Apprenticeship training course

Highways electrician or service operative (level 3)

Supervising the installation and servicing of electrical equipment and systems on roads and motorways.

• Qualification level: 3 ; Equivalent to A level.
• Typical duration: 24 months
• Apprenticeship category: Construction and the built environment
• Maximum funding: £12,000 ; Maximum amount government will fund ; for apprenticeship training.
• Also known as:
  • Highways Maintenance Electrician
  • Highways Maintenance Engineer
  • Highways Operative
  • Street Lighting Electrician
• Skills:
  Skills an apprentice will learn

  • Understanding the requirements of their employer and industry as a whole to ensure the health and safety of employees and others affected by any work carried out and how to minimise harming the environment and to apply these before starting work and during the works both for themselves and those they are responsible for
  • Understanding and identifying the different types of equipment and systems used in the highway electrical sector, the principles of operation, and how they are installed and maintained; Understanding electrical principles and practices and applying these to highway electrical equipment and systems.
  • Understanding the requirements of the employer and industry and applying these to safely and efficiently plan, prepare and organise works on site including obtaining the necessary plant, tools, materials and competent people; allocating resources; setting individual responsibilities and ensuring the scope of work is understood
  • Understanding how to install, and actually installing and connecting a range of highway electrical equipment and components (e.g. cables, fuses, distribution boards); understanding and dealing with varying site conditions; Understanding and carrying out the relevant electrical and functional tests for installed equipment and completing records (e.g. job sheets and electrical test certificates)
  • Understanding the principles and practices of routine (e.g. cleaning and bulk relamping) and reactive (e.g. responding to lights or signals that are out or out of timing) maintenance including the safety and technical implications, the diagnosis and correction of faults and the tests for equipment being maintained; applying these in practice
  • Understanding the principles, practices and requirements of electrical and where applicable structural inspection and testing of highway electrical equipment and systems; Understanding how to verify and record the results; Carrying out electrical and where applicable visual structural inspection and testing on highway electrical equipment, recording the results and verifying whether the system complies with the industry standards and is safe, and the actions to take if this is not the case.
  • Understanding the requirements and procedures of the employer and industry and applying these to emergencies such as a road traffic incident where a vehicle impacts a street light or traffic signal, to assess the site, determine what action is required, call for appropriate additional technical back up and ensure the site is left safe and relevant reports are completed
  • Understanding of how to communicate effectively and how to develop and maintain effective working relationships and applying this understanding in practice so as to ensure productive working relationships; ensuring communication is clear, appropriate and understood; promoting a professional image
  • Understanding the responsibilities and requirements of supervisors; Understanding the principles of effective supervision; Allocating duties and responsibilities and coordinating activities to ensure work is carried out safely, cost-effectively and within the programme of work
  • Understanding the scope, purpose and procedures associated with commissioning inspection and tests, handover and recording of results; planning and carrying out the commissioning (e.g. for ensuring traffic signal installations are safe and the specification of equipment, the installation and the timings are in accordance with the customers’ requirements)

Full information on Highways electrician or service operative (level 3) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

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