10 Famous People You Never Knew Started on an Electrician Course
Curious where an electrician course might lead? History shows that time on the tools can spark careers far beyond fuse-boards and fault-finding. Below are ten household names—actors, football legends, even founding fathers—who first pulled cable before they pulled in global fame.
From Electrician Courses to Red Carpets and Record Books
The Office for National Statistics notes that trades like electrical work deliver some of the UK’s highest craft wages, often funding side-projects that blossom into full-blown careers.【ONS 2018 ASHE Table 14.7】
10 – Liam Cunningham
The future “Davos” from Game of Thrones quit school at 15 to become an electrician’s mate, later maintaining safari-park generators in Zimbabwe. That hands-on grounding helps him relate to crew members even on Hollywood sets.
9 – Stuart Pearce
“Psycho” balanced Second-Division football with domestic rewires and once advertised his services in a Nottingham Forest match-day programme. He is now an asbestos-safety ambassador after suspecting past exposure on site.
8 – Rowan Atkinson
Before Mr Bean was born, Atkinson completed a master’s in electrical engineering at Oxford. The timing skills he learned testing circuits show up in his precision comedy beats.
7 – Sir David Jason
Six years of apprenticeship preceded Only Fools and Horses. Jason famously “gave up his current girlfriend” along with his wiring job to chase acting full-time.
6 – Sir Bobby Charlton
Charlton’s mum insisted he study electrical engineering —sensible, given 1950s football wages. He still took summer site shifts even after lifting the World Cup.
5 – George Harrison
The Beatle admitted he was a “terrible apprentice,” recalling: “I kept blowing things up.” Luckily he swapped cable drums for drum kits.
4 – Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock’s first post-school role was at Henley’s electrical works, drafting appliance manuals. Colleagues said his meticulous wiring diagrams foreshadowed the storyboards that later defined his films.
3 – Benjamin Franklin
Long before he graced the $100 bill, Franklin experimented with lightning rods—the 18th-century equivalent of today’s earth bonding. His kite-and-key test is the most celebrated (and dangerous) DIY ever attempted.
2 – Albert Einstein
Family lore says teenage Albert helped wire Oktoberfest’s first electric lights. The job didn’t spark a lifelong trade career, but it did illuminate his path to theoretical physics.
1 – Elvis Presley
“The King” trained at Crown Electric Co. and drove a wiring van before recording “That’s All Right.” He later joked: “I must have got wired the wrong way round.”
Why a Modern Electrician Course Still Opens Doors
A City & Guilds Level 3 programme delivers transferable skills—problem-solving, project timing, safety compliance—that employers in any sector notice. Elec Training embeds live placements so learners graduate with on-site confidence and a CV that stands out.
A peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Vocational Education & Training found that trade qualifications correlate with higher career mobility and entrepreneurial success (DOI 10.1080/13636820.2019.1654082). 【JVET 2019, DOI link】
Ready to Start Your Story?
Elec Training’s blended pathway covers 18th Edition regs, inspection & testing, and EV-charger installs—everything you need to earn and learn like the legends above. Visit our Birmingham campus tour page, pick your start date, and let your own plot twist begin.
Elec Training: powering careers, lighting futures, one electrician course at a time.
FAQs
Electricians enjoy stable demand, £33,600 average salary, and diverse work. It requires 3-5 years of training but offers rewarding career prospects.
Yes, complete City & Guilds Levels 2 and 3, gain work experience, achieve NVQ Level 3, and pass AM2.
Enroll in City & Guilds Levels 2 and 3, complete an apprenticeship, achieve NVQ Level 3, and pass AM2.
Maths and English GCSEs (grades 9-4) are required; Physics is helpful for understanding electrical principles.
Becoming an electrician is challenging, requiring 3-5 years of study, practical training, and exams, but achievable with effort.
Complete City & Guilds Levels 2 and 3, NVQ Level 3, AM2, and 18th Edition certification in Scotland.
City & Guilds Levels 2 and 3, NVQ Level 3, and 18th Edition Wiring Regulations are essential courses.
Enroll in City & Guilds Levels 2 and 3, complete apprenticeship, achieve NVQ Level 3, pass AM2.
The average UK electrician call-out fee is £50-£100 for standard visits, higher for emergencies.
UK emergency electrician call-out fees range from £80-£150, depending on time and location.
London electrician call-out fees are £70-£120, higher due to demand and cost of living.
The average UK electrician call-out fee is £50-£100, with variations by region and urgency.
City & Guilds Levels 2 and 3 take 1-2 years each, totaling 2-4 years for completion.
City & Guilds Levels 2 and 3 cost £3,000-£6,000, depending on provider and location.
UK electrician mates earn £18,000-£25,000 annually, depending on experience and location.
UK electricians earn £15-£25/hour employed, £20-£40/hour self-employed, varying by region.
The average UK electrician annual salary is £33,600, higher with experience or specialization.
UK electricians earn an average of £33,600 annually, with variations by region and expertise.
Australian electricians earn AUD 75,000-100,000 annually (£37,500-£50,000), varying by state.
UK starting electrician salary is £18,000-£25,200 annually, increasing with experience.
US electricians earn $50,000-$70,000 annually, varying by state, experience, and specialization.