Apprenticeship Week 2022

11 February 2022

The National Apprenticeship Week is finally here! On this special occasion, we are excited to introduce you to 3 apprentices who started a career in the electrical field. To Nick @nlbselectrical, Josh @an_apprentice_spark and Joe @jh.electrical.apprentice, the apprenticeship experience is challenging and tiring, but extremely rewarding.

Let’s discover together their interesting stories!

Happy reading!

                                                                                                                               


1. Tell us a couple of words about you and your activity so far.

Nick:  My name is Nick and I am currently completing a level 2 electrical installations apprenticeship. I started working part-time for a local electrician just under a year ago and haven’t stopped enjoying it since. I’ve only recently started on my first course though, because I wanted to make sure it was for me before committing to courses.
Josh: I’m Josh, I’m 17 years old and I’m a 1st- year apprentice electrician.
Joe: I’m Joe, I’m 23 years old and I am from the West Midlands. I’ve been an apprentice for nearly a year now, I work mainly in domestic electrics, but I also have some involvement in three-phase electrics.


2. How did you decide to start an apprenticeship in the electrical field? How long ago? Tell us a couple of words on how it is going.

Nick: I’ve always wanted a trade of some sort. By chance, an electrician came to a flat I rented and as I got speaking to him, everything sounded really interesting. That led to me working part-time for an electrician and the rest is history.
Josh: I’ve been doing my apprenticeship for about 5 months now, I got into it as a family member was also an electrician. I’m enjoying the apprenticeship a lot, it’s going very well.
Joe: I went to university for three years doing business and I took a job doing maintenance for boat outboards for 6 months. I decided I wanted to do a practical job, and a trade felt like a reliable and challenging option. It’s going very well, I’m enjoying learning new things and getting expertise in the field, which will lead me to a well-paid job in the future. It’s definitely a challenge, but I’m sure it’ll be worth it.


3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Still in trades, or pursuing other career options?

Nick:  In 5 years I’d like to be a self-employed electrician. I’m in no rush, but I think I’ll still be in the trades for sure.
Josh: In 5 years I’m hoping to still be in the trade. Joe: I always wanted to pursue a career in the trade, but I would like to progress into a specialist field such as quantity surveying or architecture. I would like to stay doing something practical.


4. Describe your apprenticeship experience in 3 words.

Nick: Enjoyable, tiring, interesting.
Josh: interesting, cool, rewarding. Joe:  intriguing, challenging, rewarding.


5. What is the most important thing you learned during your apprenticeship?

Nick: Not to touch live parts. Always check everything has been isolated before doing anything.
Josh: The most important thing I’ve learned is to always double check our work. Joe: I think for me, being a little bit older, the most important thing I’ve learned during this apprenticeship is how important it is to be safe when working with electricity. Not only for your own sake, as well as around members of the public, it’s paramount as one simple mistake can cost someone their life. You just can’t take risks.


6. Tell us a couple of details about your proudest moment since you are in trades.

Nick: Ooooo, so many. I think the proudest moments are when you’re taught something and you go out to the site and do it for real. New sockets, working out how lighting circuits work and the wiring combos.
Josh: My proudest moment so far was completing a full board change by myself. Joe: Working mainly in domestic settings, I think one of the most rewarding things is seeing someone’s reaction when you’ve solved a problem that they’ve been suffering with for a while. For example, getting someone’s heating back on, or repairing/replacing a shower or rewiring part of a circuit, as it has such a huge impact on peoples’ lives.


7. Have you used any Klauke tools so far?

Nick: I’ve honesty never used Klauke tools. I started following Klauke because someone mentioned them and I wanted to see what tools they had and what feedback they got.
Josh:  I have not used any Klauke tools, but I will definitely check them out. Joe: I haven’t had the chance to work with any Klauke tools yet! As an apprentice, it can be hard to pay for more tools, but I have seen others using them and they’ve been very impressed by the quality and versatility of some of the products.


8. To you, which are the most important things to take into consideration when choosing the tools you work with? Do the Klauke tools have these characteristics?

Nick: For an apprentice money isn’t flush, so the price is obviously important. How long they last is equally important; pay cheap, pay twice and all. Finally, it’s comfort. They’re in your hands all day and rock-hard tools hurt after a while, so something comfy is better. Josh: The price of tools is definitely a big factor when looking at what to buy, but so are ergonomics and features. It’s always good to have tools that will help you work more efficiently, I believe Klauke tools will provide that.
Joe: For me, there are two very important things. Firstly, a tool needs to do the job it’s designed for quickly and effectively. The other thing is quality, there’s nothing more frustrating than buying a new tool that breaks within weeks, and from what I have seen of others using them, Klauke tools do both of these things brilliantly.


9. Which is your advice/ message for a person who thinks about choosing an apprenticeship in trades?

Nick: Do it. Don’t look back. Even if you don’t like it, you’ve lost nothing. Oh, and find a decent mentor who teaches and challenges you. It’s just a bonus if they’re a laugh to work with. Josh: My advice to anyone wanting to get into the trades is: don’t hesitate! You can learn a lot if you stick to it. If you find it hard to find an apprenticeship, the way I got an apprenticeship was via ringing all the companies in my area.
Joe:  I would say persistence is the most important thing. Finding an apprenticeship can be hard, I paid for myself to undertake the NVQ Level 2 in Electrical installation before finding an apprenticeship, to gain some knowledge and understanding, and I took me a long time to find my apprenticeship. I had to take a drop in wage in order to get qualified, but you have to see the bigger picture, because once you’re qualified you’ve got a job for life that pays well, you’ve got to keep the end goal in sight.


You can find Nick, Josh and Joe on Instagram, where they post more details about their daily activity on the accounts: @nlbselectrical@an_apprentice_spark and @jh.electrical.apprentice.

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