Jobs and Careers Spring 2019 - 271

SKILLED TRADES

Electrician
Electricians work with everything from renewable technology
such as wind turbines to smart home systems and lighting
displays. Electricians can specialise in many different areas:
installation electricians set up power, lighting, fire protection,
security and data-network systems; maintenance electricians
carry out checks to make sure such systems are efficient
and safe; electro-technical panel builders make and install
control panels; and highway systems electricians install and
maintain street lighting and traffic management systems.
What qualifications do I need? You'll need to complete a level 3
electrical or electro-technical qualification while in a related job.
Apprenticeships are a popular option - completing a level 1 or level
2 qualification in electrical installation may help you to find one.
How much can I earn? Newly qualified electricians earn between
£18,000 and £23,000, which can rise to £25,000 to £35,000 with
experience. Experienced electricians can earn £42,000 or more.

Plasterer
There are various types of plastering, including solid (applying wet
finishes to surfaces and protective coverings such as pebble-dash) to
fibrous (plasterwork such as ceiling roses, cornices and architraves)
and dry lining (fixing internal plasterboard or wallboard partitions).
You could find yourself working on big commercial projects or in a
domestic environment on new or existing homes.
What qualifications do I need? There are no set requirements,
but employers will look for experience, which can be gained as a
plasterer's assistant. College courses are also available. Plasterers
need to work out surface area measurements and volumes, so a
good grounding in maths is useful.
How much can I earn? Salaries start at £14,000 to £18,000, rising
to £30,000 with experience.

Carpenter
As a "chippy", you could find yourself doing everything from fitting
interiors in shops, bars, restaurants, offices and public buildings to
constructing stage sets for theatre, film and TV productions.
Making and assembling fitted and free-standing furniture, installing
kitchens, cupboards and shelving or cutting and shaping timber for
floorboards, doors, skirting boards and window frames, making and
fitting wooden structures such as staircases, door frames, roof
timbers and partition walls, and building temporary wooden
supports to hold setting concrete in place (shuttering) are other
common tasks in a trade that often requires some creative flair.
What qualifications do I need? You can take a college course in
joinery or carpentry with or without taking an apprenticeship.
On-site experience and qualifications are always a bonus, but it is
possible to start as a joiner's mate or labourer and on-the-job
training may also be available.
How much can I earn? Starting salaries are between £16,000 and
£24,000, while experienced chippies can earn £25,000 to £40,000.
If you decide to be self-employed, you can set your own rates.

Find out more
* Apprenticeships apprenticeships.org.uk
* Go Construct goconstruct.org
* Women & Manual Trades wamt.org.uk

"Working at
height doesn't
bother me at all!"
Todd Scanlon is a trainee scaffolder
at Coles Scaffolding Contractors
Being a scaffolder is something I've
always wanted to do and the logistics
of it all really fascinated me - I liked
the thought of being able to go to
different jobs and work on different
projects at the same time.
A family friend, Martyn, got me into
the job and I feel really lucky to have
him as a manager. I would always ask to
go to work with him and - after some
persuading - he let me come along!
Now I am working two days a week
with Coles and love every minute of it.
I love every part of the job. It's hard
work but it's definitely rewarding. I like
working as a part of a team, and we all get
on really well. Working at a height doesn't
bother me at all - in fact, I enjoy it. I see
myself staying in a career in scaffolding.
So far I've learned a lot about the
health and safety aspect of the job,
which is really important. I've also
learned about manual handling, loading
out and the general basics of being
a scaffolder. All of this knowledge
helps me to carry out the job.

JOBS & CAREERS /// 271
http://apprenticeships.org.uk http://www.goconstruct.org http://wamt.org.uk
Jobs and Careers Spring 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jobs and Careers Spring 2019
