Pathways to becoming Qualified within the Electrical Industry

A series of recommended training routes to provide clear direction on the right paths to becoming a qualified electrician have recently been developed by The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership [TESP].  TESP is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company formed by the ECA, JIB, NET, SELECT and Unite the Union) to support electrotechnical employers and deliver a wide range of projects to support the industry’s skills needs.

The easy to follow training routes are designed to educate school leavers, career changers and those looking to upskill within the industry and can be found on the Electrical Careers website.

A Common Approach

The intention of the routes is to help candidates to make informed decisions about how to spend their time and money, as there are many electrical qualifications on offer, but not all provide the skills needed by employers or lead to industry-recognised status as a qualified electrician.

In all nations, the advice given is that an apprenticeship is the preferred route into the industry, as it provides the essential work-based experience needed to develop knowledge, skills and competence over a period of time.  In addition to the apprenticeship route, there are other new entrant pathways, as well as the Experienced Worker Assessment route which maps out how those with existing electrical skills can be recognised and accredited to the same Level 3 benchmark as the industry apprenticeship.

The training routes should help reduce the confusion around electrical training and promote what is valued by employers and will ultimately lead to qualified status.

If you would like to find out more information on all industry-approved training routes for the electrical industry, please visit www.electricalcareers.co.uk/routes