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An Update On Electrical Colleges

By Jason Kendall | January 29, 2010

For many people, a career within the electrical industry remains an interesting and varied choice. From here on we will use the phrase of Electrical Industry to explain the more accurate term of “Electro-Mechanical Engineering”. Furthermore, we will focus on the UK market and the domestic and commercial elements rather than those from elsewhere around the world. Due to the huge list of opportunities available for a career in the electrical industry, we have to begin by focusing on the main areas and look at the ‘add-ons’ later on.

Essentially, we see two distinct forms of entry into the electrical market. To being with we have the older apprentice course and then secondly we have the option for those who wish to make a career change to join the industry. For the sake of clarity throughout, the first will be known as ‘Junior Entrants’ and the second simply known as ‘Mature Entrants.’

Principally, Mature Entrants join the electrical workplace later on, and focus on becoming self employed. This means working on their own and not having to pay salaries to anyone else. By contrast, Junior entrants would seek to work with an established electrical firm and build their skill-sets as they train. After they leave school a young apprentice will have many skills to learn during their first few years of working life.

The different ways into electrical work have two distinct types of training: The Junior Entrants syllabus involves NVQ/SVQ’s as well as proving working skills. There is a particular requirement to attain the NVQ qualifications as part of the overall program. This requires being in a directly-related work program or apprenticeship of some type, so as to meet the testing and course-work requirements.

Mature Entrants, with the possible aim of entering the market from a self-employed perspective, seem to focus on attaining the most commercially viable qualifications (without the need for the NVQ element.) Having said that, the mature student does aim to gain the necessary skills to do the job, whilst at the same time reducing their training costs at all times. This method allows for a quicker route to the market and does meet the necessary trading elements for the areas concerned despite reducing the overall qualification set.

Salaries are often simply broken down to those that relate to self -employed people and those in general employment. With self-employment a person may be working on a part-time or full time basis -to that end we will assume they are working full time. Certainly, whilst salary levels can be affected by knowledge and qualifications, they can also be affected by competence and aptitude.

‘Junior Entrants’ can expect a basic salary of 12K at the beginning of their training. With application and experience this figure often more than doubles in time. Conversely, the UK newspapers often report experienced mature electricians can expect an income of anything up to 70.000. It should be remembered however that a self employed person must often bear additional costs for items such as vehicles, tools and clothing. They will also have to make allocations for personal or professional insurance and accountancy. That aside, whilst the work is open to market-forces to some degree, the current skills shortage in the UK means that there’s a high work-load available. In light of the above, a full seven day week is available to most people should they want it. To achieve the high salaries of 70+ thousand then you will need to put in very long hours and commit yourself fully.

There is often a considerable differential between the working expectations of Mature or Junior Entrants. Electricians who are ‘Junior Entrants’ would work a simple 40 hour working week. That aside the Mature market is equally affected by when their clients are available – this is especially so within the domestic sector, where evening and weekend work predominates. This alters quite a bit, with lots of self employed electricians gaining much of their income from small office work, which is predominantly Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.

A Junior Entrant that has chosen to adopt a career within the electrical trade is more than likely to gain follow up expertise within the particular field they fall into, often dictated by the main business activities of their employer. However, many mature entrants gain extra skills by learning those trades such as gas and plumbing work. If they are working mostly in the domestic market, this makes it easier for them to take on larger jobs across a range of disciplines (without having to sub-contract.)

An up to the minute angle – involving a new level of skills – is that of the so called ‘Green Engineer’. With expected growth through new employment contracts and business options, this new entity is extremely attractive to many Junior and Mature Electricians, especially when considering the UK and EEC support overall.

Copyright Scott Edwards. Hop over to Electrical Careers or AdultCareersAdvice.co.uk/ACAP.html.

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