Ex-Police Officer to Electrician: Is It the Smart Career Move?Â
- Technical review: Thomas Jevons (Head of Training, 20+ years)
- Employability review: Joshua Jarvis (Placement Manager)
- Editorial review: Jessica Gilbert (Marketing Editorial Team)
Last reviewed: 14 November 2025 |Changes: Initial publication following analysis of ex-police career change trends
Introduction
In the year to March 2025, 8,795 police officers left forces in England and Wales. That’s 6.0% of the workforce walking away from policing. Nearly 4 in 10 of those leavers had less than five years of service. One in six left within their first year.Â
At Elec Training, we’ve seen a 15% increase in enquiries from ex-police officers over the past 12 months. They’re not browsing. They’re serious about retraining as electricians, and they’re asking the same questions: Is this viable at 32? At 38? At 45? Will employers actually hire me? Can I make this work financially?Â
The short answer: yes. But let’s be honest about what it actually takes, why ex-police officers are making this move in record numbers, and why employers are actively asking us for them.Â
Why Police Officers Are Leaving
Before diving into why police officers are choosing electrical work specifically, it’s worth understanding the complete pathway to becoming a qualified electrician in the UK, which typically takes 18 months to 3 years and offers genuine career security.Â
The data tells a clear story. In 2024, 27% of police officers who left resigned before reaching pension age. Voluntary resignations accounted for 53.1% of all leavers in the year to March 2025. The voluntary resignation rate has stabilised around 3.2%, but that’s still historically elevated.Â
More importantly, forces are losing experienced officers at record rates. Since 2019, the number of officers with 10+ years of service has fallen by approximately 150 per month. The workforce is getting younger and less experienced, creating gaps in operational expertise.Â
The reasons for leaving aren’t a mystery. Police Federation research shows low morale and poor job satisfaction are primary factors in 27% of early resignations. Officers cite poor leadership, lack of promotion opportunities, unfair treatment, bullying, excessive workloads, and poor work-life balance. Add mental health strain, feeling undervalued, and pay stagnation, and you’ve got a leaky bucket problem.Â
One former officer with 16 years on frontline policing described post-resignation relief from anxiety and complaints. They missed colleagues but not the job’s stress. That sentiment shows up repeatedly in forums and career change discussions.Â
What’s driving interest in electrical work specifically? The appeal of practical, hands-on work with flexible hours, potential for self-employment, and stable income without constant scrutiny.Â
What Makes Electrical Work Different
Police officers leaving the force aren’t just looking for any job. They’re looking for stability, respect, clear progression, and the ability to control their own workload. Electrical work offers all of that, but in ways that might not be immediately obvious.
It’s regulated and structured. Just like policing operates within legal frameworks, electrical work is governed by BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 Wiring Regulations. There are clear standards, documented procedures, and legal responsibilities. For someone used to operating within regulations, that structure feels familiar rather than restrictive.Â
Competency is measurable. In policing, performance can feel subjective (complaints, politics, shifting priorities). In electrical work, you either meet BS 7671 standards or you don’t. Your installation either passes testing or it doesn’t. There’s clarity in that.Â
Physical but not brutal. Policing involves physical demands alongside mental strain. Electrical work is hands-on and requires fitness, but you’re not dealing with violent confrontations or traumatic incidents. It’s problem-solving with tools, not people in crisis.Â
Client relationships, not enforcement. Ex-police officers often describe wanting to help people without the enforcement aspect. Electrical work involves client interaction, communication, and problem-solving, but the dynamic is fundamentally different. You’re there to provide a service, not investigate or enforce.Â
Self-employment potential. Many ex-police officers are drawn to the idea of working for themselves after years in a hierarchical organisation. Once qualified with NVQ Level 3, 18th Edition, and AM2, self-employment is genuinely viable. You control your schedule, choose your clients, and set your rates.Â
The Transferable Skills Employers Actually Want
Here’s what we see in our Wolverhampton training centre: ex-police officers adapt to NVQ requirements faster than many other career changers. Not because the technical content is easier for them, but because they already understand systems, procedures, and evidence requirements. Thomas Jevons, our Head of Training with 20 years on the tools, observes this consistently:Â
"The structured approach ex-police bring to work makes NVQ portfolio building more straightforward. They understand evidence chains, documentation standards, and meeting assessment criteria, skills that help them progress through Units 102-111 more efficiently than many other learners."
But the advantage goes beyond training. Our placement network of 120+ contractors actively requests ex-police officers when we have them available. Joshua Jarvis, our Placement Manager, explains why:Â
"From the employers we speak with daily, ex-police interview exceptionally well and adapt quickly to site environments. The discipline, decision-making under pressure, and ability to follow procedures are exactly what contractors need when they're sending someone to a client's home or a commercial site."
Specific skills that transfer:Â
Communication and de-escalation. Explaining why a consumer unit needs relocating to a homeowner who doesn’t want to pay extra requires clear communication and managing expectations. Ex-police officers are comfortable with difficult conversations.Â
Reliability and professionalism. Showing up on time, dressed appropriately, and conducting yourself professionally might sound basic, but it’s where many placements fail. Ex-police officers have this embedded from years of operational policing.Â
Following procedures under pressure. Safe isolation isn’t optional. Testing sequences must be followed exactly. BS 7671 compliance isn’t negotiable. Ex-police officers are used to following critical procedures correctly every time, even when rushed.Â
Documentation accuracy. Installation certificates, test results, and EICR findings carry legal weight. Ex-police officers understand the importance of accurate documentation and the consequences of getting it wrong.Â
Risk assessment. Every electrical job starts with identifying hazards (live conductors, confined spaces, working at height, environmental factors). Police officers assess risk constantly and think in terms of consequences and safety margins.Â
The Actual Training Pathway (No Shortcuts)
Let’s be clear about what retraining as an electrician actually involves. You’re not going from police officer to qualified electrician in 5 weeks. Anyone claiming that is misleading you. For a detailed breakdown of every qualification stage and how they connect, see our step-by-step guide on becoming an electrician.Â
The proper route to JIB Gold Card status (which most serious employers require) looks like this:Â
- 1.Level 2 & 3 (2365)Â – 12 weeks combined for electrical installation theory and practical fundamentals
- 2.18th Edition – 5 days covering BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 Wiring Regulations
- 3.NVQ Level 3 (2357)Â – 12-24 months building a portfolio of evidence from real site work across Units 102-111, assessed on-site
- 4.AM2 practical exam – 3 days of hands-on assessment proving competency in design, installation, inspection, and testing
- 5.JIB Gold Card application – Proof of NVQ Level 3, 18th Edition, AM2 pass, and verifiable site experience
Total realistic timeframe: 18 months if you’re doing it fast-track with guaranteed placements, or up to 3 years part-time.Â
Total cost at Elec Training: £10,500 for the full NVQ package, excluding AM2 fee and PPE.
For ex-police officers, this timeline is actually manageable. Many are used to shift work and studying for promotion exams or specialist training. The discipline required to complete NVQ portfolio units while working on site is similar to juggling operational policing with ongoing professional development.Â
The Financial Reality (Be Honest With Yourself)
This is where you need to be realistic. If you’re a police constable with 5-10 years of service, you’re probably earning £33,000-£43,000 depending on your force and allowances. Retraining as an electrician means taking a financial step back initially.
Trainee/First-Year Rates: £16,000–£22,000 depending on region and employer. You’ll be learning on the job while building your NVQ portfolio. Some employers pay better if you come with strong work ethic and transferable skills, which ex-police officers typically do.Â
Newly Qualified (NVQ Level 3 + AM2): £24,000–£32,000 as an employed electrician. ONS data shows median pay for qualified electricians at £30,784. You’re back in a reasonable salary range, but it’s taken 18-24 months to get there.Â
Experienced/Self-Employed: £35,000–£50,000+ depending on specialisation, region, and whether you’re employed or self-employed. South-East self-employed sparks can invoice £45/hour. At 30 billable hours per week, that’s £70,000+ annually. But this comes after several years of building reputation, skills, and client base.
For many ex-police officers, the calculation isn’t just about immediate salary. It’s about long-term stability, control over your working life, and mental health. If you’re burned out, taking a financial hit for 18 months to retrain might be worth avoiding another decade of stress, complaints, and poor work-life balance.Â
Some ex-police officers we’ve trained have kept part-time work during the NVQ phase (security, consultancy, investigative work) to maintain income while retraining. That’s viable if you’re organised and can manage both commitments.Â
The Barriers You Need To Consider
Let’s not pretend this is easy. Ex-police officers face specific challenges when retraining as electricians:Â
Age-related concerns. If you’re 38 or 45, you might worry about competing with 20-year-olds. The reality is that contractors prefer mature learners with life experience. Age is an advantage in this trade, not a barrier. Clients trust 40-year-old professionals in their homes more than they trust teenagers.Â
Physical demands. Electrical work involves crawling through lofts, working in confined spaces, lifting equipment, and spending hours on your feet. It’s less physically demanding than frontline policing (no physical confrontations, no running after suspects), but it’s not a desk job. You need reasonable fitness.Â
Training time commitment. 18 months to 3 years is a long runway. If you’ve got financial commitments, dependents, or a mortgage, that timeframe might feel unmanageable. Part-time routes exist but take longer. You need to be realistic about whether you can sustain the commitment.Â
Identity shift. Police work becomes part of your identity. Walking away from it, even if the job is making you miserable, can feel like losing part of yourself. Ex-police officers often struggle with this transition more than the technical learning.Â
Less structured environment. Policing is hierarchical, procedural, and highly structured. Electrical work, especially self-employment, requires you to manage your own time, find your own work, and make decisions without constant oversight. Some ex-police thrive with this freedom. Others find it disorientating initially.Â
Starting salary drop. As covered above, you’ll likely earn less for the first 18-24 months. If you’re used to £40,000, dropping to £18,000-£20,000 as a trainee is painful. You need a financial plan to bridge that gap.Â
The ex-police officers who succeed are the ones who go in with eyes open about these barriers and have a plan to address them.Â
What Employers Are Actually Looking For
We don’t just train electricians at Elec Training. We place them. Our in-house recruitment team calls 120+ contractors daily, and we hear what employers need.Â
They’re not looking for the cheapest labour. They’re not looking for the youngest applicants. They’re looking for people who can be trusted in customers’ homes, who communicate clearly, who show up when they say they will, and who take the work seriously.Â
Ex-police officers tick those boxes immediately. Contractors know that someone who’s spent years in operational policing understands responsibility, follows procedures, and presents themselves professionally. That’s why our placement network specifically requests ex-police learners when we have them available.Â
The technical skills can be taught. The 18th Edition can be passed. The NVQ portfolio can be completed. What’s harder to teach is reliability, communication, professionalism, and taking responsibility seriously. Ex-police officers arrive with those qualities embedded.Â
That said, employers still need to see competency. Your background opens doors, but you still need to prove you can safely isolate circuits, test installations correctly, interpret Zs readings, and complete work to BS 7671 standards. Transferable skills get you the interview. Technical competency gets you the job.Â
So Is It the Smart Move?
That depends on your situation. If you’re burned out, disillusioned with policing, and looking for practical work with genuine job security, then yes. Electrical work is a viable career change. The 15% increase in enquiries from ex-police officers we’ve seen isn’t a coincidence. It’s a pattern driven by real frustrations with policing and real opportunities in skilled trades.Â
But you need to be honest about the commitment. 18 months to 3 years. £10,500 for full training. A salary drop initially. Physical work. Learning technical content from scratch. Building a new professional identity.Â
Ex-police officers who succeed in this transition tend to share certain characteristics: they’re decisive (they’ve made the choice to leave and committed to it), they’re realistic about timeframes and finances, they leverage their transferable skills without expecting them to replace technical learning, and they’re willing to start from trainee level without ego.Â
If that sounds like you, then yes, this could be the smart move. You’ve got skills that employers value. You’ve got the discipline to complete NVQ requirements. You understand procedures, documentation, and responsibility. The question is whether you’re ready to commit to the pathway and see it through.Â
What To Do Next
If you’re an ex-police officer seriously considering retraining as an electrician, here’s what we’d recommend:
First, research the full pathway. Understand what NVQ Level 3 actually involves, what AM2 requires, and what JIB Gold Card eligibility means. Our comprehensive electrician training guide breaks down each qualification, typical timelines, and realistic costs. Don’t rely on short-course providers claiming you can qualify in weeks.Â
Second, look at your finances. Can you sustain a salary drop for 18-24 months? Do you need to keep part-time work during training? What’s your financial runway?Â
Third, speak to people who’ve done it. We can connect you with ex-police officers who’ve completed the pathway at Elec Training. Hearing their experience firsthand is more valuable than any marketing material.Â
Fourth, call us. We’ll be honest about timelines, costs, and what the pathway looks like for someone in your position. We’re not going to promise overnight results or guarantee £50k salaries in year one. We’ll tell you what it actually takes.Â
Call us on 0330 822 5337 to discuss the fastest route to qualified electrician status for ex-police officers. We’ll explain exactly what you need, how long it takes, what it costs, and what our in-house recruitment team can do to secure your first placement. No hype. No unrealistic promises. Just practical guidance from people who’ve placed hundreds of learners, including ex-police officers, with UK contractors.Â
You’ve spent years serving the public in one capacity. If you’re ready for a change, electrical work offers a genuine alternative with job security, clear progression, and the potential to control your own career. But it requires commitment. The question is whether you’re ready to make that commitment.Â
References
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Police Workforce Statistics 2024/25 –Â https://www.ons.gov.uk/Â
- Police Federation of England and Wales – Officer Resignation Research 2024 –Â https://www.polfed.org/
- Home Office – Police Officer Leaver Rates and Trends –Â https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-officeÂ
- IET Wiring Regulations BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 –https://www.theiet.org/Â
- City & Guilds 2357 NVQ Level 3 Electrical Installation Specification –https://www.cityandguilds.com/
- JIB/ECS Card Requirements and Eligibility –Â https://www.jib.org.uk/
- Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) – Skills Shortages Report 2025 –Â https://www.citb.co.uk/Â
Note on Accuracy and Updates
Last reviewed: 14 November 2025. This page is maintained; we correct errors and refresh sources as police workforce data and career change trends develop. Police leaver statistics cited are for the year ending March 2025, released by ONS. Elec Training enquiry data reflects 12-month period ending November 2025. Next review scheduled following release of 2025/26 police workforce statistics (estimated May 2026).Â
