So, what's it all about?
Busy place, London. Crowds of people bustling around, buildings jostling for space and the tube trains rumbling beneath your feet. It’s a world constantly in motion.
But that’s just the surface of things. What’s really incredible is what you can’t see. Electricity fizzing around at the speed of light along power lines, through cables into billions of lightbulbs and motors, industrial machines and household appliances. Voices babbling down telephone lines and over the radio waves. Gas pumping through pipes into ovens and heaters. Water gushing from taps and cisterns, down drains and into sewers. Computers spinning webs of data while moving pictures bounce off satellites onto TV screens. And how did all those skyscrapers and houses and bridges and tunnels get there in the first place?
It’s a wonder it doesn’t descend into absolute chaos. That it doesn’t is thanks to a legion of skilled people making sure their part of the system functions as it should – the plumber mending a broken pipe to the team of electricians wiring up an office block to an engineer servicing a broken escalator.
The electrical and engineering sector is all about this: making things work. It’s a huge field, so you’ll specialise in a particular area. For example, few Apprenticeships offer as many diverse pathways as the engineering Apprenticeship – you could be demolishing buildings, servicing stairlifts, checking RAF aircraft or activating phonelines for BT – and that’s just the start of a long list of opportunities.
One thing is certain: you’ll need to be good with machines, whether your specialism is fixing faulty DVD players in a local electrical store, or maintaining the reactor in a nuclear power station. You’ll often need to be good with people, too – you might be going into somebody’s home to fix their fridge or to stem the flood in their bathroom.
Prospects are good in this sector. And while there are many large firms on the lookout for skilled employees, a lot of electricians and plumbers are self-employed or run their own companies. If you think you can combine your manual and mechanical skills with a head for business, there’s a healthy living to be made.
What qualities do I need?
- be practical and handy with machines
- have a good understanding of technology
- understand engineering principles
- have good electrical knowledge
- excel at physics and maths
- be methodical and able to follow instructions
- be able to work on your own
- have good communication skills
- have excellent problem-solving abilities
- be computer literate
- understand health and safety risks and take suitable precautions
Click here for a list of employers offering Apprenticeships in this sector.
These are the Apprenticeships currently available in this sector. For more information and for details of the Apprenticeship framework, contact the Sector Skills Council listed after each.
Electrical and electronic servicing
Electrotechnical
Engineering
Engineering construction
Heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration
Motor repair and rewind
Building services and engineering technician
Contact www.summitskills.org.uk
Plumbing
More info
Further reading
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
www.cibse.org
Electrical career skills
www.electricianscareer.co.uk
Enginuity
www.enginuity.org.uk
The Institution of Engineering and Technology
www.theiet.org
Institution of Mechanical Engineering
www.imeche.org
The Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering
www.iphe.org.uk
Major employers
British Sugar
www.britishsugar.co.uk
Offers production engineering Apprenticeships in East Anglia and the East Midlands.
BT
www.bt.com/apprentice
BT offers a range of technical Apprenticeships.
e2v
www.e2v.com/about-us/apprentice-scheme.cfm
A leading designer, developer and manufacturer of sensors, semiconductors and electronic tubes. Offers Apprenticeships at its Chelmsford and Lincoln sites.
E.on
www.eon-uk.com/Careers/apprentices.aspx
Major employer of technician, gas, and electrical Apprentices.
Rolls Royce
www.rolls-royce.com/careers/uk/apprentices
This top firm offers well-regarded engineering Apprenticeships.
Siemens
www.apprentice.siemens.co.uk
This leading company offers Apprenticeships across the country.
Spie Matthew Hall
www.spiematthewhall.com
This international firm is expanding its Apprenticeship offerings.
Industry supporters
SETA
Stockport Engineering Training Association (SETA) has been training and helping apprentices start their careers for over 40 years, with a wide range of Greater Manchester/Cheshire/North Derbyshire engineering employers. Engineering Apprenticeships include electrical/mechanical maintenance, precision production and welding, from transport, food production and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Hammond Avenue, South Reddish
Stockport SK4 1PQ
Tel: 0161 4809822
www.setatraining.com
Airbus
For more information about the Apprenticeships we offer, please visit our website www.airbus-careers.com or call 01244 523204. Our on-line application process for entry in September 2009 opens from Autumn 2008. See our advertisement on page 266.