'I never thought I'd see the day electricians finally got certification'

Kirk Peets’ first brush with the world of electrics came in the form of a “teach yourself” book.

He was a keen teenager and desperate to get a job as an electrician, so he borrowed the book from the library in a bid to impress his prospective employer.

Mr. Peets, 59, said: “I went in for the interview and all I knew was what I had read in this teach yourself electronics book.

Qualified

 “I was honest with them and told them what I knew and what I didn’t.

 “I told them I was much more of a hands-on kind of guy and picked things up quickly.”

Mr. Peets got the job. Today he runs his own business, Peets Electric, and heads a team of nine qualified tradesmen.

He now has more than 40 years experience in the electrician profession.

The dad of three is one of the first batch of tradesman to complete the National Training Board’s National Occupational Certification Programme.

Mr. Peets’s 34-year-old son, Keevin, has followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the family business.

At present, Peets Electrics is busy installing all the electrical systems for the Grand Atlantic development on South Shore.

Mr. Peets said: “I never thought I would see the day when the profession would get certification — it was talked about for so long.

“It’s great – not just for electricians who get a sense of fellowship, but also for the public because they know they are getting a qualified and competent electrician.”

Mr. Peets went back to school — Bermuda College — to obtain the certification.

He took classes in customer service and the practice code that governs electricians.

His wealth of experience meant he had little trouble when quizzed about his profession by the National Training Board.

In fact, he ended up helping other candidates get through the course.

Mr. Peets said: “We have become a very modern profession and we have to keep pushing up the standards because that is what the public expect of us.

“The type of buildings we work on now require high degrees of skill and competence.”

Labour Day special

As Labour Day approaches, the Bermuda Sun takes a look at the island’s immigration trends. We examined the influence of a reported influx of low-wage unskilled labour from overseas combined with the more familiar faces of the well-paid international business workers and asked — where does this leave regular Bermudians?

• Trapped in labour limbo
• Working long hours for low pay to send money home
• International firms create jobs and wealth
• Bermudians struggle to find work in recession as firms keep costs down
• Gov't scheme spells end for 'cowboy' contractors
• 'I never thought I'd see the day electricians finally got certification'
• Lack of regulation the root cause of labour issues