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- Work outdoors repairing and maintaining the electricity supply for houses and businesses.
- Can be physically demanding and you'll need to be good with heights
- Progression routes into engineering roles
As an electricity distribution worker you could work in one area of electricity transmission, like overhead transmission or lines work maintaining and repairing overhead power lines; work as a cable jointer, joining and repairing underground cables and connecting customers to the electricity supply; and network electrical fitting - installing, repairing and maintaining high voltage equipment like circuit breakers and transformers in substations.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Keeping equipment in good working order
- Switching operations
- Installing and dismantling equipment like transmission cables
- Assembling or removing components
- Adjusting and configuring electrical systems
- Finding and diagnosing faults
- Inspecting and testing cables and other equipment
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You'll usually be part of a standby rota for emergencies outside normal working hours and you may need to work overtime. This job can be physically demanding. Conditions can vary and much of the work takes place outside, in all weather conditions. You'll be working at height to repair overhead power lines, using safety access equipment. You'll usually need a driving licence to travel from site to site.
You'll need
This role would be ideal for someone with excellent practical skills, physics and maths skills to understand the principles of electricity, the ability to make decisions, and problem-solving ability.
You could take a college course, which would teach you some of the skills needed to apply for a trainee job. Relevant courses include: Level 2 Certificate in Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology and Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Technology.
You could also get into this career by completing a power network craftsperson advanced apprenticeship or a higher apprenticeship for electrical power network engineers. You'll usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) including maths, English, science, design and technology, or equivalent qualifications, for an advanced apprenticeship.
If you're already working in the power industry, you may be able to apply for a place on an engineering training programme run by your employer.
You may be able to apply for jobs directly if you've got experience in electrical engineering maintenance work from another industry, or from the armed forces.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could progress to team leader. With further study you could become an electrical engineering technician or network control engineer.