Electrical and plumbing
Skilled trades that travel anywhere and always have work.
Apprentice rates to start, well-paid once qualified.
The route
How people get in and grow
Electricians and plumbers are among the most sought-after trades. Apprenticeships lead to qualifications recognised across the country.
- 1
Get site-ready
A CSCS card and basic safety training open the door to site work.
Unlocks: CSCS card
- 2
Apprentice in a trade
An electrical or plumbing apprenticeship pays you to learn the trade properly.
Unlocks: Electrical or plumbing apprenticeship
- 3
Qualify and certify
An NVQ Level 3 and trade certification let you work unsupervised and lead jobs.
Unlocks: NVQ Level 3, trade certification
Where this goes
Skilled trades and construction across the places we cover runs from Level 2 (about GCSEs at grade 4 to 9) up to Level 6 (about a bachelors degree). These are the levels people move through, and what is open right now at each one.
Level 2about the same as GCSEs at grade 4 to 9
30 openings across the places we cover14 different apprenticeshipstypically £16,640 a year(middle of 28 advertised)- Supply chain warehouse operative (level 2)
- Property maintenance operative (level 2)
- Carpentry and joinery (level 2)
- Painter and decorator (level 2)
Level 3about the same as A levels
21 openings across the places we cover9 different apprenticeshipstypically £17,680 a year(middle of 17 advertised)- International freight forwarding specialist (level 3)
- Installation and maintenance electrician (level 3)
- Refrigeration air conditioning and heat pump engineering technician (level 3)
- Plumbing and domestic heating technician (level 3)
Level 4about the same as an HNC
1 opening across the places we cover1 apprenticeship- Construction site supervisor (level 4)
Level 6about the same as a bachelors degree
4 openings across the places we cover2 different apprenticeshipstypically £20,000 a year(middle of 4 advertised)- Chartered surveyor (degree) (level 6)
- Supply chain leadership professional (integrated degree) (level 6)
Levels and apprenticeship standards from the Department for Education Find an apprenticeship service, counted from vacancies open today. Wages are the middle of what employers actually advertised, not a promise about any one job, and they do not always rise with the level: pay depends on the employer and the year as much as the qualification. These are the levels within this line of work, not a guarantee that one apprenticeship leads to the next.
Start here
Routes near you
Gas Engineering Apprentice
CK ASSESSMENT & TRAINING LIMITED · walthamforest
Apprentice Electrician
CAPITAL CITY COLLEGE GROUP · richmond
Level 3 Apprentice Electrician
WALTHAM FOREST COLLEGE · cityoflondon
Also open in this area of work
These are nearby and related. We have not matched them to this exact trade, so check the advert before you apply.
Take the first step
Register and we will match you to local routes into electrical and plumbing and tell you exactly which step you are ready for. Want to think it through first? Sign in and ask RORY in the chat at the bottom-right.