If you're looking for a rewarding new career, then you may want to think about becoming an electrician. Gaining your electrical qualifications and starting down this path can be challenging, but the rewards are well worth it.

Why become an electrician?

• Electricians commonly make upwards of £30,000 per year (according to totaljobs.com)
• You'll have the opportunity to be your own boss and choose your hours
• Qualified electricians are in very high demand right now - more than a quarter of firms have reported difficulties recruiting electricians

In addition to the above perks, electricians also enjoy a more active working day, making their way from one job to the next and engaging in practical, hands-on labour instead of sitting at a desk all week.

All of these are great reasons to become an electrician - but how exactly do you do it? Well, as with any trade, there are a number of industry-recognised qualifications associated with electrical work, and you'll obviously need to get qualified before you can start work; after all, electricity is very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, and it's illegal for untrained personnel to operate on live electrical installations.

What qualifications do you need?

In order to start your electrician career, you will first need to earn an industry-recognised Level 3 electrical qualification, such as:

• Level 3 Certificate in the Building Regulations for Electrical Installations in Dwellings
• Level 3 Certificate for the Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment
• Level 3 Certificate of Competent Management of Electrical Equipment Maintenance

These qualifications each cover different skills/aspects of being an electrician, so you may find it worthwhile to complete a package course (e.g. our own Professional Electrical Course, which includes a number of Level 3 electrical qualifications) in order to give the best possible foundation for a varied, lucrative career. Simply click below to learn more!

Professional Electrical Course >

How long does it take to get qualified?

A lot of budding electricians get qualified over a number of years via an apprenticeship or NVQ diploma course, with a Level 3 qualification awarded upon completion. Other people obtain Level 1 and/or Level 2 qualifications before seeking trainee positions.

These aren't the only options, however. Fast-track electrical courses - which allow candidates to achieve Level 3 qualifications within a very short time frame - have become increasingly popular in recent years. This is an option you may wish to consider if you're looking to start your new career as an electrician ASAP.

Fast-track courses vary in duration, but dedicated students can complete their training and become qualified electricians in a matter of months.

What happens once you're qualified?

Once you have completed your electrical training and earned the necessary qualification(s), you can seek employment with a firm, or you can start your own business and be your own boss.

Many newly-qualified electricians choose the latter option, and it's not hard to see why: self-employed electricians can work as few or as many hours as they please, and their earnings aren't limited to their contracted salary. However, if you would prefer to be employed by someone else, that's a great choice too, and with electricians extremely in-demand at the moment, you should have no trouble finding a job.

If you'd like to become an electrician and train with Access Training, simply click below to browse our range of Electrical Courses and apply today to start your new career and life!

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Wondering what it's like to train with us? Here's a review from one of our electricians in training:

If you need advice on any of our electrical training courses, or would just like to speak to one of our expert advisors about any of the courses we offer, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Call us on 0800 345 7492 or email info@accesstraininguk.co.uk

Wondering whether or not to become an electrician? Well, we can certainly assure you that it's a very rewarding career choice. It's also a very stable source of income - electricity is a crucial part of modern life, and there are all sorts of important jobs that can only be done by qualified electricians.

Whether you are fresh out of school or looking for a new career a bit later in life, there are plenty of good reasons to become an electrician. We've put together just a few of them below.

Five Reasons Why You Should Become an Electrician

• You can be your own boss

Becoming a qualified electrician will provide you with the option of starting your own business. If you've always loved the idea of being your own boss and choosing the hours you work, learning to work as an electrician could be a great choice for you. Many electricians are self-employed and demand for qualified electrical engineers is always high.

• The salary is above average

Electricians typically earn more than any other tradespeople. According to Total Jobs, the average yearly salary for an electrician job is approximately £32,500. Of course, it's possible to earn even more than this through self-employed work, career progression, and bolstering your skillset with additional training courses and qualifications.

• You can work anywhere

The great thing about an electrician's job is that they can work wherever it suits them. There is a huge need for electricians nationwide - not only does this give you the freedom to travel around, it also means you have great job stability.

• You can start at any age

Due to the flexible nature of electrician work, it is possible to become a qualified electrician no matter how old you are. If you're straight out of school, you can start training to become an electrician right away; if you're looking to start a new career, you can start training for your electrician qualification alongside your current work.

• You don't need a degree

Becoming an electrician does not require a university education, meaning you will not rack up thousands of pounds' worth of student loan debt before entering the world of work. Training to become an electrician costs far less than a university degree, and you can even train around your current schedule if you wish to continue working in the meantime. Here at Access Training, we offer courses to suit everyone's needs.

Find out more about Access Training's electrical courses >

Thinking of changing careers? Wondering if you'd enjoy life as a professional electrician? Read on to find out just what this job has to offer.

Becoming an electrician can be a very tempting prospect, especially if your current job keeps you cooped up in an office all week. Electricians spend their working days out and about, travelling from one job to the next, fixing people's electrical problems and helping them to get their appliances up and running again.

If this sounds like a pretty rewarding way to make a living, well, it is! Here's a closer look at why electrical work may be a good career for you to pursue:

How much do electricians make?

According to the Office of National Statistics, the median salary for a UK electrician in 2016 was £30,765 per year. This was slightly higher than the figure for the previous year (which means that electricians' salaries are going up over time).

The same ONS survey found that electricians are the best-paid tradespeople of all, earning more on average than other professionals such as plumbers, carpenters, bricklayers and plasterers.

What hours do electricians work?

So how hard does an electrician have to work to earn upwards of £30k a year? Obviously, there's no set working week when you're a self-employed electrician - you can take on as many or as few jobs as you choose - but it goes without saying that the more work you do, the more money you'll make.

Depending on how much work you find (and how much of it you choose to take on at once), you may well find yourself doing 50-60hrs per week. However, it is more than possible to live comfortably as an electrician working significantly fewer hours than that.

How difficult is it to find work?

The UK is still suffering from something of a trade skills shortage, meaning that there simply aren't enough tradespeople available to do all the jobs that need doing around the country.

This means that electricians (as well as plumbers, bricklayers, etc.) are in very high demand right now, with many tradespeople finding that they're able to command a much higher price for their services than in the past. Interestingly, the result of last year's EU referendum seem to have exacerbated the skills shortage further, and UK electricians are sorely needed to replace the EU workers upon the trade industry relied until recently.

How do you become a qualified electrician?

If the perks of professional electrical work sounds too good to pass up, the next question you'll ask is probably 'what's the next step?'

View accredited electrician courses >

Electricity, of course, can be very dangerous, and so would-be electricians are required to hold a number of qualifications before carrying out any work. Here are the qualifications you MUST have:

• Part P Domestic Installer
• 17th Edition Electrical Regulations

These two certifications are included in our Essential Electrical Course. If you wish to learn more advanced skills and expand the range of jobs that you'll be able to undertake, you may wish to investigate our Professional Electrical Course and our Premier Electrical Course.

All of these training programmes are open to all, with no prior electrical knowledge or experience required. If you would like to train to become an electrician, please contact Access Training today!

Minimum Requirements:

Advanced Qualifications:

When we are contacted by individuals researching electrical training courses, one of their main concerns regarding the profession is the obvious issue of safety. We are repeatedly (and rightly) reminded about the dangers associated with electricity on an everyday level, so it's easy to see why someone might be hesitant regarding the profession, with only the layman's understanding that they will be working with a highly dangerous power source.

Before you decide to become an electrician, it's important to familiarise yourself with the risks associated with the profession. While this may seem rather off-putting at first, it is actually far more beneficial to those looking to build a long-term career as an electrician. When you are aware of the dangers posed to you, as well as to colleagues and members of the public, you are more likely to keep in mind how important it is to follow proper health and safety procedures. As we have noted in a previous post, a career as an electrician can be both lucrative and rewarding, but to be a truly successful electrical engineer you must always keep in mind the possible dangers associated with the job.

Whether you decide to become a domestic installer or a site services electrician, there will be particular risks within your set area, as well as many that are universal. For example, domestic call-outs can be dangerous for electricians, as they are often called to rectify poor work attempted by inexperienced individuals. The best defence against these risks, along with those in many other trade professions, is knowledge. If you receive the right training and qualifications, before going on to uphold the strict guidelines required to work as an electrician, you will ensure that you are able to substantially reduce these risks, almost eliminating them altogether.

To make your choice a bit more straightforward, here are some simple tips for ensuring safety as an electrician:

Who can take this course?

You Have The Opportunity To Be Your Own Boss

The More You Learn, The More You Earn

Flexible Pay Options