Becoming an electrician

[Ayla1997]

Hi, sorry if this is the wrong place to ask, I am wondering about becoming an electrician of some form or another and thought to come to an electrician’s forum to ask questions.


Just a little about me: I had problems in the past, now 26, did really well at school but dropped out of uni so my dreams of being a scientist didn’t happen. I took some years out messed about for one reason and another and now want to sort myself out with a good job.


Firstly: have I got the right skills? I am good at maths, science, IT, have multiple A* GCSE in maths, further maths, all sciences, IT however nothing higher than GCSE. I like taking things apart, fixing appliances and stuff in the house, doing little jobs on my car. As a 7 year old I used to play with simple electronics and would design circuits on pieces of paper (that would probably explode if fabricated for real).


Second I’m wondering what the typical atmosphere is like. I have mild autism and suffer with anxiety and something that upsets me to the point where I can’t function is aggressiveness. I am female and was told by relatives who work in trades that tradespeople are mostly blokes often quite rough, alpha male, they think I would struggle working in the environment.


Are there different environments depending on what you do? For example domestic work in peoples houses, working on a production line, working at some sort of firm, can all be very different I suspect?


BTW I apologise for stereotyping and hope I am wrong, I don’t want to give the wrong impression I’m not what some call a “snow flake” I can take a joke, it’s more if people are genuinely nasty to the point where they mean what they say if that makes sense? Ribbing I am fine with and can dish out!!!


Finally my age, if I understand I would not be an attractive apprentice as an employer has to pay me minimum wage but can pay a younger apprentice like £2.50 p/h. What is the best path in my situation? Or am I just too old? I am able to pay for training and and am lucky to live with supportive family and not expected to earn any time soon. However I assume you need work experience as well as formal training…?


I look forward to the response whether it’s positive or just look for a different career!!!


Thank you.

 

[bj the dj]

Hi Ayla1997
by the sound of things you would fit in quit well as electrician
As for the becoming apprentice i am sure there are lot
employers that would be happy to take you on

 

[ferg]

It's been a while since I was an apprentice TBH but I think things have changed a bit in terms of how apprentices are treated these days. I think the working environment is a bit friendlier.

I would think if you found the right employer / environment you would do well.
I've certainly met aggressive tradesmen but I wouldn't put them in the majority by any means. TBH I've come across more a***holes in an office environment than on site.
People are people and finding the right ones to work with is the key to anyones working life

In danger of generalising myself a wee bit here but I would think working in domestics for a small outfit might be a good fit as domestic customers expect a certain level of behaviour from people working in their homes.

Equally a bigger company will have more staff where you might be able to move around if you end up working with someone who isn't a good fit for you.

BTW anxiety, at varying levels, isn't all that uncommon in the trades. Some deal with it better than others and occasionally there are threads popping up about it and how to deal with it in a work environment.

Once you have qualified, if you decide to go for it, you are then in a much better position to decide on and control your working environment.

 

[plugsandsparks]

Hi - to answer your questions, strong maths skills and science will help alot with the theory side which help you fly through that aspect of learning. The Electrical trade is vast, with so many different working conditions, your weaknesses, as you see them, will not stop you, if you are determined. We all have issues... lol

If you can get into the Power Distribution Side, e.g. National Grid or UK power Networks, it could be a good career path as they have loads of work trying to get to Net Zero and have many many different roles.

 

[pc1966]

If you have the attitude of getting stuff done, and have an aptitude for science/engineering/logical thought, then you would make a good apprentice and ultimately a good electrician.

While some businesses can be a bit "blokey" how you are treated depends far more on the individuals than the type of business. There are many different types and you might find that you prefer one type of work environment over another. Just give it a go!

 

[mhar]

If you can get into the Power Distribution Side, e.g. National Grid or UK power Networks, it could be a good career path as they have loads of work trying to get to Net Zero and have many many different roles.

I am the dad of a dno band 5 technician (plus an electrician myself). Career progression within National Grid now effectively requires a large element of technical qualifications (HNC etc) which you sound ideally suited for, you can study whilst working.

I find what my son does quite fascinating, it is certainlty well paid with his P60 always above £60k. There are many different roles ranging from telecoms, wayleaves, network planning, protection, lv live line working, hv hot glove working down to the more mundane pole testing, a very wide spectrum with each element requiring different skills. However, you are working for a large corporatre body so have to expect the corporate crap which increases the higher up the chain you get

Some roles require a great deal of physical fitness (which is gained on the job) other roles less so. Your sex or the fact that you may be on the autistic spectrum should make no difference and isn't a barrier. My son has a few firm friends from work plus many collegues who will rally round if needed so that covers your anxiety issues as others will share and support.

Personally I can't work in a corporate environment. I am a self employed one man band (with people I can call on for help) and do mainly domestic and light commercial work so I can choose my customers and people who I work with. I don't have an artistic bone in my body so the technical nature of 'being an electrician' really suits me.

I think all this waffle is a long winded way of saying JUST GO FOR IT

 

[pc1966]

I think all this waffle is a long winded way of saying JUST GO FOR IT

Amen to that!

 

[Dustydazzler]

If you can wire a plug top , you can wire a socket , if you can wire a socket , you can wire a circuit , if you can wire a circuit , you can be an electrician...

JUST DO IT ( and not all apprentices are on 50 pence per hour, I was on £14,500 per annum on a 40 hour contract as an apprentice in 1998 which wasn't too shabby back then )

 

[Ayla1997]

Thanks for all the replies and encouragement. I didn’t expect all positive replies and it’s really made me want to do something like this as a career even more. That is quite right that you can get hostile people in any job environment so why let that put you off doing what you want to do or enjoy.

Just to double check, is the best way into this career an apprenticeship even at my age? Or should I look into full time training? I am not obsessing about wages to begin with, I'm happy to even spend out at the start if this means a better life later on, I'm more interested in getting equipped with skills and qualifications.

At the end of the day I just want a varied job that requires skill and intelligence and is rewarding and I think a good salary comes 2nd to that, though don't get me wrong is always nice to have!!

Thanks again!

 

[westward10]

Your best route is an apprenticeship however this maybe hard to come by regardless of whether you are male or female. If you decide to take up learning yourself this is fine but onsite experience is essential. As for you being a person with autism I would personally be informing your employer of this as this puts them under the obligation for giving you a duty of care, good luck.

 

[Ayla1997]

Thank you, westward10, that is all helpful to know.

I think it's time for more research and I will probably be back at some point with more questions.

I appreciate all the ideas and advice.

 

[Vortigern]

Very often there are posts from people who have spent a lot of money on training and got very mixed results ranging from total rip-off to not effective in entering the industry. The problem here is that many look at whats needed from the wrong end of the binoculars. i.e. look at this link; Morris Services - Getting Started - https://www.morrisservices.co.uk/gettingstarted.asp
It shows definitively what qualifications/experience you have to have to enter the industry. Rather than look at courses look at what is needed for your chosen route than look at courses that match those requirements. Then there will be no tears having spent some thousands on training.
In Bristol there is "The Collective" a group of females who do electrical work. There is a strong need for female electricians as many clients want only females and invariably for good and valid reasons. So there are niche areas. From how you describe yourself you seem intelligent academically capable and challenged in some areas socially. Nothing new there! Given that, there is always electrical design work doing a C&G2396 and drafting the technical drawings. I don't know if you want something more practical.
To be honest I have had a few female trainees and they take a bit more accomodating sometimes than the male counterparts. Strength is required for site/commercial work which is sometimes lacking in the fairer sex.
While it is nice to have a pleasant face around the work site, it can be challenging for the female at times. But most of the time everything is just fine. There is commercial, Industrial and domestic electrical work. I personally would eschew domestic as it is not very rewarding or technically challenging. Light commercial is great as there is no-one looking over you. The environment is more stringent in terms of H&S but easily dealt with. Domestic work is fraught with customers changing there mind, not paying, living in the property and having to work around them. So make your choice

 

[Ayla1997]

Thanks, Vortigern, I appreciate the experience and realistic take on my situation.

I don’t want to rule anything out yet but at the same time realise need to narrow down what I want to do. I think I am leaning towards light commercial work…I think I may get on better working for other professionals rather than an end consumer. I have heard that working with consumers/general public is sometimes difficult as they can have unrealistic expectations which may be hard with my social skills / lack of assertiveness. I could see myself struggling negotiating customer and just saying “umm yes OK I will do that for 50 pence”.

I found an apprenticeship with the NHS which upon completion results in a full job. I’m in the process of writing an application for it as it seems like a good opportunity but they do thin out the applicants heavily and only pick a few each year so I guess need to have other options in place as well.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[bj the dj]

Thanks, Vortigern, I appreciate the experience and realistic take on my situation.

I don’t want to rule anything out yet but at the same time realise need to narrow down what I want to do. I think I am leaning towards light commercial work…I think I may get on better working for other professionals rather than an end consumer. I have heard that working with consumers/general public is sometimes difficult as they can have unrealistic expectations which may be hard with my social skills / lack of assertiveness. I could see myself struggling negotiating customer and just saying “umm yes OK I will do that for 50 pence”.

I found an apprenticeship with the NHS which upon completion results in a full job. I’m in the process of writing an application for it as it seems like a good opportunity but they do thin out the applicants heavily and only pick a few each year so I guess need to have other options in place as well.

Thanks again for the advice.

good afternoon !
all i i can say good lucky with your applicant and it not a bad place to work

 

[nicebutdim]

I don’t want to rule anything out yet but at the same time realise need to narrow down what I want to do. I think I am leaning towards light commercial work…I think I may get on better working for other professionals rather than an end consumer. I have heard that working with consumers/general public is sometimes difficult as they can have unrealistic expectations which may be hard with my social skills / lack of assertiveness. I could see myself struggling negotiating customer and just saying “umm yes OK I will do that for 50 pence”.

An apprenticeship with the NHS would be a great opportunity and I can't imagine it being the sort of employer to place unrealistic demands on employees.

I'd tend to prefer non-domestic work as I'm not a fan of working in the homes of people or working around their stuff, although a lot of domestic work can be very enjoyable. Industrial work is another area to consider as it's a vast field covering a very wide range of work.

If the NHS apprenticeship doesn't work out, you may be lucky enough to find yourself working for the sort of company that has its fingers in every pie, rather than specialising in any particular type of work, as you'd be exposed to all manner of electrical work and have the opportunity to learn about all manner and find out what you really enjoy or don't find so enjoyable.

 

[pc1966]

All the best and keep us informed!

The forum is helpful to folks trying to learn, as well as folks with experience having odd problems, so just ask if you need to.