Many people choose to have a career change at some point in their lives, having become fed-up, bored, or disillusioned by their job, or having reached the end of their career progression in their current role.
For some, becoming an electrician is an appealing move, as it provides work flexibility, a good salary, and if you work for yourself, autonomy.
However, you have to start from the beginning if you want to retrain to become an electrician. So, exactly how long is this likely to take?
Without going down the apprenticeship route
There are two options to undergoing electrician training; one is to do it through an apprenticeship scheme, and one is to do it on your own.
The benefit of becoming an apprentice is that you can earn while on the job, gaining practical work experience as well as theoretical knowledge at the same time.
However, working alongside an employer to gain your electrician qualifications can take up to four years, which is why some people prefer to go down the independent route.
Earning your electrician qualifications without doing so through an apprenticeship scheme can take between 19 months and three years, depending on how long you complete each stage.
One thing that is important to consider is the cost as it can set you back a few thousand pounds to do it this way.
Having said that, the average take home pay for a newly qualified electrician is £25,2134, £39,550 for an experienced electrician, and £43,268 for a business owner. At the same time, apprentices earn around £10,715 a year.
Therefore, budding electricians might consider their investment into their training worth it as they can start earning a much higher salary earlier than they would on an apprenticeship scheme. They have then already made a return on their investment simply by becoming qualified sooner.
What qualifications do you need?
Electricians need to have a Level 2 and Level 3 Diplomas in Electrical Installations, and a Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Electrotechnical Technology. After they have completed these, they have to take an AM2 Assessment.
They can start working as an electrician’s assistant while doing their NVQ if they want to gain practical experience, make contacts in the field and begin to earn money.
After finishing their Assessment, they can begin to work as a qualified electrician, either for themselves or employed by someone else.
Of course, the more qualifications they have, the more people will want to use their services. Therefore, they could undertake further training, such as Air Source Heat Pump Training, Emergency Lighting and Fire Alarm Systems, Portable Appliance Inspection and Testing, and Electric Vehicle Charging courses to name a few.
The length of the training depends on the course, with some taking as little as one day to complete. These intensive sessions will boost an electricians’ credentials while not hugely extending the length of their overall training period.