Electricians Must Apply for Licensing Test by July 1

Practising electricians applying to sit the Board of Examiners (BoE) licensing test must do so by July 1.

The examination will take place on July 13 at venues in St. Andrew, St. James, and Manchester.

Applicants are required to complete and submit forms to the BoE, 113 Washington Boulevard, St. Andrew, along with a $500 fee.

Forms are available at the BoE; the Electrical Inspectorate Division at Bravo Street, St. Ann’s Bay; the Senior Electrical Inspectorate at 34 Market Street, Montego Bay; and Shop 41, 7B Caledonia Road, Mandeville.

Administrative Manager at the BoE, Suzette Sylvester told JIS News that the applications are open to all persons who have been trained and certified in the electrical field.

“You will need to know some level of installation, power calculation, and formula-based calculations,” Miss Sylvester said.

Persons sitting the exams are required to have a minimum of five years’ work experience in the field under the supervision of a licensed electrician.

Applicants will also need to submit two passport-size photographs, along with certificates or diplomas which have been certified by a Justice of the Peace (JP).

The exam centres are the Manchester High School in Mandeville; Montego Bay Community College in St. James; and Merl Grove High School in St. Andrew. All sittings are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. and will last for three hours.

Candidates for the exam will also be required to present a valid national identification at the examination centre.

Under the Electric Lighting Act, every person conducting installations “of electric light, electric power, telephone or electric bells” must be licensed by the Board.

“Unlicensed persons conducting electrical installations can be sanctioned under the law,” Miss Sylvester pointed out.

The Board of Examiners was established in 1958 under Section 36 of the Electric Lighting Law.

Its main functions are administration of the written and oral examinations for practising electricians pursuant to licensing; to ensure that licensed electricians carry out the practice of their trade in conformity with existing regulations and maintain the integrity of the electrical installation trade; facilitate consultation with educational institutions that undertake training and development initiatives in the electrical installation trade; and liaise with regulatory agencies that monitor and review standards for the safe and secure practice of electricians.