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Become an electric vehicle charging point installer in one of today’s fastest-growing industries
If you’re thinking of a career in the construction industry it’s well worth considering a career as an electrician. Not only do electricians earn the most of all the trades, but last year they also saw the largest increase of all at 5%.
According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), on average an electrician earns around £32,315 per year. However, research suggests that this figure is actually closer to £35–40K and can be higher still depending on your experience, the type of work you undertake and whether you work for yourself.
As relative newcomers to this industry, electric vehicles (EVs) – and the charging points they obviously require – are creating new areas of opportunity for the electrically inclined seeking a profitable new source of income …
Increasing demand for EV point installers
As more electric vehicles are introduced, and petrol and diesel motors become a thing of the past, the rate of EV meter installation will have to increase dramatically in order to meet the government’s expectations of tackling air pollution. In order to further cut emissions, it has announced that all new homes in the UK will need to be fitted with electric vehicle charging points.
An estimated 1.2 million electric cars will be on the road by 2020 and, by 2030, 50% of vehicles produced will be either plug-in hybrid or electric. So it’s clear that the number of charging points is set to grow, which is great news for anyone wanting to add EV car charging point installation to their skill-set, to boost their revenue stream.
Get qualified!
It’s a great time to get qualified in this exciting, fast-growing sector as figures suggest that EV installers will be in high demand, and having this new skill in your toolbox offers a sure way to future-proof your earning potential.
To become a specialist and certified EV charging point installer in this high-growth industry you will need to complete a course. This will then allow you to take on the installation of EV charging points, be able to prepare for design and installation of EV charging equipment, and install EV equipment in domestic, commercial and industrial locations.
Trade Skills 4U offers three EV charging point training courses, run in partnership with Rolec. Depending on whether you are new to the industry or an experienced electrician, we have three course options to choose from:
- Blue: Domestic EV Car Charging Point Installers Package – This 22-day course is designed for those new to the industry, or in a similar trade, who wish to carry out both domestic installations and offer a standalone domestic car charging point installation service. The new 18th Edition course is also included in this package.
- C&G 2919-01 Electric Car/Vehicle Charging Point Installers Course – This two-day course is designed for fully qualified electricians and installers. The course is intended for those looking to enhance their current skill-set to allow them to install domestic, commercial and ‘on street’ vehicle charging points.
- C&G 2919-02 Domestic EV Charging Point Installers Course – This four-day course is designed for domestic installers wishing to upgrade their knowledge and learn how to install, fault-find, and inspect and test domestic car charging points.
Create an extra revenue stream
To give you an idea of what you could earn, from talking to existing installers it is estimated that you could charge between £200 and £300 per install. This of course could be higher depending on the complexity of the job.
Finding employment
Great places to look for jobs are on internet job sites like Monster and electrical recruitment specialists like Reed. Also, if you belong to a domestic installer scheme and have passed an EV course, you can register on the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) Approved Installer’s Scheme; your details will then appear on its national database of installers, making you visible to anyone looking for installers in your region. For more information, visit www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/courses/domestic-ev-installers-package
Using your ELC with TS4U
Trade Skills 4U has a long affinity with the Armed Forces, with many Service leavers choosing it as their preferred training provider. It’s an ideal choice for anyone looking for resettlement courses, as it is ELC registered (No. 3751). You can use your ELC for any of its resettlement courses, which result in a nationally recognised qualification at level 3 or above on the NQF. And, not only can you use your ELC towards EV courses, you can apply them to other courses that make up TS4U’s electrical installer packages. To find out more, speak to a course advisor on 01293 529777 or, for more info, visit www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/pages/resettlement
Been there, done that!
Many Service leavers have already gone on to successful careers in the electrical industry. Take a look at the following case studies to read the stories of just two of them:
- www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/case-study/james-lovett-case-study
- www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/case-study/sean-mcdowell-case-study
Free EV charging seminars
Trade Skills 4U runs regular seminars throughout the year designed to help those working in the industry to maximise the opportunities available, to share information about how EV charging point grants can be accessed and how installers can register with OLEV. OLEV (the Office for Low Emission Vehicles) is a government initiative, introduced to support the early marketing of electric and ultra-low emission vehicles by introducing a number of grant funding Initiatives. To register for an event, visit www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/pages/events
The Electric Vehicle Installers Seminar: ‘What’s the big deal?’ explains the opportunities available to become an EV charging point installer, covering helpful topics such as:
- how funding for EV charging point installation works
- how to get registered in order to draw down funding
- how to maximise the EV funding opportunity for you and your customers
- how to train to be an EV charging point installer.
If you are interested in taking an electrical training course, please call 0800 8056 4448 to speak to a course advisor, or visit www.tradeskills4u.co.uk
Trade Skills 4U’s EV training room
Main photo above: Charging a Nissan Leaf using a WallPod EV type 2 socket
