Helpers--Electricians

Help electricians by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.

The occupation “Helpers--Electricians” carries a relatively low automation risk of 13.8%, close to the base risk of 14.0%. This suggests that while there are aspects of the job that could be automated, a substantial portion of the tasks still demand human involvement. The work focuses on assisting electricians with installation, repair, and maintenance, much of which is dynamic and takes place in complex, variable environments. Recent technological advancements have made automation feasible for certain repetitive and predictable activities, but not for several hands-on or situational tasks that involve adaptability and judgment. The moderate level of automation risk reflects this blend of routine and non-routine duties. Specifically, the three most automatable tasks for Helpers--Electricians include stripping insulation from wire ends and attaching wires to terminals for subsequent soldering, tracing short circuits in wiring using a test meter, and measuring, cutting, and bending wires and conduits with hand tools. These tasks are relatively predictable, repetitive, and often follow established routines or procedures, making them suitable for automation by specialized machinery or robotics. Machines can be designed to handle uniform wire preparation, diagnostic testing for circuits, and basic manipulation of conduit and wire, which reduces the need for human intervention in these areas. However, certain tasks remain highly resistant to automation, thereby mitigating the overall risk. These include operating cutting torches and welding equipment on-site, especially when dealing with custom or irregular metalwork; operating heavy equipment such as backhoes, which requires spatial awareness and human oversight; and breaking up concrete with an air hammer for installations or repairs, which is physically demanding and variable depending on site conditions. These activities are complex and involve adaptability, sensory perception, and physical dexterity, which are difficult for current automation technologies to replicate. Bottleneck skills like originality, with relatively low but non-negligible influence (2.3% and 2.1%), also play a role; tasks occasionally demand on-the-spot problem-solving and innovative approaches, preventing a full transition to automated systems and maintaining the need for human helpers in the electrician trade.