Expectations and requirements for the profession of electrician

The future offers good opportunities for electricians, so training for this profession today is definitely worthwhile. There are plenty of career opportunities and this also includes a good salary.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

How crisis-proof is the profession of an electrician in times of economic and social change?

The profession of an electrician is not only crisis-proof, it is also becoming increasingly important. While this field is constantly expanding, workers with the relevant skills are also increasingly in demand. From the automotive sector to the chemical Industry sectors from the automotive industry to mechanical engineering, electricity is not only indispensable everywhere, it is also becoming increasingly important everywhere.

Let's just take the car as an example. In the beginning, the electrical system was a battery and a few lights. Over time, computers and sensors were added and now electricity is replacing petrol. Batteries are replacing petrol tanks and electric motors are replacing combustion engines. There are also more and more devices in all areas that are either switching more and more to electricity or are new and work with electricity. Just look at the miracle of the telephone, which once existed in the home and is now often found more than once per person with a battery and charger.

If humanity as a whole wants to live more sustainably and greener, electricity and its sustainable and green generation must permeate all of life. This can be seen everywhere and therefore electricians are increasingly in demand everywhere. Here, for example, you can quickly think of an electrician for photovoltaics.

What career opportunities and promotion prospects does the profession of an electrician offer?

The electrician who lays a few cables and connects a few wires is still in demand, but there is also a growing need for specialised electricians who can install and maintain increasingly complex machines and systems. While this means that the profession of an electrician will continue to exist in the future, it also means that there will no longer be a typical electrician. Instead, they will have to specialise and then specialise even further within that specialisation.

In other words, while the profession is crisis-proof and in demand, it involves constant further training so that electricians can stay on the ball tomorrow. However, further training not only costs time and money, it also brings more income, because the more specialised an electrician is, the more valuable he becomes and the more money he receives.

Does an electrician have to constantly adapt to new technologies?

As technology changes, so does the profession of an electrician. This means that there are constantly new requirements, so that the entire job and training must also adapt to these.

Digitalisation is particularly evident in the electrician's field of work. However, this also means that vocational schools, training companies and trainees have a duty to support this change by adapting to it.

Several challenges can be recognised here. Training in the electrical engineering profession is constantly being revised as new skills are continually required. Training companies and vocational schools are constantly developing concepts to keep track of these new technologies and teach the necessary skills in a targeted manner.

What financial expenses are associated with training and practising as an electrician?

There are also financial expenses. Training companies and vocational schools identify the necessary hardware and software for training and then make it available. They also utilise the accompanying communication systems in a targeted manner in order to adapt them to the new technical possibilities.

Separate framework plans must also be drawn up for the new training content. In addition to pure specialised knowledge, the training content also addresses new ways of thinking and understanding. Today, we find ourselves in an age in which knowledge transfer is far less important. We have all the knowledge in the world in our smartphones, available to us at all times. So instead of simply imparting information, we need to teach how to research and utilise it. In other words, instead of accumulating knowledge, trainees need to learn how to think and use it.

Digital media must become part of everyday learning. The concepts for learning must then be adapted flexibly, regardless of time and place, so that the trainees can familiarise themselves with their way of thinking.

This also includes teaching the skills needed to use digital media. These are particularly important in terms of being able to deal with the flood of information and utilise it effectively.

What quality requirements are placed on trainee electricians today?

With digitisation the need to adapt training to the advancement of technology is not the only thing that is increasing. Companies are also evolving. They are changing their organisation and their procedures. Trainees must now also meet requirements that allow them to deal with the changed organisation, the associated decision-making processes and the specifics of the work.

To this end, new specialisations have already been created that combine work with electricity and digital systems. This enables trainees to connect modern electrical systems, install the necessary software and adapt it to the specific circumstances of the individual case.

This knowledge must be further expanded in the future. This includes a further connection between electricians and IT, for example by utilising AI at work and installing it in the systems ordered by customers.

Today, additional qualifications are already being offered that will form an integral part of an electrician's general training in the future. These include digital networking, software programming and information security requirements.