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Building trades

Electrician

Electricien

Installs, connects, protects, and tests power, lighting, communication, and control systems in buildings.

Advantages

  • It is a skilled job needed in homes, offices, and industrial buildings.
  • The work combines installation, testing, and troubleshooting.
  • The trade can lead to specialization in smart homes, industry, or renewable energy.
  • Electrical work builds strong technical thinking and precision.
  • Qualified electricians are in demand for both new sites and maintenance.

Disadvantages

  • Safety rules must be respected at all times.
  • A wiring mistake can be dangerous or expensive to repair.
  • Fault finding can be long and mentally tiring.
  • Some work takes place in ceilings, crawl spaces, or service shafts.
  • Regulations and standards must be updated regularly.

Tools

Main tools used in this job

Each card shows the English term, the French term, and one visual reference to help students recognize the item more easily.

Stripper

Wire stripper

Pince a denuder

Removes insulation cleanly from electrical cables before connection.

Meter

Multimeter

Multimetre

Measures voltage, continuity, and resistance during tests.

Driver

Insulated screwdriver

Tournevis isole

Tightens terminals with extra electrical protection.

Pliers

Combination pliers

Pince universelle

Grip, bend, and cut some conductors during installation.

Cable cutter

Cable cutter

Coupe-cable

Cuts electrical cable cleanly without crushing it.

Drill

Drill driver

Perceuse-visseuse

Makes holes and fixes boxes, rails, and supports.

Bender

Conduit bender

Cintreuse pour gaine

Shapes electrical conduit to the required route.

Tester

Voltage tester

Testeur de tension

Checks quickly whether a circuit is energized.

Materials

Main materials used in this job

Materials are shown with the same bilingual format so the learner can connect the right object, name, and usage.

Cable

Electrical cable

Cable electrique

Carries power to lights, sockets, and equipment.

Flexible wire

Flexible wire

Fil souple

Used in control panels, equipment, and some flexible connections.

Photo: SparkFunElectronics ยท CC BY

Conduit

Conduit

Gaine electrique

Protects cables inside walls, floors, and ceilings.

Box

Junction box

Boite de derivation

Protects and organizes cable connections.

Switch

Switch

Interrupteur

Controls lighting or other electrical circuits.

Socket

Socket outlet

Prise electrique

Supplies power to domestic or commercial appliances.

Breaker

Circuit breaker

Disjoncteur

Protects a circuit against overload and short circuit.

Panel

Distribution board

Tableau electrique

Main board where building circuits are protected and organized.

Tray

Cable tray

Chemin de cable

Supports large groups of cables in technical areas.

Network cable

Ethernet cable

Cable ethernet

Connects network points, computers, and communication systems.