Take the right course
The Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) and JTL Guide to Training for a Trade in the building services industry.
A recent survey placed electricians and plumbers among the top six happiest employees in the UK. So, if you’re a bright spark looking to pursue a vocational education for a career in the building services industry, here are your definitive top tips to ensure you’re on the right track.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is
It takes time and determination to become skilled at anything so beware of fast-track courses that claim to qualify you as a plumber or electrician in a matter of weeks. You will find that the qualification such a course offers carries no weight in the ‘established’ industry and could leave you out of pocket and still without a job.
From plumbing to power stations, the opportunities in the building services and engineering sector are endless, but if this is the career path you wish to take you should expect to be studying for up to four years.
Always check the label
Make sure that the course you are taking is recognised by the industry and is relevant to your chosen specialism. For example to enter a career in the electrotechnical industry will need an NVQ at level 3. This is a nationally recognised qualification for a skilled tradesperson and teamed with dedication will provide you with a passport to successful employment.
Get out of the classroom
Vocational education isn’t all about textbook theory and you certainly won’t be chained to a desk! To complete an NVQ you must gain practical as well as theoretical experience and be assessed for competence by becoming employed as an apprentice with a company, working on site.
It can prove difficult for small businesses to take on apprentices and find a college that provides a good course, so most apprentices are taken on by employers who work with a training manager such as JTL, the leading training provider to the building services engineering sector. A training provider acts as a broker between apprentice, employer and college to ensure that you and your employer get the best out of your apprenticeship. Seventy-five percent of all apprentices qualifying into the electrotechnical industry each year do so with JTL.
Some major employers, however, take apprentices on to their own training schemes, which are managed in-house and deliver the standard apprenticeship qualification tailor-made to meet the needs of the company.
On track to train
Young people between the ages of 16 to 19 should consider an Advanced Apprenticeship (AA), the most comprehensive available in the industry and an ideal way for a young person to get a foot on to the career ladder. Providing both a salary and college training, the AA delivered by JTL involves studying for an NVQ Level 3, including the Technical Certificate and relevant Key Skills, which provides industry recognition as an electrician or plumber.
It is a good entry route into the industry and provides challenging opportunities for all young people, irrespective of ethnicity, race or gender. As well as ensuring a stable and well paid career, apprentices can looking forward a number of opportunities after they qualify including design, supervisory and management roles; becoming a chartered engineer; technician or estimator and, in some cases, even owning their own company.
It’s never too late
If you are a mature candidate (over 19 years), providing you are capable of obtaining relevant employment, you are advised to take the appropriate NVQ qualification under your own steam. In this case you would be expected to self-fund but other options are available. Sometimes employers offer assistance with funding, in other cases career development loans can be obtained. Funding information is usually available via your chosen college.
Training provider JTL and Sector Skills Council, Summit Skills, can provide impartial advice and information on careers in the building services engineering sector. The Electrical Contractors’ Association provides extensive information and support to its member companies on suitable qualifications and training programmes for their staff.
