The fact is that a career within the electrical sphere is a frequent alternative for many people. Within this document we will not use the full term of Electro-Mechanical Engineering but use the term Electrical Industry instead. Equally we\’ll focus on those credentials that fit the UK domestic and commercial sector rather than those from 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.

Basically there are two clear ways to gain admission into the electrical market. The first is for those wishing to train via a more traditional apprenticeship route, and the second is for people who are entering the field at a later stage in life. Throughout this document we will simply refer to two types of people the \’Junior\’ and the \’Mature\’ entrants.

Many Mature Entrants enter the market so they don\’t have to rely on others, especially when they can work on their own building ideas and not have to pay for anyone else to help them. However, people who join as junior entrants like the fact that they can join a recognised firm to pick up the bulk of their practical and work based skills. Upon leaving school many apprenticeships provide a fast learning curve for young adults looking to boost their auxiliary skills.

Entry has two separate approaches to teaching. Junior Entrants are heavily linked with NVQ\’s (or the Scottish equivalent – SVQ\’s.) Whilst the core syllabus is relatively similar to non-NVQ commercial training, there is a particular requirement to attain the actual NVQ qualifications as part of the overall training program. \’Junior Entrants\’ will have to be in an apprenticeship of some sort in order to achieve the testing and course work required.

By working independently and without the need for NVQ assessments, many Mature Entrants can concentrate on those areas that provide the biggest profit and offer the largest practical solutions for themselves. Instead most of them aim for the techniques that will get them up and running as quickly as possible and give them the best return against the cost to train in the first place. 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.

In terms of typical earnings, we have two clear routes – those relating to employment and those for self-employment. Whilst self-employed people can choose the hours that they work, we assume that they are working full time for the purpose of this review. 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. \’Mature Entrants\’ salaries though are often more difficult to work out, but can rise to 70.000 and above as reported in UK newspapers. Regardless of all that is the need to cover off additional costs such as tools, clothes and even a vehicle and all that goes along with that. Furthermore, professional items such as accountancy, tax and insurance need to be considered to make the business work properly. Whilst there is lots of available work, a severe skills shortage means electricians are very much in demand. If a student wanted to work every day of the week this would be possible in some areas. To be fair, high salaries bounded about by the press do require long working hours or help to achieve them.

It should be noted that the working week for most electricians differs between the Junior and Mature Entrant markets. Most \’Junior Entrants\’ do not work at the weekends. 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.

Once a career in electrical work has been chosen, a Junior Electrician is often at the mercy of their employer when it comes to learning new skills and expertise. Whereas the mature entrant can gain knowledge from any trade source – even one outside of the core of electrical work. Without a doubt the extra skills help them in their overall employ whether this is commercial or domestic work.

One new, fast growing area – one that invokes a wide array of skills sets and is new to the industry overall – is that of the \’Green Engineer\’. The chance to win some big employment and business advantages within the governmental as well as the traditional growth sector means that this area could be attractive to both Junior and Mature Entrants alike.

(C) Scott Edwards 2009. Navigate to www.electricaltrainingcoursesgb.co.uk or Electrician Courses.