From Office Job to Electrical Career: Why More Adults Are Considering the Trades
Changing career as an adult can feel like a big step – particularly when it means leaving an established profession and starting again in a completely different industry. But a recent story in The Times provides an interesting example of why more people are considering exactly that.
The article tells the story of Millie Mercedes Chhetri, who left a career in software engineering and retrained as an electrician following difficulties finding work during the pandemic.
After completing electrical qualifications including City & Guilds Level 1, 2 and 3 and the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations, she moved into the industry and is now working as a self-employed electrician.
Her experience is particularly interesting because it challenges two common assumptions: that skilled trades are mainly for people who start young, and that moving from an office-based profession into a practical career means taking a step backwards.
A different kind of career change
For adult career changers, previous experience isn't necessarily wasted when moving into the electrical industry.
Someone coming from engineering, IT, logistics, retail, hospitality or another profession may already have valuable transferable skills – from problem-solving and customer service to working under pressure, following procedures, managing workloads and taking responsibility for their own work.
Technical knowledge and practical competence still need to be developed through the correct training and workplace experience, but starting an electrical career later in life can also mean bringing maturity, reliability and experience of the workplace with you.
More women considering the trades
Chhetri's story also highlights the changing face of the construction industry.
Women remain significantly underrepresented within skilled trades, but the picture is gradually changing. Figures reported by The Times show that 2,410 women started construction apprenticeships in 2025 – an increase of 66% compared with 2018.
Other industry figures have shown a similar direction of travel. Women accounted for more than 10% of construction apprenticeship starts in 2023/24, a historic high for the sector at the time.
There is clearly still some way to go, but greater visibility of women building successful careers in traditionally male-dominated trades can help challenge outdated perceptions about who can become an electrician.
Starting again doesn't mean starting from zero
Perhaps the most useful message for anyone thinking about retraining is that there is no single route into the electrical industry.
Some people begin their training straight from school; others arrive after ten, twenty or even thirty years in another career.
For adult learners, gaining qualifications is an important part of that journey, but so is finding opportunities to build practical experience and develop competence in the workplace.
A career change requires commitment, time and a willingness to learn. But stories like this demonstrate that changing direction later in your working life is entirely possible – and the skills and experience you've already gained could prove more useful than you think.
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