An apprenticeship is a job where you’ll also carry out training to industry standards. It’s the electrical industry’s preferred training route to becoming a fully qualified electrician.

Traditionally apprenticeships were only for young people but now, in England, employers can receive funding for apprentices of any age.

The whole training programme will take around four years to complete. You’ll train with a college or training provider (off-the-job training), but also importantly with your employer in the office and on site (on-the-job training).

At the end of your apprenticeship, you’ll need to complete what’s called an ‘end-point assessment’ which puts all of your learning and skills to the test.

You may find an apprenticeship vacancy by speaking to local employers or training providers. You can also search for training providers who offer the apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship Standards

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) publishes ‘apprenticeship standards’ for England, which map out a profile of each apprenticeship and shows what knowledge and skills you’ll need in the workplace. You can view electrotechnical apprenticeship standards on the IFATE website:

• Installation Electrician/Maintenance Electrician
• Fire, Emergency and Security Systems Technician
• Network Cable Installer
• Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) Controls Engineer

Scotland

In Scotland, electrical installation apprentices will be following the Modern Apprenticeship framework