How long does it take to get an electrician certification

Whatever age you are or where you are in your current job, leaving that behind and choosing a new path can be daunting. There’s a lot to consider, with availability, flexibility, and cost being just some of them.

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Electrician’s Mate
Apprenticeship
New Entrant Training Course
Experienced Worker Training Course
NVQ Level 3
How Long Does It Take To Become A Qualified Electrician?
What's the fastest you can become an electrician?
How long does it take to learn electrics?
How long does it take to become a qualified electrician UK?
Is becoming a qualified electrician hard?

How long it will take to train in your new career is a significant deciding factor for many people, and it’s no different for those looking to learn a trade.

Entering the trades is a significant step, whether you’re soon leaving school or stuck in a job you don’t love. And becoming a qualified electrician is an excellent career choice. With a massive demand for skilled workers, it’s not only a rewarding job but a profitable one as well.

However, you may be unsure of the best way to get there, wondering ‘how long does it take to become a qualified electrician?’ among other things. Don’t worry; we’ve covered that and more.

How long it takes to become a qualified electrician depends on the route you take to get there. To work as an electrician, you can complete a level 3 electrical or electrotechnical qualification – or the equivalent – and a few different options are available.

Electrician’s Mate

As an electrician’s mate, you’ll work on-site for an unspecified period. You’ll learn about the trade and gain new skills and knowledge during your time on-site. There is no qualification at the end of this, as it is not an official route into the industry. Instead, many people who’ve worked as an electrician’s mate will go on to undertake an apprenticeship or training course.

Apprenticeship

As an apprentice, you’ll train in college, on-site and online, with a minimum of 20% of your working hours being hands-on. Typically, apprenticeships can take anywhere from one year to five years to complete and are generally aimed at those aged 16 and over. During your time as an apprentice, you will be able to earn as you train:

16-18: £4.81 per hour
19+ (first year): £4.81
19+ (second year onwards: National minimum wage for your age

(Source: Gov.UK)

New Entrant Training Course

The final and shortest duration option is an electrical training course. You’ll begin your training with practical and theory learning for six weeks before going to work on-site as an ECS Electrical trainee. At this stage, we aim to find you employment where you’ll earn £10+ per hour. The duration of training varies depending on often you’re on-site and how soon you can build up your portfolio.

Experienced Worker Training Course

If you already have experience and qualifications within the electrical industry, you may be eligible for the Experienced Worker Route, which significantly cuts down training duration.

Experienced Operative

As an experienced operative with a minimum of five years in the industry and older qualifications, you can undertake an initial suitability assessment. If successful, you’ll be enrolled on the course, where you’ll complete an on-site portfolio of eight performance units and one knowledge unit.

Part-Qualified

As a part-qualified electrician (e.g. you hold electrotechnical Level 2), you can benefit from accelerated training to gain your NVQ Level 3 – allowing you to apply for your ECS Gold Card.

NVQ Level 3

Here at Options Skills, we deliver our NVQ Level 3 Electrical Training Course to people all around the country. Made up of three easy-to-follow steps, it won’t be long before you’re a qualified electrician.

Centre Led Training: 6 weeks
Portfolio Building: 1 – 3 years*
AM2/Gold Card: 3 days

* In step two, you are required to work on-site. Our in-house career development team can help you find employment if you need assistance finding work.

**Step two varies in duration simply because it is down to the student how long it takes. When undertaking your on-site work experience during step two, the time depends on how hard you work and how soon you can complete your portfolio.

How Long Does It Take To Become A Qualified Electrician?

Motivation and hard work are essential when training to become a qualified electrician. Regardless of how long you may take to qualify, remaining committed is crucial.

If you can focus solely on training and complete your course full-time, you could qualify within 12-18 months.

It may take a bit longer if you’re planning to train around existing commitments, whether that’s another job or family responsibility.

For more information, visit our Electrical Training Course page, or call one of our advisors today at 0800 802 1306.

What's the fastest you can become an electrician?

You will need to complete at least 720 hours of electrician instruction from an approved trade school/apprenticeship program that combines hands-on training with classroom instruction. You will also need to gain 8,000 hours (approx. 4 years) of on-the-job experience (which also can be part of an apprenticeship).

How long does it take to learn electrics?

On average, it can take around three years to complete an apprenticeship program, which typically involves four days working in a related role and one day a week at college.

How long does it take to become a qualified electrician UK?

To become an electrician in the UK you will need to combine training, experience and a final assessment. This can typically be completed as: An electrical apprenticeship over 3-4 years. By breaking the elements down into more manageable steps over a 2-3 year period (Diploma / Technical Certificates.

Is becoming a qualified electrician hard?

Becoming a licensed electrician can take some time. Most apprenticeship programs require 4 years to complete. That includes 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and over 500 hours of classroom instruction.