Make The Change With Electricians Courses & Get Into Electrical Work

Electricity and the electrical industry play a vital role in all of our lives. Our infrastructure depends on the skills and knowledge of trained electricians. Essentially the work involves installing, maintaining and testing electrical systems, equipment and appliances under strict safety regulations. The industry is now one of the biggest in the UK, with 20 billion pounds of work carried out annually according to the Summit Skills report for 2009. With the right qualifications you too could be enjoying a profitable and rewarding electrical career.

Download Your Free Copy of Training Information

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. Knowing which courses to take can be quite confusing, so we've put together a step by step document that explains everything.

There's no charge for this - we'll email a copy across to you within minutes of your request. There are a lot of training colleges and companies in the UK, offering various different areas of expertise. The e-book will put things into perspective.

It makes sense to go through that first before you do anything else. When you've done that, come back to this website and refer to a number of the training companies listed on this page. If you enter Ctrl D, this page will save in your 'Favourites' file automatically.

Will I Be Able To Do It?

You might wonder whether electrical work will suit you. Electrical work involves using a number of different tools - dexterity and hand to eye co-ordination are vital. You need to be methodical, and have an eye for detail - it's essential that electricians follow safety procedures to the letter! Your training will give you the technical knowledge, but you must have the capacity to solve problems as you go. Obviously if you're colour-blind, this work isn't going to be right for you. Essentially, you'll need commitment and enterprise if you plan to start out on your own.

Make The Move To Self-Employment

A lot of people choose to train for an electrical career so that they can set up in business for themselves. In fact the majority of those who have re-trained either become contract workers or self-employed. It's not surprising when you look at the amount of work in the domestic market in particular. Some people train so they can do electrical work part-time to generate additional income. Then a smaller number enrol on courses to extend and legalise their DIY electrical skills.

The beauty of doing electrical work is that every good job you do will be talked about by your clients. Obviously, the same goes for any bad experience they have! 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. Self-employed electricians should be prepared to extend their hours where necessary, but usually their higher pay will reflect that. Of course, anyone running their own business has to cover their costs as well, though these shouldn't be too extensive.

How Should I Get Going?

The electrical industry mainly recognises EAL and City & Guilds in Britain today. Most young people entering the industry straight from school will study for C&G qualifications along with corresponding NVQ's. But naturally this takes several years. Mature entrants generally study courses in their own time on a partly distance-learning basis. They usually target their skills for domestic work, which means NVQs are not needed. Various training routes are offered by commercial colleges that will quickly lead to industry recognised qualifications. So whilst trainees emerge with more limited qualifications, they are still considered competent and qualified to carry out the more in-demand jobs.

Domestic Installer Courses

Probably a good place to start would be on a course that prepares you for your EAL level 2 Domestic Electrical Installer. With an eye always on safety, you'll be shown how to install electrics, rewire houses, test circuits and more. Your training will enable you to qualify for Part P - now a legal requirement for all domestic electrical workers.

The 17th edition IEE wiring regulations is another requirement for electrical workers. You could also be taught and assessed to carry out various other tasks that together will allow you to complete and self-certify domestic electrical work.

You should find a typical domestic electrical training programme takes between 300 hours and 400-500 hours, and is a mixture of home study and workshop assessments.

Training will give you confidence and ultimately success - as you'll never be stuck for work with such in-demand skills.