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Electrician Assistant

Electrician Assistant CV example and template (South Africa)

Updated November 2026 · Written for South African employers

Electrical contractors, solar and backup power installers, shopfitters, building contractors, factories and mines all hire electrician assistants, also called electrician's helpers or artisan aides. You do the physical work on site, such as pulling cable, chasing walls, fixing conduit and trunking, mounting plugs and lights and helping to wire DB boards (distribution boards), while a qualified electrician guides and checks you. Under the Electrical Installation Regulations, made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, all electrical installation work must be done under the "general control" of a registered person, which means their instruction, guidance and supervision, and only a registered person may issue a Certificate of Compliance (CoC). So the contractor reading your CV is not looking for someone to sign off work. They check first that you work safely, know how to isolate and lock out a circuit, can use the basic tools and test instruments, and turn up on time with your PPE (personal protective equipment).

The example below is for an assistant with about five years on site who has N2 Electrical Engineering and has applied for ARPL (artisan recognition of prior learning), the route to the trade test for people who learnt on the job. If you are new, put your N1 to N3 subjects, any electrical work you did at school or college, and your driver's licence near the top, and say plainly that you want an apprenticeship. Never write that you "issue CoCs" or "do installations on my own": an honest description of what you did under supervision is exactly what an employer wants to see.

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Electrician Assistant CV example

Luvuyo Mgxashe

Electrician assistant with 5 years' residential, commercial and solar experience, working towards the trade test

082 555 0647 · luvuyo.mgxashe@example.co.za · Gqeberha, Eastern Cape

Profile

Electrician assistant with five years on residential, commercial and solar sites in Nelson Mandela Bay. Pulls and terminates cable, chases walls, installs conduit, trunking, plugs, lights and DB boards under a registered electrician's supervision, and has helped install more than 80 inverter and battery backup systems. Takes readings with a multimeter and insulation tester for the electrician's test report and always follows lockout before work starts. N2 Electrical Engineering, code B licence and an ARPL application in progress towards the electrician trade test.

Work experience

Electrician Assistant

Bay Line Electrical Contractors (Pty) Ltd, Gqeberha | Feb 2023 – Present

Pull and terminate cable for house rewires and shop fit-outs, about 30 rewires and 12 shops a year
Mount and wire DB boards, breakers and earth leakage units for the registered electrician to inspect and test
Lock out, tag and prove circuits dead with a voltage tester before every job
Take insulation resistance and continuity readings under supervision for the CoC test report
Installed cable trays and trunking in a 3,000 m² warehouse in Markman, a week ahead of programme

Solar Installation Assistant

Sunvest Energy Solutions (Pty) Ltd, Gqeberha | Jun 2021 – Jan 2023

Helped install more than 80 hybrid inverter and lithium battery backup systems for homes and small businesses
Mounted solar panels on tiled and IBR roofs using a safety harness and roof anchors
Ran DC cable, fitted DC isolators and changeover switches under the installer's supervision

General Worker (Construction)

Algoa Builders and Renovators, Kariega | Jan 2020 – May 2021

Chased walls and fixed conduit and wall boxes for the electrical subcontractor on new houses
Mixed plaster, made good chases and kept the site clean and safe

Education

N2 Electrical Engineering

Port Elizabeth TVET College, 2022, NQF level 3

Subjects: Mathematics N2, Engineering Science N2, Electrical Trade Theory N2, Industrial Electronics N2

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Masibambane High School, 2019, NQF level 4

Subjects: English First Additional Language, isiXhosa Home Language, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Electrical Technology, Life Orientation

Skills

Cable pulling and terminating
Wall chasing, conduit and trunking
DB board wiring under supervision
Lockout, tagout and proving dead
Multimeter and insulation tester readings
Inverter, battery and solar panel installation
Reading basic electrical drawings
Working at heights

Certificates

Working at Heights, Accredited safety training provider, 2024
First Aid Level 1, Accredited first aid training provider, 2025
Inverter and Battery Installer Course (supplier training), Inverter supplier training centre, 2022

Achievements

Five years on site with no electrical incidents or lost-time injuries
ARPL application submitted to an accredited trade test centre in 2026

Personal details

Driver’s licence:: Code B (Code 8)
Nationality:: South African
Languages:: isiXhosa (Home language), English (Fluent), Afrikaans (Good)
Notice period:: Two weeks
Availability:: Available for site work across Nelson Mandela Bay, overtime and weekend call-outs

References

Deon Lottering

Owner and Registered Installation Electrician, Bay Line Electrical Contractors (Pty) Ltd

041 555 0283

Andile Gqirana

Lead Installer, Sunvest Energy Solutions (Pty) Ltd

041 555 0719

Electrician Assistant CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

Electrician assistant with five years on residential, commercial and solar sites in Nelson Mandela Bay. Pulls and terminates cable, chases walls, installs conduit, trunking, plugs, lights and DB boards under a registered electrician's supervision, and has helped install more than 80 inverter and battery backup systems. Takes readings with a multimeter and insulation tester for the electrician's test report and always follows lockout before work starts. N2 Electrical Engineering, code B licence and an ARPL application in progress towards the electrician trade test.

Skills to list on your Electrician Assistant CV

Pulling, labelling and terminating cable in conduit, trunking, cable trays and ceilings
Chasing walls and floors with a wall chaser, grinder and chisel, and making good afterwards
Installing PVC and steel conduit, trunking, draw boxes, plugs, switches and light fittings
Mounting and wiring distribution boards, breakers and earth leakage units under supervision
Safe isolation, lockout and tagout with a personal padlock, and proving circuits dead before work
Using a multimeter, voltage tester and insulation resistance tester under an electrician's supervision
Reading basic electrical drawings, plug and light layouts and circuit schedules
Helping to install hybrid inverters, lithium batteries, changeover switches and solar panels
Fixing earth spikes, earth bonding to geysers and pipes, and surge protection under supervision
Using drills, SDS hammer drills, grinders, crimping tools and cable pullers safely
Wearing and checking PPE, including insulated gloves, safety boots, glasses and harnesses
Working at heights on ladders, scaffolds and roofs with a safety harness
Keeping the van, tools and stock tidy and writing material lists for the wholesaler

Duties written as strong bullet points

Pulled and terminated cable for about 30 house rewires and 12 shop fit-outs a year, labelling every circuit to the electrician's circuit schedule
Chased walls and installed conduit, draw boxes and wall boxes for more than 400 new plug and light points, then made good the plaster
Mounted and wired distribution boards with breakers, earth leakage units and surge arrestors, for the registered electrician to inspect and test
Helped install more than 80 hybrid inverter and lithium battery backup systems, including mounting solar panels, DC isolators and changeover switches
Isolated, locked out and tagged circuits with a personal padlock and proved them dead with a voltage tester before every job, with no electrical incidents in five years
Took insulation resistance and continuity readings under the electrician's supervision and wrote them down for the test report that goes with the CoC
Installed cable trays and trunking in a 3,000 m² warehouse to the contractor's drawings, finishing a week ahead of the programme
Loaded the van every morning against the job sheet and kept tools, testers and ladders checked, cutting time lost to forgotten stock
Trained two new general workers on site safety, tool use and how to pull cable without damaging the insulation

Tips for a stronger Electrician Assistant CV

Describe your work as supervised work

The law says installation work must be done under a registered person's general control, and only a registered person may sign a CoC. Write "installed DB boards under a registered electrician's supervision" rather than "did installations". Contractors trust an assistant who knows the limits, and it protects you in an interview with a sharp-eyed electrician.

Put your N-levels and ARPL or apprenticeship plans near the top

List your N1, N2 or N3 Electrical Engineering subjects, such as Electrical Trade Theory and Industrial Electronics, with your results. If you have three or more years on site, say that you have applied for ARPL or are ready to. Employers like assistants who are working towards a trade test, because they can grow them into electricians.

Count what you have done

"Helped install more than 80 inverter and battery systems" and "pulled cable for 30 rewires a year" show the size of your experience. Name the inverter and battery brands you know and the kind of sites you have worked on, such as houses, shops, offices, warehouses or farms.

Show that you are safe

Mention lockout and tagout, proving circuits dead, working at heights and the PPE you use. Add any first aid or working at heights certificate. On a busy site, one careless assistant can hurt someone, so safety is often the first thing a contractor asks about.

Questions people ask

Can an electrician assistant issue a Certificate of Compliance?

No. Regulation 9 of the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009 says that only a registered person (an electrical tester for single phase, installation electrician or master installation electrician registered with the Department of Employment and Labour) may issue a CoC. Assistants may do installation work only under the general control of a registered person, who must inspect and test the work before signing the certificate.

How do I go from electrician assistant to qualified electrician?

There are two main routes. The first is an apprenticeship or learnership with an employer, together with N2 or N3 Electrical Engineering at a TVET college, ending in the trade test. The second is ARPL, for people who learnt on the job. You apply at an accredited trade test centre with proof of your experience; the national guidance asks for at least 36 months in the trade, and merSETA's ARPL form, for example, accepts three years of relevant South African experience with an N2 certificate that includes electrical trade theory. The centre may send you for gap training first. When you pass the trade test you receive a trade certificate and are a qualified artisan.

Which N-level subjects do I need?

Most apprenticeships and trade test routes ask for N2 with Mathematics, Engineering Science, Electrical Trade Theory and Industrial Electronics, which you can study as N1 to N3 Electrical Engineering at a public TVET college. Technical matric with Electrical Technology, or an NC(V) Electrical Infrastructure Construction certificate, can also count. Put each subject and year on your CV.

Should my apprenticeship be with merSETA or EWSETA?

You do not choose the SETA yourself. It depends on which SETA your employer pays its skills development levy to. Manufacturing and engineering employers usually fall under merSETA, while energy and water businesses, such as power utilities and renewable energy companies, fall under EWSETA. Building and construction contractors are often under CETA. On your CV, name the SETA your learnership or apprenticeship is registered with.

Do I need my own tools as an electrician assistant?

Most contractors supply power tools and test instruments, but many expect you to bring basic hand tools such as insulated screwdrivers, side cutters, pliers, a wire stripper, a tape measure and a spirit level, plus safety boots. If you own a good set of hand tools, say so in your CV, because it shows you take the trade seriously.