TRAINING
SPARKING A SOLUTION TO THE UK’S SKILLED ELECTRICAL PERSONNEL SHORTAGE AMID ECONOMIC STRAIN Sarah Chapman, Technical Leader at 3M, and advocate for diversity in STEM, fears that if left unchallenged, the shortage of skilled tradespeople could hinder success within the industry and will only be amplified further as the cost-of-living crisis rages on.
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n the UK, the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) recently uncovered that, while order books continue to grow following the pandemic, a lack of skilled electrical personnel is hurting electrotechnical contracting businesses. 47% of respondents said that ‘attracting the right calibre of people to the business’ was their biggest worry, while 41% said their top concern was to ‘retain existing staff’. It is crucial that perceptions around the electrical contracting sector are changed. Research from 3M’s 2022 State of Science Index (SOSI), which tracks attitudes towards science, found that while 91% of people globally agree that the workforce needs more skilled trade workers, 68% of the respondents say that although they respect people who pursue skilled trades, they would not pursue one themselves. Clearly, finding strategies to encourage talent into these vocations is vital to tackle the expanding skills gap in the electrical industry.
Generating interest in the classroom Showing students what a career in the electrical contracting industry looks like today is imperative to attracting young people to the profession. The skilled trades industry has seen countless changes over the years, with technology transforming ways of working at every level. In a world that has become more digitised and dependant on electricity, innovation in the industry is rife with continuous changes to keep the sector on the cutting-edge. Providing students with tangible opportunities to learn first-hand what a career in the industry now looks like can stimulate an interest in a skilled trade career from individuals who may have otherwise avoided this route. In the West Midlands, The HomeServe Foundation recently launched its ‘Try a Trade’ project to tempt more young people to become electricians. The initiative will help young people to understand the potential the industry offers while supporting small trade firms to take on a young trainee. The charity will work with career services, local trade firms and training providers to help school leavers learn more about a career in trades and match them to opportunities in the sector. Students will gain an awareness of the lucrative and in-demand vocations in the skilled trade industry, therefore fostering a curiosity in these career paths.
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Supported learning experiences allow individuals to communicate with those directly involved in the skilled trade sector
Re-energising role models
The latest Common Assessment Standard (CAS) from Build UK, Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) and the ECA has recently been updated to include diversity requirements. This document is a pre-qualification questionnaire that is used by clients to assess the suitability of prospective bidders. Ultimately, diversity is becoming a prerequisite to doing business and an unavoidable factor for electrical contractors to address. This drive for equitable representation in the industry can be supported through the championing of positive and relatable role models. These individuals play an important role in influencing and inspiring future career choices to those who have not benefitted from previous insights into the sector. Accessing familiar role models provides unrivalled value to students. Supported learning experiences allow individuals to communicate with those directly involved in the skilled trade sector and better understand the opportunities on offer in the industry. These tangible learning experiences will have a profound effect on inspiring career choice and ensuring a robust and diverse talent pipeline for the electrical contracting industry.
Company initiatives – a key component Increasing the talent pool of skilled electrical personnel not only relies upon awareness and education, but also adequate support and incentives. Providing prospects
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with a stable and ambitious career pathway will stimulate talent to pursue opportunities in the industry as they recognise the current and future value of these vocations. Organisations must support those who enter a skilled trade programme or access a course with benefits, such as scholarships, to encourage prospective talent to continue along this career trajectory. For example, 3M’s Skilled Trades Scholarship celebrates students who choose to pursue skilled trade occupations, particularly those from underrepresented groups, whilst The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Power Academy celebrates students who choose to pursue electrical and power engineering at leading UK universities. The importance of electrical contractors to the economy and wider society cannot be underestimated – company-backed initiatives are a necessary means of providing businesses better access to skilled trade employees, whilst simultaneously helping to ensure equitable access to these career paths. By combining education, awareness, and adequate support, organisations can begin to resolve the problematic skills gap that currently threatens the electrical contracting sector in the UK. The skilled trade industry as a whole is still being viewed with outdated attitudes that require a combined effort from corporations, schools and higher education facilities to change. Shifting these perceptions will help to establish a robust and diverse talent pipeline of skilled electrical personnel for years to come. 3M, 3m.co.uk
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27/01/2023 11:28