Kelis, Electrician | Technicians

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What I do

I’m an apprentice electrician working across commercial, industrial and network installations.

My work is really varied. I can be involved in installing lighting, sockets and switches as well as data, cameras, speakers, heating and air-conditioning controls, EV charger supplies, battery systems and ground-mounted solar panels.

My job helps make sure buildings and installations are safe, functional and ready for people to use. There’s a lot more skill and attention to detail involved than people might realise.

How I became an electrician

When I was at school, I had no idea I was going to become an electrician. For my GCSE options, I chose health and social care, art and media. At that point, my dream was actually to become a hairdresser.

I had already started doing hair as a teenager and had my own little business doing hair for friends and family. I’ve always enjoyed hands-on work and being able to see the result of something I’ve worked hard on.

How I became an electrician

After school, I started a hairdressing course but quickly realised it wasn’t for me. I went to my five older brothers for advice - they all work in different trades, including carpentry and groundworks. They encouraged me to look into a skilled trade myself.

Electrical work stood out to me. My brothers showed me plans from jobs they had worked on and explained more about what electricians actually do, which made me want to learn more. I went to college for a two-week trial and ended up loving it.

How I became an electrician

College was completely different from school for me, because I was finally learning something I was genuinely interested in. I could get involved, ask questions and learn practically, which suited me much better.

Getting to where I am now wasn’t completely straightforward. I needed to re-sit my English GCSE exam and it took me around three years to get the grade I needed to progress. There were definitely times when it felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere, but I kept going.

How I became an electrician

Then I completed my Level 2 Electrical Installation course, secured an apprenticeship and later moved to Remark during my second year, where I’ve continued onto Level 3.

Being on the tools has been one of the biggest things that has helped me learn. Once I had experienced something practically at work, going back to college and learning the theory behind it made much more sense. I could relate what I was being taught to something I had actually seen and done.

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A typical day in my working life

I start work at 7:30am and usually finish at 4pm. When I get to work, I clock in using my work phone, which has my schedule, who I’m working with, where I’m going and what materials I need. I get my tools ready, make sure the van is stocked and check the plan for the day before heading to site.

I’m now in the final year of my Level 3 Electrical Installation apprenticeship. No two days are exactly the same.

A typical day in my working life

Some days I’m supporting the team and learning from the qualified electricians, while other days I’m much more hands-on and trusted to carry out parts of the job myself.

We could be completing a first fix, where cables and electrical systems are installed before the walls and ceilings are finished.

A typical day in my working life

Once the building work has progressed, we return for the second fix, where we install and connect equipment such as sockets and switches before the installation is tested.

We have lunch at 12pm for 30 minutes and at around 3:30pm we start clearing the work area, organising our tools and preparing for the next day.

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What I love about my job

The thing I love most is the variety. I can be working in a completely different environment and doing a different type of job from one day to the next. It keeps the job interesting and means I’m constantly learning.

I also take a lot of pride in the standard of my work. Electrical work requires patience, precision and attention to detail, and I like my installations to be neat, organised and completed to a high standard. I think the work I’ve done represents both me as an electrician and the company I work for.

I particularly enjoy working on distribution boards because there’s a lot of skill involved in organising everything correctly and leaving the finished board neat and professional. Some of my work has even been shown as an example to other electricians, which made me really proud.

The job can also be much more physically demanding than people expect. One day you might be working in a clean office and the next you could be outside in a muddy field or working in a hot industrial environment. You have to adapt to different conditions, think practically and be prepared to get stuck in.

I’m proud to be a woman working in a male-dominated industry.

If you’re young and you don’t know exactly what you want to do yet, don’t panic and don’t be afraid to try something new.

A little more about my everyday role

Being a woman in the industry

I’m proud to be a woman working in a male-dominated industry. I have 14 nieces and nephews, and some of the girls now talk about becoming bricklayers or plumbers. It feels really rewarding knowing that seeing me in a trade might have helped them realise those careers are an option for them too.

I think it’s important for younger girls to see women doing these jobs. There’s no reason women can’t become electricians, plumbers, bricklayers or work in any other trade. You can be just as skilled, capable and successful.

My stepdad is also a mechanic, so work is something we can bond over. We even end up buying some of the same work trousers and shoes!

The best bits about working in a team

There are lots of engineers at Remark, working across electrical, data and fibre. The size of the team on a job can vary, and I can also work with different people from one day to the next.

We’re a close team and there’s always someone I can go to for advice. Working alongside qualified electricians has taught me a lot because everyone has different experience and different ways of approaching a problem.

Communication, teamwork and safety are all really important in my job. Electrical work comes with risks, so you need to stay focused, follow the correct procedures and look out for the people working around you.

What I like to do in my spare time

Outside work, I enjoy going to the gym, taking my dog for long walks and cooking.

Cooking is one of my favourite hobbies. I love finding new places to eat and recreating meals at home in my own way. I also enjoy making healthier versions of meals and cooking for me and my partner.

I’ve always been quite active. My dad got me into cycling and it became a big part of my childhood. A lot of my teenage years were spent cycling through the countryside and swimming in lakes.

One of my goals for the future is to buy a rundown house with my boyfriend and renovate it together. He’s a bricklayer, I’m an electrician and we have other tradespeople in the family, so between us we have a lot of skills!

The most exciting thing I’ve achieved so far in my job

One of my biggest achievements has been moving to Remark and getting the opportunity to work across larger commercial, industrial and network projects.

I’ve been given opportunities to develop my skills, take on more responsibility and learn from experienced electricians.

The next steps in my career journey

My next goal is to complete the final year of my Level 3 apprenticeship and become a fully qualified electrician. Being able to finally say I’m qualified will mean a lot to me because I’ll know how many years of work went into getting there.

I’m excited to become more independent, take on more responsibility and see where my career takes me. Having a trade has given me something I can continue building on for the rest of my life, and I feel like I’m creating a comfortable future for myself.

Further into the future, I’d love to create something of my own within the industry. One idea is to eventually have an electrical company with a team of women in the trade. I think giving customers the option of having female electricians could be particularly valuable for women who may feel more comfortable having a woman working in their home.

I’d also love to create a women’s workwear brand. Working in the industry myself has shown me how difficult it can be to find workwear that fits women properly while still being practical and professional. I’d love to use my own experience to create something that helps other women coming into trades.

The advice I’d give to someone younger

If you’re young and you don’t know exactly what you want to do yet, don’t panic and don’t be afraid to try something new. I thought I was going to be a hairdresser. If I hadn’t tried it and realised it wasn’t for me, I might never have ended up where I am now.

You have time to try different things, change direction and make mistakes. Finding out that something isn’t right for you isn’t failing, it’s part of finding what is.

And if you find something you genuinely enjoy, stick with it even when parts of the journey are difficult. It took me years to get the grade I needed to get where I wanted to be, but I kept going.

And doing an apprenticeship has given me qualifications, experience, a career and independence at the same time. I’m still learning and I’ve still got a long way I want to go, but when I look back at where I started, I’m really proud of how far I’ve come.