How to Train as an Electrician While Working Full Time (Without Quitting Your Job)
Making a career change is a big decision—especially when you already have a full-time job, financial commitments, and family life to consider. For many people, the real challenge isn’t deciding whether to retrain as an electrician—it’s figuring out how to make it work alongside everything else.
The good news is that with the right structure, you don’t need to put your life on hold to move forward.
If you're still weighing up whether a career change is right for you, it’s worth reading our guide on what to consider before making a career change, which covers the realities, costs, and long-term pathway into the trade.
Training Designed Around Adult Life
Our electrician training programme has been built specifically with adult learners in mind—people who are balancing work, family, and study.
We don’t expect you to drop everything. Instead, we’ve designed a structure that works with your life:
7-Weekend Structure
The course is delivered across 7 structured weekends:
3 weekends (2 days each) — Live online sessions with your tutor (Alex or Sam)
4 weekends (Friday–Sunday) — In-centre practical training
This means you can:
Continue working full time during the week
Learn theory from home on scheduled weekends
Build practical skills in a focused, hands-on environment
Give you access to resources to read through in between classes as well
Health and safety e-learning unit
It’s a balanced approach that gives you both the knowledge and the confidence to move forward.
Flexibility That Works When Life Happens
We know that even the best plans can change.
That’s why our courses run in overlapping cohorts, giving you flexibility if something comes up.
Upcoming Cohorts:
Voltage – starting 8th May
Current – starting 26th June
Power – starting 21st August
Flux - Starting 12th September
Our voltage cohort is ready to start !
we have spaces on our ‘current’ group still available
a mixture of blended learning, but all with tutors present and leading the days
Because these courses overlap, if you miss a weekend in one cohort, you don’t fall behind.
For example:
Start in Voltage
Miss a session
Pause and slot into the same weekend in the next cohort for example Current, Power or Flux
This is made possible by:
Small class sizes
Structured delivery
A consistent week-by-week programme
This flexibility removes one of the biggest barriers adult learners face: fear of falling behind.
What You Can Study While Working Full Time
One of the most common questions we hear is:
“How much of this can I realistically do alongside my current job?”
The answer is: the early stages are designed exactly for that.
While working full time, you can:
Complete your Level 2 training foundations
Learn electrical theory through online sessions
Build practical skills during weekend centre sessions
Start understanding tools, processes, and safe working practices
This stage is about:
Gaining confidence
Building knowledge
Testing whether the career is right for you
It also links closely with another key step we always recommend:
Getting some real-world exposure—whether that’s shadowing someone you know or helping out where possible, as highlighted in our career change guide.
When You’ll Need to Take the Next Step
At some point, progressing in the electrical industry means gaining real on-site experience.
This is the stage where you may need to:
Work or assist alongside a qualified electrician
Move into a part-time or entry-level role
Begin building evidence towards your NVQ (Level 3)
There’s no single route into this—it looks different for everyone.
We support you in preparing for this transition, including:
Guidance on next steps after Level 2
Advice on approaching employers
Helping you understand what experience you need
We also have links with local and national employers, which can open doors—but it’s important to be clear:
There is no guaranteed job placement
Your own network (friends, contacts, local firms) is incredibly valuable
Many learners find success by combining both:
Our support
Their own initiative
A Realistic, Honest Pathway Into the Trade
One thing we are very clear on—and something we also talk about in our blog—is that there are no shortcuts in electrical training.
If you’ve read our article on common misconceptions about electricians, you’ll know that being qualified, competent, and safe is essential in this industry.
This course is designed to:
Give you a strong, realistic foundation
Prepare you for real-world work
Support you step-by-step into the trade
Not to rush you through with unrealistic promises.
Why This Approach Works
This structure works because it removes the biggest obstacles to retraining:
You don’t need to quit your job immediately
You can learn gradually and build confidence
You have flexibility if life gets in the way
You get hands-on experience—not just theory
You are supported in small class sizes
It aligns with how adults actually live—not how traditional courses expect you to.
Taking the First Step
If you’ve found yourself searching:
“How to train as an electrician while working full time”
“Weekend electrician courses UK”
“Part-time electrician training for adults”
“How to retrain without quitting my job”
You’re not alone.
More people than ever are looking for a practical, stable, and future-proof career—but they need a way to get there that makes sense financially and personally.
That’s exactly what this programme is designed to do.
Whether you start with Voltage, Current, or Power, the important thing is to begin—with a structure that supports you, not one that forces you to choose between your current life and your future.