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To become a skilled electrician who has a greater chance of getting hired by companies, you must go through an electrical apprenticeship. This article contains all you need to learn about the necessary skills required to become a great electrician who can handle any job.
Before dedicating your life to this cause, here is all that you need to know about electrical apprentices to understand more about this position.
Why Should You Join an Apprenticeship Program?
If you want to look for jobs in Adelaide as an electrician, completing the electrical apprentice program will greatly help you. Apart from that, here are some more reasons for you to join this training scheme in your chosen industry.
1. Earn as You Train
The best part of joining electrical apprenticeships may be that while a trainee you can still earn money which is rare with other industries. What is better than training to become a licensed electrician and also earning some cash while still in the program? During the training program, expect to be paid approximately $16.84 per hour. This amount will keep on increasing as you become more experienced.
2. Equips You with Multiple Skills
Becoming an electrician does not involve only one skill. In fact, there are many different types of electricians. When you first join the program, you might not be sure about the type of electrician you want to be. This is why the apprenticeship program teaches you a broad range of skills in the beginning. Even after you decide on your specialised program, you will still have enough skills to become a versatile electrician.
3. Training by Experts
Another great thing about an apprenticeship is that it allows you to get trained by real electrical industry experts. Working on real job sites with contractors will keep you entertained while teaching you actual valuable lessons. Working in real-time is the best way to learn new things as it allows you to understand them better through actual experience.
4. Contributes to Your College Credits
Becoming an electrician does not require a college degree. However, the good thing is that you can still earn college credits while doing an apprenticeship program towards an associate’s degree. This is useful for your future. The truth is, the higher your education, the greater potential you have of earning more or starting your own electrical company.
5. Get Nationally Recognised Qualifications
When you become an apprentice electrician, you get a degree. This degree is a nationally known qualification that will help you work anywhere in Australia. So, you do not have to work only in Adelaide as you can get a good job anywhere you go. Moreover, a nationally recognised qualification will help ease your job search.
Requirements for Applying for an Apprenticeship
Of course, you do not need a lot of requirements to apply for an electrical apprenticeship program. However, you still need to meet some criteria. Usually, this training lasts for four years with three years of trade school studies in which you have classes one day a week.
Below are some requirements that you need to meet generally to join an electrician apprenticeship program:
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a driver's license.
• Have a high school degree.
• Have a White Card.
• Have a certificate III in electro-technology.
Some places might take you in even if you do not fit all the requirements above. The most important requirement is to be dedicated to learning. If you have a warm and friendly personality and a high level of motivation to learn, almost everyone will take you in to become an apprentice electrician. You should also have the ability to work in a team and think independently on your feet and reach a logical solution.
What Should You Do Before an Apprenticeship?
To help in your job search, you have to decide the exact type of electrician you want to be. So here are some tips to help you choose apprenticeship programs that you can join in Adelaide, Australia, and different types of electricians that you can decide to become.
Below you will find three ways in which you can get a certificate in electro-technology so that you can have a better chance of joining an electrical apprenticeship program.
School-Based Apprenticeship
As you study, you can learn what it is like to be an apprentice. In this case, you have to be at a trade school for one day of the week for two years to get the degree. Basically, you have to combine your school studies like Math, Science, and English with hands-on part-time training.
Pre-Apprenticeship Program
This is a 12-week course that allows you to know how it feels to work in the industry. In this program, you can try a certain trade among a broad list of jobs so that you can dedicate yourself to one contract of training.
Readiness Assessment
This is a national electrical industry-specific aptitude test that will help you get into an apprenticeship program. It covers 15 areas on numeric and literacy that tell you whether you will be a good electrician or not.
All of these are not absolutely necessary, but they will help you if you are clueless about the electrical industry. You will be taught all the basics you need to know so that you can receive a degree after the electrical apprenticeship program with ease.
What to Do After an Apprenticeship
Well, if you do not know what to do after completing the apprentice and trainee program, here are some things that you can choose to do.
Electrical Contractor
Not everyone who decides to become an electrician becomes a electrical contractor, but this is a good option that you have. As a contractor, you perform specialised electrical work for people.
Residential Electrician
If you choose to become a residential electrician, you can work as an electrician in small houses, offices, and apartments. You will install, maintain, and repair all electrical problems in residential buildings and places. In short, you become specialised in home-related electrical problems.
Commercial Electrician
As a commercial electrician, you will specialise in commercial electrical problems. The power used in commercial buildings and constructions is a little different to that used in residential buildings. The work involves fixing electrical issues in shopping complexes, office buildings, and government buildings. It is very similar to residential electricians, but there are some key differences with the building that you will be dealing with.
Industrial Electrician
These types of electricians work in big industrial buildings such as power plants, chemical plants, and manufacturing facilities. This category involves more work than commercial or residential buildings. If you opt to become an industrial electrician, you will need to use large equipment and tools to do most of the repairing and maintenance work.
Conclusion
The salary estimate of an Adelaide electrician in Australia is about $46 per hour. Electricians in Adelaide are one of the higher paying cities, with $43 per hour, but it can change from company to company.
Hopefully, this article has helped you reach a decision on whether or not you want to become an apprentice electrician. One thing is for sure; an electrical apprentice will get a good job in Adelaide much quicker than someone who has not done this. Moreover, joining an electrician apprenticeship guarantees that you will earn a lot of money and never run out of electrician jobs because everyone needs electricians in their lives.
