All posts tagged electrical courses

Apr 202112

A Day in the Life of an Electrician

Ryan electrical

An Electrician

Are you thinking about becoming an electrician and wondering what a typical working day would look like? In this blog post, we look at the day-to-day life of an electrician and what jobs they tend to do!

But first: what exactly is an electrician?

An electrician is a qualified professional who specialises in a variety of electrical work, such as planning and installing wiring systems, testing and maintaining electrical equipment, and running power supplies to public events.

If you decide to become an electrician, you will have to choose between entering the field as a generalised electrician or working in a specialist niche. This choice will determine what the day-to-day functions of the job are; not all electricians tackle exactly the same tasks.

However, in most areas of this field, the general daily tasks remain the same.

What jobs do electricians do?

Throughout the majority of the working week, general electricians will have to conduct a set of common tasks required by businesses and homeowners. These often involve...

Planning, writing and understanding diagrams and floor plans
Repairing damaged wiring and equipment using a range of power and hand tools
Diagnosing wiring issues, failing components, poor connections and overloaded circuits using specialised tools such as thermal imaging
Testing electrical systems and circuits using devices such as oscilloscopes and voltmeters
Assessing electrical systems, components and equipment to spot any potential hazards and defects
Planning and installing electrical wiring and fixtures based on job specs and local codes

Working hours of an electrician

The majority of electricians work a standard eight-hour shift, five days a week and sometimes even on weekends. However, as an electrician, you should be prepared to work during off-hours too, dealing with the wiring and voltage issues that can occur at any hour of the day. This is common throughout the electrical industry, with many general electricians available for on-call emergency service.

The work you are assigned will very much depend on the terms of your employment. Whether you're an independent contractor or working for an established company, you will either set your own schedule of work or be assigned jobs to complete across a variety of different sites.

One thing's for sure, though: all electricians should be prepared to work for longer than planned. Once you begin working, you can quickly discover that the one job you were assigned to do is just a small part of a much bigger problem that will take more time to fix.

More on the jobs electricians do

As you can see from the information above, working as a successful electrician requires a wide range of specialised skills, as well as good reading comprehension and analysing in order to determine the best route to success for each individual job.

Because of the danger and complexity of electrical work, it is essential that you study and learn from qualified and experienced professionals.

Our Electrical Training Courses >

Additional Resources:

Mar 202125

What to Expect from a Career in Electrical Engineering

joel electrical

Man training for a career in electrical engineering

An electrical engineer is someone who designs electrical systems. This can mean anything from assisting with the construction of new homes to planning nationwide energy networks.

As you can probably imagine, this line of work demands a lot of expertise, but if you've got the right qualifications, a career in electrical engineering can be very lucrative indeed. According to payscale.com, the average salary for an electrical engineer in the UK is just over £32,000 per year - and some earn significantly more than that.

Electrical engineers are employed by all sorts of different industries, including:

Construction
Energy
Transport
Manufacturing
Defence

What's the Difference Between an Electrician and an Electrical Engineer?

While 'electrician' and 'electrical engineer' are often used interchangeably, they are - strictly speaking - two different professions. You wouldn't hire an electrical engineer to come and fix your oven, and most jobbing electricians aren't qualified to design large-scale electrical systems.

So what exactly is the difference? Well, this is something of an oversimplification (and there is a certain amount of overlap between the two roles) but broadly speaking, electrical engineers DESIGN the jobs that electricians then CARRY OUT. Think of the electrical engineer as a composer, and the electrician as a concert pianist; one writes the music, the other performs it.

How to Become an Electrical Engineer

If you simply want to work as a domestic electrician, you will need the following qualifications (which make up our Essential Electrical Course):

Part P Domestic Installer
18th Edition Wiring Regulations
Building Regulations for Electrical Installations in Dwellings

If you want to pursue a career in electrical engineering, you will need to know how to design electrical systems. Our Electrical Design Course (which includes a Level 4 design and verification qualification) is recommended for candidates who already have some professional electrical experience under their belts.

Beginners who wish to forge a career in electrical engineering may be interested in our Premier Electrical Course - this comprehensive training package consists of eight different qualifications, covering everything from basic electrical theory all the way through to the design and verification of new installations. No prior knowledge or experience is required to enrol on this course.

View All Electrical Courses >

If you want to become an electrical engineer but you're not sure where to start, please contact Access Training Academies today - our course advisors will start you down the path to your new career.

Dec 201902

Shocking Stats Show Female Minority in Electrician Trade

Lewis access training courses, electrical

Recent research has once again highlighted the overwhelming lack of female electricians currently in the UK electrical industry.

According to TradeSparky, out of over 250k British electricians, only around 2000 are female. This figure equates to a shocking 1% of the entire contingent of electricians in the UK.

female electricians, women electricians

A Man’s World?

The figures highlight the fact that the tradesperson industry is a male-dominated field and one that is severely lacking in female participation.

Worse still, the pattern of a predominantly male workforce does nothing to spark female involvement and continues this trend further, as female uptake remains minimal.

However, the shocking stats don’t stop there. In addition to the inequality in gender employment, the imbalance also extends to the pay scale as well.

Further to the incredible disparity between male and female participation figures, there is also a gender pay gap of just over £3.5k.

Also according to TradeSparky, men receive an average annual wage of approximately £34.5 while women walk away with just under £31k.

Crossed Wires

Despite these male-skewed statistics, the tide is turning with each passing year with regards to equality in the workplace and the electrical trade does actually pose a great deal of opportunity for women looking to get into the manual trades profession.

In fact, when compared to average annual salary figures published by the Office of National Statistics, the average female electrician earns more than many other professions, such as legal associates (£29k), graphic designers (£27k), police community support officers (£27k), ambulance staff (£23k) and dental nurses (£18k).

What’s more, Direct Line for Business also revealed that 29% of UK adults would prefer to hire a woman to work on their home plumbing, if given the choice.

Electrician Training with Access Training UK

If you’re a woman looking to take those first steps into a career in the electrical trade, Access Training UK can help you get where you want to go.

With a wide variety of courses for all skill levels, our electrician courses are fundamentally designed to help you achieve your electrical goals at a pace that suits you.

Whether you’re a total novice that’s completely new to the business or an existing professional looking to add a few strings to your electrical bow, we have the course for you.

Check out the below for the full rundown of exactly what electrician courses we have available at Access Training UK.

New Career Courses

Perfect for those with little to no experience, our beginner courses include the following:

Essential Electrical Course

Professional Electrician Course

Premier Electrical Course

Trade Professional Courses

For the more seasoned professional, we offer the following courses, designed to expand your existing knowledge:

Part P Domestic Electrical Installer

18^th Edition

Part P & 18^th Edition

PAT Testing

Initial Verification

Periodic Inspection & Testing

Fundamental Inspection Testing

Combined Inspection & Testing

Electrical Design Course

For more information on any of the electrician courses listed above, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0800 345 7492 or get in touch online by clicking the button below.

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Nov 201911

Earnings for Electrician at an All-Time High

Lewis electrical, trade news

Self-employed electricians in the UK have been left buzzing this month as average earnings reached their highest level on record.

According to data analysis by Hudson Contract, October payroll figures confirm that earnings for electricians in England and Wales rose by 5.8%, amounting to a weekly average of £1165.

money, electrician wages

Record-Breaking Wages

Hudson Contract is a payroll firm responsible for well over 2000 construction companies in the UK.

The firm has been analysing subcontractor earning since March 2008 and in the entire 11+ year span of those records, electrician wages have never been higher.

Welsh electricians saw an incredible spike in earnings growth with a rise of over 25%. Meanwhile, both the south-east and the north-west also saw sizeable peaks, both with a growth of over 8%.

Despite the boosts elsewhere, electrician’s in the east of England remain the highest earnings, topping off at an average of £1363/week which equates to a theoretical £70k/annum.

A Lucrative Career Path

On average, electricians regularly find themselves within the top three earners in the construction industry and this latest statistic proves once again just how lucrative an electrical career can be.

Managing Director of Hudson Contract, Ian Anfield, had this say:

“Despite political uncertainty and a general election, freelance electricians have never earned more. We hope this message reaches young people considering a career in construction.”

Electrical Careers at Access Training UK

As the figures suggest, there’s never been a better time to consider a career in the electrical industry, with the potential to earn respectable annual salaries that rival and surpass most graduates.

Here at Access Training, we can help you get your career on track with our variety of electrician courses. Whether you’re a total novice taking your first steps in the electrical game or a seasoned veteran hoping to sharpen your skills with some additional knowledge, we have the course for you.

New Career Courses

Perfect for those with little to no experience, our beginner courses include the following:

- Essential Electrical Course

- Professional Electrician Course

- Premier Electrical Course

Trade Professional Courses

For the more seasoned professional, we offer the following courses, designed to expand your existing knowledge:

- Part P Domestic Electrical Installer

- 18^th Edition

- Part P & 18^th Edition

- PAT Testing

- Initial Verification

- Periodic Inspection & Testing

- Fundamental Inspection Testing

- Combined Inspection & Testing

- Electrical Design Course

For more information on the wide range electrician courses at Access Training UK, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0800 345 7492 or get in touch online by clicking the link below.

Get in Touch

Nov 201904

Plumbing and Electrical Problems a Common Complaint for Landlords

Lewis access training news, electrical, trade news

According to figures recently released by Direct Line, plumbing and electrical issues are the two primary headaches commonly faced by buy to let landlords across the UK.

While the diagnosis is far from surprising, the extent of the problem is certainly shocking, racking up sizeable bills nationwide.

house flood

Landlord SOS

According to Direct Line’s statistics, over half of UK landlords have had to enlist the aid of an emergency contractor in the last 12 months.

In fact, on average, landlords in the UK are said to have called out a contractor once every three months, amounting to 4.7 million landlord SOS calls a year.

The most common emergencies relating to these calls were all plumbing related, closely followed by electrical/gas supply issues and water problems.

Plumbing issues, in particular, accounted for 365k rental homes being evacuated, with electrical/gas supply racking up 293k evacuations and water issues relating to 267k.

A Hefty Bill

While buy to let properties have proved to be a savvy investment for many property owners, the subsequent maintenance issues have seen the need for emergency contractors impede those profit margins considerably.

Overall, Direct Line noted that Britain’s landlords have had to shell out a collective £4.5 billion on emergency contractors over the course of the last year. Statistically speaking, that equates to an average sum of £764 per call out and £2141/year per landlord.

Every Cloud...

Naturally, the figures paint a rather devastating picture for landlords and anyone looking to enter the buy to let property market. However, for those in the plumbing and electrical trades, the news is anything but that.

The demand for top-quality plumbers and highly skilled electricians remains strong in the UK, as the national skills shortage in this area continues. The result is healthy profits, a steady stream of work and a reliable income for those in the trade and attractive career prospects for those thinking of making the jump.

Plumbing Courses and Electrician Courses

At Access Training UK, we have a wide variety of courses on offer for potential plumbers and would-be electricians. These range from entry-level courses for complete novices with no prior experience all the way up to NVQ Level 2 Certification and PAT Testing courses.

Whether you’re looking to enter the electrical trade, build on your existing plumbing skills or anything in between, an Access Training course can help you get where you want to be quickly, efficiently and affordably.

Check out the buttons below to find out more right now and begin your skills journey today.

Plumbing Courses Electrician Courses

For additional details on the various plumbing and electrician courses available at Access Training UK, why not drop us a line today? Call now on 0800 345 7492 to speak with one of our expert advisors or get in touch online by clicking the button below.

Get in Touch