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Working Abroad Job Vacancies Job Hunting Guide Voluntary Work Working Part-time and Temping Useful Job Hunting Resources Working in Somerset Wages and Employment Rights Electricians in Somerset CLCI: RAK CRCI: GE Electricians work in all sorts of places. Many work in the construction industry wiring new houses, factories and other buildings. Others work for electrical contractors wiring and rewiring existing buildings. You could also be employed to maintain electrical equipment within large companies. Or be hired to install cabling for computer networks and alarm systems. Other electricians work in factories and on electricity supply cables, power lines and sub-stations. To find out more look under the above CLCI/CRCI headings in your careers or Connexions library. THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ELECTRICIANS IN SOMERSET Electricians work on buildings and power systems throughout Somerset. Many are employed by small electrical contracting companies. These businesses can have between three and twenty trained electricians. Major building firms, operating in Somerset and other parts of the South West, also employ electricians. This involves site work putting in new wiring systems. Other electricians in Somerset work for electrical supply companies and engineering businesses. HOW DO I GET STARTED?   Get work experience when at school to see if it’s the career for you   Go to college full-time to do an electrical installation course (if one is available)   Start as a trainee – or apprentice – and go to college as part of your job (the most common way) USEFUL QUALIFICATIONS   Good GCSEs in maths, English, science and design technology are often required   NVQs and City and Guilds electrical installation qualifications (from full-time college or as part of your apprenticeship) More about qualifications, courses and training can be found in Moving On (published by Connexions Somerset) DO YOU KNOW? Electricians need good colour vision to distinguish between different coloured wiring. You’ll probably be tested for colour vision before being offered a job WHAT IS THE PAY LIKE? Around £80 per week (maybe more) if starting as a new employed trainee or apprentice. Pay increases as you pass the various stages of your training. When qualified pay rates are considerably higher than the minimum wage. Depending on the employer, the hours and the type of work Somerset electricians can earn anything between £14,000 and £30,000 per year FINDING A JOB   Connexions centres   Job centres   Through applying for work apprenticeships   School and college careers notice boards   Speculative letters/visits/emails   Newspaper and industry publications adverts   Adverts displayed at premises and on industry/company websites   Job offer after work experience   Word of mouth   A Guide to Job Hunting gives tips on CVs, interviews and job letters. To view click here OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WORK   The work is quite complex. Knowledge and skills are important and the training is demanding   There aren't a lot of openings to start. You'll need to try extremely hard to get an apprenticeship   You need to be physically fit and have good practical ability   Early in your apprenticeship you might spend most of your time observing, fetching and carrying   Keeping up to date with regulations is a big part of the job   Health and safety procedures must be followed   With experience you could get into supervisory, management and estimating work   Prospects vary between companies. If you want to get on you may need to change employers WHO DOES THE WORK? Karen (20) was unsure what she wanted to do when she got her GCSEs. She went to college for a while and managed to get a part-time job in a shop selling electrical equipment in Taunton. This led to her becoming interested in practical work and, after a few months, Karen gave up college to start a job as trainee electrician with a small local firm. Karen has made fantastic progress over the last three years and, after gaining more experience, will be looking for jobs with bigger companies Steven (18) comes from Glastonbury and, right from an early age, wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps as an electrician. Work experience with his dad helped Steven get an apprenticeship with a major local electrical contractor. He’s now halfway through his training and is hopeful of future promotion. Nor is Steven ruling out the possibility of one day going into partnership with his dad! More Info: A-Z Careers Careers information dates rapidly. Every effort has been made to ensure information is accurate but please check details before making firm decisions. Make text larger Make text smaller Text Only Display Privacy Policy/Terms of Use