Our campuses close on Friday 20th December and re-open on Thursday 2nd January 2025 for the Christmas Break.
Students will return to timetabled lessons on Monday 6th January 2025.
For information on term dates and enquiries please visit our information page using the button below.
The aim of the Electrical Installations Diploma programme is to enable you to learn the key skills and techniques required to become a trained electrician. You will carry out practical and theory sessions designed to give you a broad understanding of electrical principles.
The level 1 course will provide the basic skills and knowledge necessary to enable you to progress to the City & Guilds level 2 qualification. Training within our industry standard workshops, you will work with real-life materials and complete a number of practical projects as part of your overall qualification. This programme has been specifically developed for delivery in a training environment using simulated conditions and designed to address the training needs of the modern construction industry.
Delivery is through a mixture of lectures, practical work, assignments and personal study.
In addition, you will also engage in activities to develop your English, maths and employability skills. as part of their main programme and a WorkSkills qualification will also be undertaken.
You will be assessed by simulated practical exams and online multiple-choice questions.
Successful completion of the level 1 portfolio of evidence will lead to progression to the Level 2 Technical Certificate in Electrical Installation; this will be completed in year two.
Level 2 will provide the knowledge necessary to enable students, under supervision, to install, terminate and test basic wiring systems safely and correctly. Assessment is by simulated practical assignments and online multi choice exams.
Satisfactory completion of the Level 2 qualification and report from the progression board will allow for progression onto an Installation Electrician Apprenticeship at level 3.
Delivery is through a mixture of lectures, practical work, assignments and personal study.
As well as more advanced electrical skills and knowledge, this course places a great emphasis on the skills and practice of inspection and testing and fault diagnosis and rectifications. Training within our industry standard workshops, you will work with real-life materials and complete a number of practical projects as part of your overall qualification.
Assessment is by a combination of simulated practical assignments, short-answer written examinations and multiple choice examinations. In addition to your main programme, you will also engage in activities to develop your English, maths and employability skills.
Please note: this programme is subject to change.
Level 1: 3 GCSEs (9-1) which must include Maths at 9-4, or Level 2 Functional Skills Equivalent and English at 9-3, or Level 1 Functional Skills Equivalent, and an interview.
Progression to Level 2 – Satisfactory completion of the City & Guilds Level 1 Qualification and via a progression interview.
Students must also obtain a Grade 4 in GCSE English, or Level 2 Functional Skills Equivalent whilst completing Level 1 if they have not previously achieved this.
Progression form Year 1 to Year 2 in all cases is subject to a satisfactory report from the progression board which will consider attendance, punctuality, attitude and suitability for a higher level programme
Students may choose to enter employment as a trainee electrician.
Upon successful completion, the level 1 course may progress onto the current City & Guilds Level 2 Electrical Installations qualification.
Students may also progress from Level 2 onto a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship (subject to meeting entry requirements).
Upon completion of Level 2 students may choose to enter employment as a trainee electrician. If you are already a trainee electrician then you may be able to progress to senior trainee.
All students aged 16-18 on the first day of their course will have their course fully-funded by the government.
Costs of studying
If you are/will be aged 16, 17 or 18 on the 31st August in the calendar year when you begin a programme of study, you DO NOT pay tuition fees, College registration fees or examination/board registration fees. However, there are some courses which have additional costs which could include:
You will be informed of any additional costs associated with your chosen programme as early as possible to allow time for payment to be made.
Applicants thinking of enrolling on this course can apply for funding to help with the costs associated with attending college. Bursary awards can help with your course related costs such as travel, books and equipment and much more.
The bursary fund cannot provide help with costs unrelated to your course, such as general living expenses, nor can it be used as an attendance incentive.
Applications to the fund are not normally considered if the household income exceeds £30,000 but may be considered in some instances if the household is experiencing severe financial hardship.
The 16-19 Bursary Fund is aimed at helping: |
Students who are aged 16, 17 or 18 on the 31st August 2025 |
Students aged 19 who started a two-year programme before their 19th birthday |
Students aged 19 or over on 31st August 2025 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) |
When can I apply?
Applications for student funding for learners starting in September 2025 will not open until the end of June 2025*****
For courses starting in September 2024, applications should be made by 1st November 2024. If you find yourself in financial hardship after this date it is important that you still contact Student Services. Applications received after 1st November will be considered on a pro-rata basis subject to need and the availability of funds.
You are advised to read the notes and policies at the beginning of the form and ensure that you provide all the evidence that is required when submitting your application.
Full details of the bursary funds, including making an application, can be found here:
If you are aged 19 and over, in certain circumstances you may be eligible for a fee waiver and therefore you will not have to pay for your course.Â
Eligibility for a fee waiver will depend your age at the start of the course, your previous qualifications, your employment status and whether you claim certain benefits.
If you do not meet the criteria for a fee waiver, you may be eligible for some assistance from the College’s Bursary Funds, depending on the household financial circumstances.
If you do not meet the criteria for a fee waiver, and are not eligible for assistance from the Bursary Fund, you will have to pay for this course.
This programme may be free if you meet the eligibility criteria listed below. If these do not apply, you will need to pay a fee, and the published fee is located further down the course information page.Â
The information in this section applies to this course, and may not apply to other courses with different funding criteria.
You will not pay tuition fees if you are: |
aged 19-24 on the 31st August 2025 and have an active Education, Health and Care Plan |
aged 19-23 and are required to undertake this level 1 qualification in order to progress onto level 2, provided you have not previously achieved a level 2 qualification in any other subject (or 5 GCSEs grades 9-4) by the start of the course |
over 19, unemployed and in receipt of benefits |
over 19, employed and have a gross annual salary under £25,000 per annum |
If you are aged 19-23 and have previously achieved a Level 2 qualification, if you do not meet the low income or unemployment criteria you will not be eligible for a fee waiver |
You will not meet the low income or unemployment criteria if you: |
are aged over 19 at the start of the course, unemployed and are not in receipt of benefits |
are aged over 19 at the start of the course, employed and have a gross annual salary over £25,000 per annum |
Therefore you will pay tuition fees |
In certain circumstances, the College’s discretionary bursary fund maybe able to assist with a contribution towards tuition fees. Eligibility to the fund depends on the household’s financial circumstances. Further information regarding the discretionary bursary fund can be found further down this page.
The information in this section applies to this course, and may not apply to other courses with different funding criteria.
You will not pay tuition fees if you are: |
aged 19-24 at the 31st August 2025 and have an active Education, Health and Care Plan. |
aged 19-23 and have not achieved a level 2 qualification in any other subject (or 5 GCSEs grades 9-4). |
aged 19+ and employed, or self-employed and your annual gross income is below £25,000. |
aged 19+, unemployed and not on benefits or in receipt of benefits with an income less than £892 a month or £1,437 a month with a joint benefit claim. |
You will not meet the low income or unemployment criteria if you: |
are aged 19-23 at the start of the course and have previously achieved a level 2 qualification or you are 19+, employed, or self-employed and your annual gross income is over £25,000. |
Therefore you will pay tuition fees. |
In certain circumstances, the College’s discretionary bursary fund maybe able to assist with a contribution towards tuition fees. Eligibility to the fund depends on the household’s financial circumstances. Further information regarding the discretionary bursary fund can be found further down this page.
Applicants thinking of enrolling on this course can apply for funding to help with the costs associated with attending college. Bursary funds are targeted at students where there is an identified low household income.
The bursary fund cannot provide help with costs unrelated to your course, such as general living expenses, nor can it be used as an attendance incentive.
Applications to the fund are not normally considered if the household income exceeds £25,000 but may be considered in some instances if the household is experiencing severe financial hardship.
The 16-19 Bursary Fund is aimed at helping: |
Students who are aged 16, 17 or 18 on the 31st August 2025 |
Students aged 19 who started a two-year programme before their 19th birthday |
Students aged 19 or over on 31st August 2025 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) |
If you do not meet the above criteria then you are likely to be eligible for support through either the: |
19+ Bursary Fund |
or |
Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund (for students paying Level 3 tuition fees for with an advanced learner loan)* *Awards from the Advanced Learner Loans Bursary Fund can only be made to students who have received an Advanced Learner Loan. If you do not intend to apply for an advanced learner loan or if your application has been unsuccessful you will not be eligible for an award from this particular fund. |
Funds are targeted at course related costs such as travel, childcare, books and equipment.
Regardless of income or employment status, students self-funding (including where an employer is covering course fees), are not eligible for financial assistance through any discretionary bursary funds.
When can I apply?
Applications for student funding for learners starting in September 2025 will not open until the end of June 2025*****
For courses starting in September 2024, applications should be made by 1st November 2024. If you find yourself in financial hardship after this date it is important that you still contact Student Services. Applications received after 1st November will be considered on a pro-rata basis subject to need and the availability of funds.
****Applications for courses starting in September 2025 are now open!****
The application window for full-time courses and joint apprenticeship applications starting in September 2025 opens on Tuesday 1st October at 12pm.
Please see the information below, which provides details on things to be aware of before making an application, and what happens after you apply. We have also prepared a step-by-step video guide on how to make an application below – please view this video which will guide you through the application process.
Before submitting your online application, make sure you have got an email address which you will check frequently and which is professional and appropriate for this purpose, and use this when you create your account. Submit the application as early as possible and remember to make a note of your USERNAME and PASSWORD details! You will need these later.
If you have chosen the study programme you would like to apply for then you are almost there. We recommend that you read our handy application tips, watch our video and then make your application.
You can only apply for one full-time programme and one apprenticeship. You can do this together within the same application form, in what is known as a joint application.
Remember, you cannot study more than one core subject. For example, you would not be able to study two full-time programmes in different subjects simultaneously. You would take Plumbing or Music, not Plumbing and Music.
Your subject will be your primary qualification and forms the bulk of your programme of study.
Application Dos
Application Don’ts
Just call us on 01206 712777
Once your application has been submitted our admissions team will complete some data checks
Once you have submitted your application form, a member of the Admissions team will check all of your details and your predicted (or actual) grades, including checking that you meet the published entry criteria for your chosen subject. They might email you to ask for more information.
Once your application has been checked, for most programmes you will receive an email asking you to log in to your account and book your interview. The interview is to determine that you have applied for the most suitable programme of study.
Make sure you check your emails regularly or you may miss your interview slot.
If you have applied for Music or Performing Arts we will email you with a date and time for an audition.
All communications will be sent by email, so please check them regularly or you may miss your opportunity to come in for your interview.
Interviews could be in person or they could be on the phone. This will be confirmed in the email, so please check your emails regularly so that you don’t miss important information about your interview.
Interviews for those who we have received an application from will start to take place after our Autumn Open Events. The earlier in the academic year an application is made, the earlier an interview can take place.
What happens at my telephone interview?
You will be asked to book a pre-arranged timeslot and you will need to be ready to answer your phones between the times stated. The call will come from either an 01206 number or it might show as withheld or unknown.
The interview is designed to let out teaching staff find out about you and your interest in the course. To prepare you might want to think about what you enjoy doing, why you have applied for this course, what subjects you expect to do well in (if you are still at school/college) and how you will manage your revision in readiness for any exams.
Once you have had your interview / audition we will email you to let you know if you have an offer. Offers will be subject to you meeting the published entry requirements of the chosen programme, once GCSE results have been published and provided to the College.
If you are not offered a place on your chosen programme, we will do our best to support you in finding an appropriate alternative.
Your offer
After your interview you will be sent an email to confirm whether you have been offered a place. Please remember to keep checking your email account so that you don’t miss this as it will include important information on your next steps.
For any further questions relating to the post-application process please see our application and enrolment FAQ.
Level | Level 1 Level 2 |
---|---|
Location | Colchester Braintree |
Duration | Two Years Year 1: Level 1 Year 2: Level 2 |
Study Mode | Full-Time |
Campus / Adult Skills Centre | Colchester Campus Braintree Campus |
Start Date | September 2025 |
Fee(s) | 16-18 year olds: Free 19+: Year 1: £2,297 19+: Year 2: £1,846 |
All fees, prices and funding information shown on this page are for courses starting in the 2024-25 academic year unless stated otherwise, and are correct at the time of entering/printing information, however these may be subject to change due to factors outside of our control. The College cannot accept legal or financial liability as a result of any such changes.
Courses fees are generally not confirmed for September until June / July due to the above factors.
The course information describes programmes offered by Colchester Institute. The College takes all reasonable steps to provide courses as described, but cannot guarantee provision. The information is for guidance and does not form any part of a contract.
The College reserves the right to update and amend information as and when necessary. Colchester Institute will do its best to provide the courses shown, but may have to modify or withdraw a course depending on customer demand and other factors.