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How to Become an Electrician?

Electricians are skilled professionals who have technical knowledge of issues concerning electrical power. They do install, maintaining, and repairing all sorts of electrical equipment.

What is the Job of an Electrician?

Electricians have different categories and specialities. However, they work in on a wide range of projects in homes, businesses, and industries. Generally, they:

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  • Fit power systems, lighting, fire protection, security and data-network systems in homes and businesses
  • Maintain policies and ensure that they are running efficiently and safely
  • Assemble and fit control panels that run electrical systems
  • Service/repair electrical motors and machinery, e.g., transformers
  • Build/repair street lighting and traffic management systems 

What Are the Categories of Electricians?

Electricians can be placed in three different categories, depending on their experience and licensing;

Journeyman Electrician: 

He is the most basic level electrician. 

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Master Electrician:  

He can lead jobs and offer training to apprentices. He can also direct electrical teams.

Independent Electrical Contractor: 

He has a certain level of insurance. He is either a master electrician or has one on staff.

What Are the Things You Need to Do to Become an Electrician?

  • An industry-recognized level 3 qualification, e.g., a level 3 diploma in electro-technical services. 
  • G.C.S.E.s grade D or above. If you have Mathematics and English, that’s a plus.
  • A part-time or full-time college training course in electrical installation (not compulsory)

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How Do You Become an Electrician?

To become a licensed electrician, you’ll need to follow these steps:

Get Yourself a High School Diploma or the Equivalent Although

Being an engineer mostly requires skills related to the industry, there are, however, some essential subjects in high school that are of value to this career. They teach academic concepts, which you will utilize daily as an electrician. Some of such items are:

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  • Algebra and trigonometry 
  • Physics
  • English 
  • Shop and mechanical drawing classes 
  • Try to attend a trade or vocational-technical school

Although not a prerequisite for becoming an electrician, attending a trade or vocational-technical can help you get valuable training that will be of great help to you during job placement, and when obtaining certification. 

Apply for an Apprenticeship

To become a licensed electrician, it’s is very important you complete an apprenticeship. It doesn’t matter whether you decide to attend a trade school to complete your training or not. You can apply for an apprenticeship through:

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  • a trade school
  • a union
  • a non-union

You may have to complete an application test when using to become an apprentice. Your reading comprehension and mathematics skills will be put to the test. Also, they may have to go through a job interview, check for drugs, and meet some physical requirements.

Register as an Electrician Apprentice

In some states, electrical apprentices have to register. They won’t be allowed to work on job sites. Make inquiries on your state’s requirements before starting work.

Complete Your Apprenticeship

For anyone preparing to be an electrician, you should know that apprenticeship is an essential part of your training. Learning is a combination of classroom, on-the-job training, and mentorship from a master electrician. In most states, you have to complete at least four years of apprenticeship before taking the exam. 

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During your apprenticeship, you will learn how to:

  • Decipher technical diagrams and construct blueprints for electrical plans
  • Install, maintain and repair electrical wiring and electricity-distribution equipment
  • Ensure that all your work is done in compliance with national, state and local regulations
  • Use specialized devices to test and inspect electrical systems for issues
  • Get licensed or certified

The requirements for licensing and certification depends on your state or even city, that’s why you have to research the needed qualifications for working in your area.

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Generally, though, you obtain a license or pass an electrical exam that will test your comprehension of the National Electric Code, safety protocols, electrical concepts, and building codes. Also, you will provide proof that you have completed your apprenticeship.

How Do You Get an Electrician’s License?

Obtaining an electrician’s license also varies by state and municipality. Depending on your location and where you want to work, you have to have multiple levels of electrician licensing, or you may not even have any need for licensure requirements. Moreover, states that demand licensure usually provides various pathways to attain it, most times.

Generally, to get electrician, you have to complete a specified number of hours of classroom instruction and supervised real-world training and then pass an exam.

 For instance, if you want to become an electrician in California without any prior experience, you have to:

  • Be registered as an electrician apprentice or trainee
  • Have at least 720 hours of standard classroom instruction through a state-approved school (it may be a part of your apprenticeship)
  • Have at least 8,000 hours of supervised on-the-job experience from a certified electrician
  • Excel at the state certification exam

The process is almost the same in New Jersey. The only difference is that it’s not compulsory to pass an exam before you earn certification to practice as a journeyperson electrician.

If you want to own an electrical contracting business, you need to pass a licensing exam. So according to New Jersey’s State’s Division of Consumer Affairs, if you want to become an electrician;

 A complete 576 hours of classroom instruction, at least. At least 8,000 hours of practical on-the-job experience. This much involve installing, repairing, or altering electrical wirings.

Do not forget that not all states require licensure to become an electrician. To be on the safe side, though, the best thing to do is, contact the country, towns, and cities that you want to work in, to gather more information on the requirements you need.

You can make use of an online resource like I.A.E.I.’s list of state licensing requirements, to discover how you can become a certified electrician in your region.

Are You Finding the Journey Difficult?

Well, becoming an electrician wouldn’t be without its challenges. Like every other career path, there would be ups and downs. However, it can also be a lot of fun; it all burns down to your passion for the work. Training to be an electrician training involves using both your hands and mind, every day, there’s something new to learn. So, boredom is not even an option.

However, to succeed in becoming a licensed electrician, you need to put in a lot of work and consistent commitment. You have to study and practice very hard. All you need are commitment and focus on beating even your expectations. So, cheer up and good luck!

Amit Kumar

FreeEducator.com blog is managed by Amit Kumar. He and his team come from the Oxford, Stanford and Harvard. At FreeEducator, we strive to create the best admission platform so that international students can go to the best universities - regardless of financial circumstances. By applying with us, international students get unlimited support and unbiased advice to secure the best college offers overseas.

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