Electrical apprenticeship

There are a number of job roles and apprenticeshipsneed to be particularly quick at problem solving and if
to choose from in this field- whether it be in Electricalyou were good at physics and maths in school-
and Electronic Servicing, Electrotechnical Operating orthat’ll help in this sector too!
working in the Electricity Industry involved with powerWhat do I get out of it?
stations. Electrical apprenticeships are all aboutAs an electrical and electronic servicing apprentice,
teaching you to make things work and you can learnyou’ll choose your area of specialisation: signal
to specialise in one particular area.reception, consumer/commercial electronics or
Starting an apprenticeship in Electrical and Electronicdomestic electrical appliances .Whichever you choose,
Servicing, deals with the service and repair of a rangeyou’ll cover installation, servicing and maintenance
of electrical equipment – from TVs and domesticprocedures. On the Advanced Apprenticeship, you can
appliances, to aerial systems in blocks of flats.complete optional courses in water supply, building
Electrotecnical Operating is a particularly advancedregulations and a certificate in engineering. Once you
apprenticeship, and it covers the installation,qualify you can expect a starting salary of
maintenance and repair of electrotechnical equipment£13k-£18k.
– from installing electrical systems inside a newAn electrotechnical operative apprentice specialises in
building to maintaining machinery on a production line.one of four areas. You could learn how to build control
While an apprenticeship in the Electrical Industry coverspanels for lighting, heating, air conditioning and ventilation
three main areas of the electricity industry: generationsystems or you could focus on finding faults and fixing
(power stations and other electricity-generatingthem in a range of machinery. A starting salary of
methods), transmission (the National Grid), andbetween £17k-£20k can be expected once
distribution (taking the electricity from the transmissionqualified.
network).And finally, apprentices in the Electrical Industry learn
It’s a hair raising opportunity which can leave youhow to operate and maintain the equipment that
with a bright future!produces electricity in power stations. You could be
Who’s it for?diagnosing and repairing faults on machinery, testing
It goes without saying; you need to be good with yourequipment; and handling the materials that the plant
hands. There’s no point entering a career in this ifuses to generate electricity- with a starting salary from
you’re particularly clumsy, or you may end up£10k-£15k.
switching the whole country’s electrical supply offThe basic frameworks (in England and Wales) an
by mistake!electrical apprenticeship follows is; NVQ(s), Key Skills,
You need a good knowledge of technology andTechnical Certificate(s), Practical Performance
understand engineering principles, whilst you must beAssessment and Employment rights and responsibilities
methodical and follow instructions. You’ll comework. While in Scotland the framework consists of
across many challenges and puzzles to solve, so youSVQ and Core Skills.