JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018 - 272

SKILLED TRADES

Carpenter

As a chippy, you could find yourself
doing everything from making and
fitting shop interiors to constructing
stage sets for theatre and film.
Making fitted and free-standing
furniture, installing kitchens and
shelving, cutting and shaping timber
floorboards, doors, skirting boards
and window frames, making and
fitting staircases, door frames, roof
timbers and partition walls, and
building temporary wooden supports
to hold setting concrete in place
(shuttering) are other common tasks.
What qualifications do I need? You
can take a college course in joinery or
carpentry with or without taking an
apprenticeship. It is possible to start
as a joiner's mate or labourer, and
on-the-job training may be available.
How much can I earn? Salaries start
around £16,000, while experienced
chippies can earn £40,000. If
you become self-employed,
you can set your own rates.

WORDS TRISH LESSLIE IMAGES SHUTTERSTOCK

Electrician

Electricians work with everything
from renewable technology such as
wind turbines to smart home systems
and lighting displays and can
specialise in many areas. Installation
electricians set up power, lighting,
fire protection, security and datanetwork systems; maintenance
electricians carry out checks to make
sure such systems are efficient and
safe; electro-technical panel builders
make and install control panels; and
highway systems electricians install
and maintain street lighting and
traffic management systems.
What qualifications do I need? You'll
need to complete a level 3 electrical
or electro-technical qualification
while in a related job. If you want to
do an apprenticeship, completing a
level 1 or level 2 qualification in
electrical installation may help.
How much can I earn? Salaries start at
£18,000 to £23,000, which can rise to
between £25,000 and £35,000.
Highly experienced electricians can
earn £42,000 or more.

Bricklayer

Plumber
Installing, servicing and repairing
heating, water and sanitation systems
form the basis of a plumber's job. Dayto-day tasks may include finding and
fixing faults with water, drainage and
heating systems, servicing gas and
oil-fired central heating systems,
installing showers, and dealing with
emergency call-outs for boiler
breakdowns or blocked drains.
What qualifications do I need?
An apprenticeship will allow you to
study for an industry-recognised
qualification such as a level 2 or 3
diploma in domestic plumbing and
heating. You'll also need gas-related
units at level 3 if you want to work
with domestic gas heating systems.
College courses in plumbing will
qualify you to take up a trainee
position with a company.
How much can I earn? Salaries start
at £15,000, rising to £28,000 with
experience. Highly experienced
plumbers can earn more than £40,000.

Plasterer

Being a brickie isn't just about
building houses. You may also repair
walls, chimneys and arches, and install
decorative stonework. You can also
choose to specialise in heritage work.
Much of this work takes place
outside and there are strict health and
safety guidelines, especially when
working at height.
What qualifications do I need?
College courses are available, but not
essential. Many employers ask for
GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in
maths and English, and building site
experience is useful. Apprenticeships
are available, as are bursaries for
those looking to work in restoration.
How much can I earn? Inexperienced
bricklayers earn around £15,000,
which can rise to £30,000 once
you've been doing it a while.

There are various types of plastering,
including solid (applying wet
finishes to surfaces and protective
coverings such as pebble-dash),
fibrous (plasterwork such as ceiling
roses, cornices and architraves)
and dry lining (fixing internal
plasterboard or wallboard partitions).
What qualifications do I need?
There are no set requirements,
but employers will look for
experience, which can be gained
as a plasterer's assistant. College
courses are also available. Plasterers
need the ability to work out
surface area measurements and
volumes of materials, so a good
grounding in maths is useful.
How much can I earn? Salaries
start at £14,000 to £18,000, rising
to £25,000 with experience.

Find out more
* Apprenticeships apprenticeships.org.uk * Go Construct goconstruct.org
* Women On The Tools womenonthetools.org.uk

J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 2 7 1


http://apprenticeships.org.uk http://www.goconstruct.org http://womenonthetools.org.uk

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