with NICEIC and inspect, test and certify industrial and commercial installations as well as domestic ones.

Domestic training such as that just described will probably take you several hundred hours, spread over whatever time period you choose. Create the success that you're looking for by making a start right now.