Trades you can learn here
Each trade has its own path of short lessons, free to start. Pick one to see what it covers.
Electrical
From staying safe and how circuits work to wiring, testing and inspection. The first 3 parts are free.
Plumbing
How water moves through a home, pipework and joints, isolation, and the work to hand over.
Every guide, topic and glossary page for each trade is listed in our site map.
How we choose which trades to add
We add hands-on trades when we can build an accurate, coherent path about real work:
- Physical presence: the work is done on site, with your hands.
- A route to paid work: the learning connects to tasks people employ someone to do.
- A sensible learning order: understand the idea, practise it, then build on it.
We prepare people for training and qualifications; we never qualify, certify or register anyone.
Compare the work as well as the route in
Updated
A trade decision has several parts
Compare the tasks you would do, the employer's travel and working pattern, the training route and the household budget during training. A national career profile is a starting point; use a real vacancy and a named provider to test whether the plan works locally.
Try a small piece of learning first
Choose a public topic, explain one concept in your own words and try its practice questions. Then compare the training and responsibilities described on the career pages. A taster can help you decide what to investigate; it cannot certify that a trade is right for you.
Questions to take further
- Does learning a hands-on trade guarantee protection from AI?
- No. Research on AI exposure measures particular tasks and technologies. It does not guarantee employment, predict local demand or cover every form of automation. Use it alongside practical career research.
Sources
- National Careers Service: explore careers — Role profiles for investigating work, skills and training routes.
- Department for Education: impact of AI on UK jobs and training — Occupational exposure research and its limits.