Skilled trades career profile
Electrician
Installs, maintains and repairs electrical machines, wiring and fittings in factories, workshops, power houses, shops and homes. Works from drawings, tests circuits and traces faults.
Student snapshot
Electricians install, test, maintain, and repair electrical wiring and equipment. They read diagrams, identify faults, follow safety rules, and explain what work needs to be done.
What the work actually involves
Install wiring, test circuits, read diagrams, find faults, isolate power safely, and explain risks to customers. Skills to notice: Electrical installation and testing, Hand and power tool use, and Workplace safety and protective equipment.
A day in the life
An electrician may receive a work order, confirm the approved diagram and perform authorised work and testing under the relevant procedures. The test record and customer handover identify what was completed and any unresolved matter. This installation and maintenance example differs from an engineer defining the system requirements or design.
Where this work happens
You may work in homes, shops, offices, building sites, factories, workshops, and electrical rooms. It can suit students who respect safety, like practical problem solving, and can stay careful around live-risk work.
Who this may fit
You may enjoy this work if you like circuits, practical problem-solving, and careful testing. It also demands steady attention to safety steps, clear communication, and willingness to stop when something is uncertain.
India pathway after Class 10 and Class 12
Directorate General of Training (DGT) lists the Electrician CTS trade as a two-year course. Its entry qualification is Class 10 with Science and Mathematics, or a vocational subject in the same sector. This is a training option, not permission to perform every kind of electrical work. Check the current institute affiliation, syllabus, and local rules before enrolling or taking on work.
Skills to build in school
- Learn circuit symbols and basic electrical safety rules.
- Learn tool names and safe handling before practical work.
- Choose the right safety gear and explain why it matters.
- Measure carefully and read scales, gauges, or values.
Reality checks
- Electrical installation relies on approved records and safe procedures.
- Two circuit references can disagree even when the fixture name is the same.
- Ask which practical tasks, supervision and local permissions apply to the job you want.
Sources & verification
Pathway links and guidance to check before paying fees or applying.
- Pathway reference: dgt.gov.in
Pathway review reference. Check the exact claim and current intake. Recorded check: 2026-10-31.
- Directorate General of Training
General guidance. Check the exact course, post and intake separately. No check date recorded for this link.
- National Council for Vocational Education and Training
General guidance. Check the exact course, post and intake separately. No check date recorded for this link.
Check current official course and entry requirements. Rules can change.
Career mission
Map lights and switches on a paper room plan
Connect a simple lighting plan to how people move through a room.
This 12-minute paper mission helps students try a safe piece of Electrician work through Notice, Try, and Reflect steps.
WEST / ENTRY TABLE EAST / EXIT
L1 (O) L2 (O) L3 (O)
^...............^ ^
S1 [ ] S2 [ ]
Dotted arrows mean conceptual control, not wiring.
Fictional input pack
- Paper room: entrance west, activity table centre, exit east. Key: ○=lamp, □=switch, dotted arrow=conceptual control relationship. S1 controls L1 at entrance and L2 at table. S2 controls L3 at exit. No conductors or construction connections are shown.
- Notice: This is a made-up situation. You can begin without knowing this career already. Read the supplied input pack for “Map lights and switches on a paper room plan”. Note the source labels, fixed details and anything left unknown.
- Try: Make an annotated room-lighting plan on paper. Use a quick sketch, simple labels, or a small table to show the three spaces, switch symbols, light symbols, a simple key, and a question for a qualified electrician to verify. Keep the result small enough to finish in 12 minutes.
- Reflect: Check your work: the plan stays fictional and paper-only. It contains no wiring instructions or claim that a real installation is safe. Improve one small part, then write one thing you would like to ask someone in this career.
After your attempt: check an example
S1→L1/L2 and S2→L3 are intended controls in this paper example. They are not wiring instructions. A qualified electrician must verify any actual design and permissions.
Career challenge · 11 minutes
Two classroom circuit records disagree
Room plan RP2 rev B, 6 November labels lights L1/L2 circuit C2. Investigate the case and produce a short work sample.
Try a fictional work situation, make decisions, and see what changes. This is for exploration, not a test or career-fit score.
Skills to compare
- Electrical installation and testing
- Hand and power tool use
- Workplace safety and protective equipment
- Measurement and reading instruments