Industrial electricians: highly trained and high in demand

Industrial electricians are in more demand than ever in today’s high-tech working world—and it’s a good thing they know what they’re doing!

As manufacturing and production become more reliant on technology, our dependence on electricity increases too. In many cases, it falls to an industrial electrician to keep all these machines moving and producing. Industrial electricians are high in demand these days, and doing the job properly requires a lot of experience, steady hands, and a cool head.

Different types of electrician handle different types of problems. An outside lineman typically handles the wires and transformers that bring power into a facility. An indoor wireman often takes charge of the indoor wiring, switches, fuses, and breakers. A residential electrician is like an indoor wireman, except he or she works in single- and multi-family dwellings. An industrial electrician often has experience and training in each of these fields.

An industrial electrician’s job is to install machinery and systems and maintain and repair faulty industrial electrical equipment of all kinds. He or she must be a good troubleshooter and have a broad understanding of all types of electrical systems.

Production robots, audio-visual facilities, warehousing systems, and laboratories all have different power needs, and today’s industrial electrician must be able to handle any and all of them. Industrial electricians with experience repairing and maintaining robotics are even more in demand. The ability to work as part of a team is also a big part of being an industrial electrician.

More and more, business owners are hiring full-time electricians to look after their production facilities rather than contract the work out. It’s not easy; it can be a dirty, dusty job that is physically demanding over long periods of time, but the job prospects in today’s market are quite strong.

In Canada, not just anybody can become an industrial technician. With increased technological demands in the workplace, and increased dependence on technology in production and assembly facilities, industrial electricians have become a precious resource.

To succeed in this trade, an individual needs the right education and practical experience. It takes four or five years and about 9,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training to attain certification. Licenses are regulated by individual provinces, but once they’re granted, the recipients can work in any part of the country.