Career Path, skill route
Systems: 10 skills, step by step
Connect power, signals, networks and device configuration.
New to the trade? Start with Common Foundation.
- Region
- Texas, United States
- Language
- English
- Units
- Dual units
Other regions, languages and units
Texas is the first full career path. These are next. Until then, read the guide for your region.
- New South Wales, Australia: career path coming. Read the guide
- Ontario, Canada: career path coming. Read the guide
- England, United Kingdom: career path coming. Read the guide
- California, United States: career path coming. Read the guide
- Language: Traditional Chinese, coming
- Units: show US customary (imperial) or Metric
Skills in order
Open any skill to see what it needs first, what it opens up and what to read. Skills in the same step can be learned in any order.
Step 1
Low-voltage systems overview: power, signal and network
Which systems count as low-voltage and how they share power and network infrastructure.
Needs first: Three lifesaving conductors: hot (live), neutral and ground (earth) (Common Foundation)
Helps to know first: DC, AC and waveforms (Common Foundation)
Opens up: Structured cabling and network media recognition, Fire alarm and emergency voice systems
Texas Journeyman exam areas: Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions (NEC Knowledge)
Read:
- Types of Electrical Careers: 6 Paths Beyond Construction Section: Path 4: Low-Voltage and Building Systems, Power, Signals, Networks, and Configuration
- Low-Voltage Electrician: What the Work Covers and How to Start
Practice this skill
Signals and noise: decibels, filters, EMI
dB, dBm and dBi, low/high-pass filtering, and conducted versus radiated interference.
Needs first: DC, AC and waveforms (Common Foundation)
Helps to know first: Passive components: capacitors, inductors and impedance (Common Foundation)
Opens up: Wireless basics: modulation, antennas, propagation
Read:
Step 2
Structured cabling and network media recognition
Cable categories, fibre, patch panels, racks and cabling topology.
Needs first: Low-voltage systems overview: power, signal and network
Helps to know first: Recognising electrical materials: cable, conduit, boxes, fittings (Construction)
Opens up: Network basics and device configuration concepts
English reading for this skill is coming.
Practice this skill
Fire alarm and emergency voice systems
Detectors, fire alarm panels and emergency voice systems, and the fire-code licensing boundary.
Licensed work. This site explains the concept only. Doing the work needs the right license and supervision.
Needs first: Low-voltage systems overview: power, signal and network
Helps to know first: Local entry and licensing pathways (Common Foundation)
Texas Journeyman exam areas: Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions (NEC Knowledge)
English reading for this skill is coming.
Practice this skill
Wireless basics: modulation, antennas, propagation
Carriers, analog and digital modulation, quarter-wave antennas, matching and path loss.
Needs first: Signals and noise: decibels, filters, EMI
Helps to know first: Electricity and magnetism: fields, Ampere's law, induction (Common Foundation)
Read:
- Wireless Communication Basics: 5 Key Principles Explained Clearly
- Antenna Basics: Quarter-Wave (λ/4), 50Ω Matching, Polarization & Path Loss (Wi-Fi/Cellular)
Practice this skill
Step 3
Network basics and device configuration concepts
IP addressing, switches, routers, VLANs and bringing devices online.
Needs first: Structured cabling and network media recognition
Opens up: Power over Ethernet and low-voltage power supply, Surveillance system architecture (CCTV / IP cameras), Access control and intercom architecture, Data centre and smart building integration
English reading for this skill is coming.
Practice this skill
Step 4
Power over Ethernet and low-voltage power supply
PoE, DC supplies and UPS for low-voltage devices, and how to estimate capacity.
Learn the concept here. Practice hands-on only under a qualified electrician.
Needs first: Network basics and device configuration concepts, Power, energy and the electricity bill (W, kWh) (Common Foundation)
Opens up: Surveillance system architecture (CCTV / IP cameras), Access control and intercom architecture
English reading for this skill is coming.
Practice this skill
Step 5
Surveillance system architecture (CCTV / IP cameras)
How cameras, recorders, network and storage form a surveillance system.
Needs first: Network basics and device configuration concepts
Helps to know first: Power over Ethernet and low-voltage power supply
Opens up: Data centre and smart building integration
English reading for this skill is coming.
Access control and intercom architecture
Readers, electric locks, controllers and intercoms, and fail-safe versus fail-secure design.
Learn the concept here. Practice hands-on only under a qualified electrician.
Needs first: Network basics and device configuration concepts
Helps to know first: Power over Ethernet and low-voltage power supply
English reading for this skill is coming.
Step 6
Data centre and smart building integration
Power, cooling, network and monitoring in data centres, and integrating systems in smart buildings.
Needs first: Network basics and device configuration concepts
Helps to know first: Surveillance system architecture (CCTV / IP cameras), Recognising building MEP systems (Repair)
Texas Journeyman exam areas: Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions (NEC Knowledge); Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions (Calculations)
Read:
Practice this skill
Where this path leads
Jobs this route feeds into, from the U.S. Department of Labor O*NET and the European ESCO classification. Job titles and duties vary by employer and region.
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer ProfessionalO*NET OnLine
- Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers Skilled tradeO*NET OnLine
- Instrumentation engineering technician Technician
Instrumentation engineering technicians assist instrumentation engineers in the development of control equipment, such as valves, relays, and regulators, which can be used to monitor and control processes. Instrumentation engineering technicians are responsible for building, testing, monitoring, and maintaining of equipment
ESCO
This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Skill routes: 1 + 6
The branches. Everyone starts with Common Foundation. The six routes run side by side, so you can grow in more than one. Inside a route, skills stack: later steps need the earlier ones.
- Common FoundationSafety habits and electrical basics every route starts with
- ConstructionTurn the drawings into conduit, wiring and equipment on site
- RepairFind the cause of a fault through observation and measurement concepts
- EquipmentUnderstand why motors, control panels and machines run or stop
- SystemsConnect power, signals, networks and device configuration
- EnergyGeneration, substations, transmission, solar and storage
- ManagementDrawings, quantity take-off, schedule and crew coordination
Back to the Texas license ladder
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