National Apprenticeship Week: Tips from the trade

  Posted by: electime      10th February 2023

To support National Apprenticeship Week, Electrical Times hears from team members at the specialist, multi-discipline engineering solutions business, BGEN. All former electrical apprentices, they share their advice on making it in the electrical world for those people thinking about making a career in the sector.

Name

Nick Woollacott

Job Title

IR/Labour Manager

When did you qualify as an electrician via the apprenticeship route?

1977

Why go down the apprenticeship route?

What better way is there than to be paid whilst training and working your way to a highly regarded qualification. The advantages of serving an apprenticeship are not only do you get the same qualification as someone who has progressed from school via college or university, but you also gain essential practical knowledge and an invaluable understanding of site culture.

What advice would you give someone thinking about having a career as an electrician?

If offered an apprenticeship, accept it with open arms. It opens up other opportunities – even other countries will readily accept you, as they recognize the value of your qualification. And if you wanted to branch off in other directions (but remain in the industry) such as planning, estimating, design, health and safety, QA, supervising etc., an apprenticeship will give you an excellent knowledge base.

However, it’s important to remember, that if you wish to remain on the tools (because that’s your passion), you haven’t failed, and you will always be an integral part of the industry.