Install and maintain lightning protection and earthing systems.
Apprentices learn to install and maintain lightning protection systems and earthing systems on buildings and infrastructure. This includes fitting conductors, earth electrodes, and bonding connections, as well as carrying out routine testing and maintenance. Some work extends to power earthing, providing safe earth connections for electrical systems. Training covers working safely at height, reading technical drawings, using hand and power tools correctly, and completing accurate site records. The apprenticeship also covers relevant health and safety legislation, risk assessment, and working to industry standards such as BS EN 62305.
Work is site-based, typically outdoors on rooftops, walls, or open infrastructure, often at height and in variable weather conditions. Day-to-day tasks include installing air termination networks, down conductors, and earth termination systems, as well as carrying out visual inspections and scheduled maintenance on existing installations. Apprentices work in small teams under a senior operative or supervisor, completing routine tasks independently and assisting with specialist testing. Accurate record-keeping, site inductions, and coordination with site management, contractors, and client representatives are a regular part of the role.
Completing this apprenticeship typically leads to roles such as lightning protection operative, earthing operative, or senior operative, with progression into supervisory or inspection and testing positions over time. Employers include specialist lightning protection contractors, facilities management companies, utilities providers, petrochemical firms, and infrastructure operators. The work spans a wide range of sectors including heritage buildings, transport infrastructure, energy production, and commercial construction. Operatives with testing qualifications and supervisory experience can move into project management or compliance inspection roles.
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No training providers currently listed for this standard.
Completing this apprenticeship typically leads to work as a Lightning Protection Operative or Lightning Protection Installer, carrying out installation, testing and maintenance of lightning protection and earthing systems on construction sites and client premises. Some completers move directly into power earthing work as their primary specialism. At this stage, operatives are expected to complete routine tasks and basic installations independently, while supporting more complex or specialist testing work under supervision.
With experience, operatives typically progress to Senior Lightning Protection Operative or Team Leader roles, taking responsibility for supervising junior staff on site and managing more complex installation and testing tasks. The two main tracks from there are operational leadership, moving toward Site Supervisor or Contracts Manager, and technical specialism, deepening expertise in power earthing, specialist testing or heritage and infrastructure projects. Some take further qualifications through ATLAS (the industry's trade association) to support that progression.
Employers span several industries: specialist lightning protection contractors, electrical and mechanical engineering firms, facilities management companies, and major construction contractors working on commercial, industrial and infrastructure projects. The public sector generates work through government estates, transport networks, utilities and energy generation and distribution assets. Heritage buildings, petrochemical sites, data centres and telecommunications infrastructure all require ongoing installation and maintenance, so demand is spread across both project-based and longer-term maintenance contracts.
Throughout the apprenticeship, the learner works in employment, building practical competence in installing and maintaining lightning protection and earthing systems. Assessment focuses on whether they can carry out real work tasks, including product installation, routine testing, maintenance, and accurate record-keeping, to the standard the occupation requires. Before final assessment, there is a readiness check (known as a gateway), at which point the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has developed the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviours. The final assessment then confirms occupational competence. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
Learners should record evidence of their work as they go rather than trying to reconstruct it at the end of the programme. That means keeping records of installations completed, tests carried out, and situations where they applied safe working practices, particularly work at height and in varied weather conditions. Regular reviews with both the employer and training provider help track progress against the standard and flag any gaps early. Arriving at the gateway with a well-documented body of evidence makes the final assessment process considerably more straightforward.
Look for providers with direct experience delivering construction trades apprenticeships, particularly in electrical or building services disciplines. Achievement rates above 65% are a reasonable baseline; above 75% suggests strong learner support for a physically demanding, weather-exposed role. Because much of the work happens at height and on live construction sites, providers should be able to point to practical training facilities or established site partnerships where apprentices practice installation and testing under supervision. Check the FATP profile for employer satisfaction scores and learner reviews that mention on-site relevance, not just classroom content.
Be cautious of providers with high enrolment numbers but a declining or unverified achievement rate for this standard specifically, since attrition in outdoor, height-based trades can be high if pastoral support is weak. Vague answers about how working-at-height competencies and current BS EN 62305 standards are delivered in practice are a concern. If a provider cannot name employers or sectors where their completers are working, or cannot explain how they handle the power earthing element alongside core lightning protection, treat that as a gap worth pressing on.
There are no nationally set entry qualifications for this standard, so employers set their own requirements. Candidates need to be physically fit enough to work at height and outdoors in all weather conditions. A basic level of literacy and numeracy is expected so apprentices can read technical drawings, complete records and follow written instructions accurately. Employers may also require a full driving licence, depending on the role and site locations involved.
The typical duration is 18 months, though the actual time depends on prior experience and employer circumstances. Apprentices are employed throughout and carry out real work on construction sites and client premises while working toward the standard. A proportion of working time is dedicated to off-the-job learning, covering technical knowledge and skills. For the current minimum duration and off-the-job requirements, check the official standard on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education website at gov.uk.
Before reaching end-point assessment, apprentices must pass through gateway, where the employer confirms the apprentice has developed the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by the standard. Assessment models for many standards are being updated as part of current Skills England reforms, so the precise methods may have changed. Check the current assessment plan on gov.uk for up-to-date details. In general, apprentices must demonstrate competence in installing lightning protection and earthing systems and in completing accurate records of their work.
The funding band for this standard is £14,000, which is the maximum government contribution toward training and assessment costs. Large employers with an apprenticeship levy account use levy funds to pay their provider directly. Smaller employers co-invest with the government, typically paying 5% of the training cost with the government covering the rest. Employers with fewer than 50 staff taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing, as the government funds the full cost. Wages are paid by the employer separately.
The work centres on installing lightning protection systems on the roofs, walls and external structures of buildings and infrastructure, as well as carrying out routine maintenance and testing. Many operatives also carry out power earthing work to provide a safe earth for electrical systems. The job involves working at height and outdoors in all weathers, usually as part of a small team. Apprentices complete installation and basic testing tasks independently and assist with more specialist testing under direct supervision. Accurate record-keeping is a core part of the role.
After qualifying, operatives can develop toward senior operative and supervisory roles within lightning protection and earthing contracting businesses. Some choose to specialise in power earthing, which is a growing area of activity for many employers in energy, utilities and petrochemical sectors. Further qualifications in electrical installation or construction management can support progression into more technical or leadership positions. The skills gained are transferable across construction, facilities management, heritage, transportation and infrastructure, giving a reasonable range of sectors to move into.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 664.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.