The electrician makes light, heat and power work in everything from detached houses to industry and charging points. It's a trade with high demand, pay during training, and a straight path from curious beginner to skilled tradesperson. Here's why you should consider the trade.
An electrician installs, maintains and troubleshoots electrical systems. You pull cables, put up distribution boards, fit switches and sockets, connect machinery and make sure the protection against shock and fire is in place. The work ranges widely: one week you're in a home, the next on a building site, in industry, or at a charging point for electric cars.
§Why this trade in particular?
Because electrification is in full swing. Heat pumps, solar panels, charging stations and energy retrofits demand more electricians than the industry has, and demand for skilled workers is high and steady. You earn a wage from day one of your apprenticeship instead of paying to study, and there are good odds of finding an apprenticeship.
- 01High demand — the green transition is driving the need for electricians.
- 02Pay during training — you're an apprentice and earn money as you go.
- 03Variety — residential, commercial, industrial, automation, energy and data.
- 04Responsibility and trust — your work must be safe to touch and comply with the regulations.
- 05Career path — from apprentice to journeyman, and on to foreman, installer or your own business.
§What must you be able to do — and learn?
You need to understand basic electrical theory (Ohm's law, power, alternating current), be able to size cables and circuits, choose the right protection against overcurrent and earth faults, and carry out the installation according to the rules. A large part of the trade is measuring and documenting: continuity, insulation resistance and testing of the protection before the installation is energised.
- 01Electrical engineering — voltage, current, resistance, power and cos φ.
- 02Cable sizing — current-carrying capacity, voltage drop and short circuit.
- 03Protection — RCD/residual-current device, circuit breakers and earthing.
- 04Measurement & testing — checks before energising.
- 05Regler — Elsikkerhedsloven, Installationsbekendtgørelsen (BEK 1082/2016) og DS/HD 60364-serien.
§How you get started
Electrician is a vocational education and training (VET) programme. You typically start on the basic course at a vocational college and then take up an apprenticeship at a company, where you alternate between school and on-the-job training. You don't need to know everything in advance — you just need a desire to learn a trade. If you want to get a feel for the trade first, create a free account and take a look at the articles, calculators and quizzes here.
“The best thing about the job is making things work — and knowing it's safe because you measured and documented it yourself.”