What does an electrician's mate do?
On site, a mate is usually graded as an Electrical Labourer. The job is to help electricians put in cable and to do the unskilled jobs under supervision. You put up tray and its supports, fix brackets, clip cables, fetch materials and keep the work area clear. The ECS card rules are clear that a labourer assists and does not carry out the craft work an electrician does. So no terminating, no connecting up and no testing on your own account.
Under the JIB rules, a firm can employ no more than one Electrical Labourer for every four skilled JIB graded operatives. Cable gangs can adjust that ratio to suit the job. A firm does not have to take on a labourer when there isn't enough unskilled work, and electricians are free to do the whole job themselves, labouring included.
What is an improver?
On site, people use "improver" loosely for anyone partway to qualified who does more than a labourer and less than an electrician. Under the JIB it is a defined grade. The Electrical Improver grade was created for apprentices who could not finish their apprenticeship because they did not get NVQ Level 3. It keeps them in the industry.
You can only get the JIB improver grade if you meet three conditions. You must be registered with the JIB as an apprentice on a JIB Training Scheme. You must hold NVQ Level 2. And you must have completed the college courses for that scheme, though you need not have passed every exam. Those courses are normally City & Guilds 2360 Parts 1 and 2, 2351, 2330 or the EAL Diploma in Electrotechnical Services. The JIB says the grade is not to be used for general Level 2 labour.
Which ECS card goes with each stage?
The Electrical Labourer card is white with a green stripe. You need it to work as a mate. Trainee Electrician cards come in Stages 1, 2 and 3. They are for people on a formal JIB industry training programme that leads to a gold card, and everything a trainee does must be supervised. Your employer has to sponsor you, and the qualifications you can show decide which stage you get.
The Experienced Worker card has a brown stripe. It is for people who hold a JIB-recognised Level 3 theory qualification but not the full industry qualification, such as the NVQ Level 3. It lasts 18 months and cannot be renewed, so you have to qualify within that time. The Installation Electrician gold card is the qualified card. To get it you need a Level 3 apprenticeship standard or NVQ, the ECS Health, Safety and Environmental assessment and a recognised BS 7671:2018 qualification.
How do you move from mate to gold card?
Start with the theory. A Level 2 diploma such as City & Guilds 2365-02 gets you a Trainee Stage 2 card if you are on a formal programme with an employer behind you. Level 3 theory, such as 2365-03, gets you Trainee Stage 3. For Stage 3 you also need evidence that you are working towards the AM2 or AM2S and a Level 3 NVQ.
If you already have Level 3 theory and years on the tools, the Experienced Worker Assessment is the adult route. It assesses you to the Level 3 standard. Pass it while your Experienced Worker card is still valid, add a BS 7671 qualification, and you can upgrade to the gold card. Whichever route you take, keep your labourer card current until you get there.
Pay
GBP a year, before tax. The JIB rows are the official 2026-2028 Industrial Determination National Standard rates for Job Employed (Transport Provided), which apply from 5 January 2026. Each is multiplied by 37.5 hours a week and 52 weeks. Own-transport and London rates pay more, overtime adds to them, and employers outside the JIB set their own pay. The apprentice row is the 25th to 75th percentile from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, April 2026 (provisional), moved to the current year with a wage index. It is a modelled figure. Refer to the Apprentices & Trainees salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Health and safety for the labourer cardYou need one approved course: a Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification, a CCNSG Safety Passport, CITB Site Safety Plus Health and Safety Awareness, or the SPA Core course. You also need the ECS Health, Safety and Environmental assessment. The CITB, CCNSG or SPA course exempts you from it if you passed within the past three years.
- Proof you work in the industryLabourer applicants must show they are working in electrical work. An employer reference, a contract or payslip, or enrolment on a relevant course will do. If your employer applies through the ECS Employer Portal, this is already covered.
- Theory route to the labourer cardIf you already hold City & Guilds 2365, 2330 or 2360 or an EAL equivalent, or you have passed the ECS Electrical Safety Unit assessment, that counts for the labourer card. You still need the ECS Health, Safety and Environmental assessment.
- JIB Electrical Improver gradeYou must be registered with the JIB as an apprentice on a JIB Training Scheme. You also need NVQ Level 2 and the completed college courses for that scheme.
- Trainee Electrician cardYou need employer sponsorship, a formal industry training agreement that leads to a gold card, and the ECS Health, Safety and Environmental assessment. Your qualifications decide whether you get Stage 1, 2 or 3.
- Gold cardYou need a JIB-recognised Level 3 apprenticeship standard or NVQ, a current ECS Health, Safety and Environmental assessment and a recognised BS 7671:2018 qualification.
Across the UK
| England, Wales and Northern Ireland | The Joint Industry Board runs the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme here. It issues the labourer, trainee, experienced worker and gold cards. |
|---|---|
| Scotland | The Scottish Joint Industry Board handles ECS applications and information throughout Scotland. Pay and grading there follow the SJIB agreement, which is separate from the JIB rates shown above. |
How to get there
- StartGet the Electrical Labourer cardPass an approved health and safety course and the ECS Health, Safety and Environmental assessment, and show you work in the industry. Then you can start as a mate under supervision.
- While workingStudy Level 2 theoryTake a Level 2 diploma such as City & Guilds 2365-02. If your employer puts you on a formal programme, this qualifies you for a Trainee Stage 2 card.
- After Level 2Move to Level 3 theoryA Level 3 diploma such as 2365-03 counts for Trainee Stage 3 if you are working towards the AM2 or AM2S and the NVQ. It also counts for the Experienced Worker card.
- Within 18 months on EW cardComplete the NVQ or Experienced Worker AssessmentApprentices and trainees finish the Level 3 NVQ and the AM2. Experienced adults take the Experienced Worker Assessment while their 18-month card is valid.
- Once qualifiedApply for the gold cardSend your Level 3 qualification, current HS&E assessment and BS 7671:2018 qualification to get the Installation Electrician gold card.
Questions people ask
Is electrician's mate an official JIB grade?
No. The JIB grade for a mate is Electrical Labourer, and the matching card is the ECS Electrical Labourer card. A labourer assists electricians and does unskilled work under supervision.
Can an electrician's mate do any electrical work?
A labourer can help install cables, put up tray and its supports, fix brackets and clip cables, all under supervision. The ECS rules say a labourer must not carry out the craft work an electrician does.
Can anyone call themselves an improver?
People use the word loosely on site. The JIB Electrical Improver grade, with its £16.54 rate from January 2026, is only for JIB-registered apprentices who have NVQ Level 2 and finished their college courses but did not get NVQ Level 3.
How long does the Experienced Worker card last?
It lasts 18 months and cannot be renewed. You get it so you can finish a gold card qualification, such as the Experienced Worker Assessment, within that time.
Will a BS 7671 course alone upgrade my labourer card?
No. ECS says a Level 3 Award in the BS 7671 Wiring Regulations does not meet the underpinning knowledge requirement. To upgrade you need a Level 3 electrotechnical theory qualification and then the full Level 3 competence qualification.
