INDUSTRY NEWS 99% OF WORKING ELECTRICIANS BELIEVE THERE ARE MAJOR RISKS WITH EV CHARGING WORK As the UK gears up to meet its electrical vehicle (EV) charging targets by 2030, and purchases of EVs soar, a lack of appropriate training and skills could be leading to thousands of unsafe installations of EV chargers in homes, streets and commercial locations – with potentially disastrous consequences. That’s according to City & Guilds, the skills development organisation, which is calling on the industry to ensure all those working on EV charge point installations are equipped with the skills they need to install chargers in a way that’s safe for both themselves and consumers. In a survey of 500 UK electricians, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of City & Guilds, 99% of respondents understood there to be major risks associated with electrical vehicle charging work. Despite the dangers, only 28% of respondents said they have so far undertaken specific electrical vehicle charge point training. With the vast majority (73%) of respondents likely to seek work in installing or repairing EV charge points in the next 12 months, this demonstrates a clear risk unless companies
ensure their workforce have the necessary training, skills, knowledge and experience to undertake this work safely. This new research is supported by findings from CENEX and OZEV, which reported that nearly a fifth (18%) of new at-home charge point installations installed as part of
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS UPGRADE SUPPORTS A RELIABLE, FLEXIBLE POWER NETWORK UK Power Networks has upgraded digital communications across 16,000 electricity substations to enhance network visibility and reliability, while preparing for a future with more smart connections and flexibility services. Engineers have rolled out new 4G mobile network routers, which enable remote communications and control of electricity substations across the South East and East of England to maintain reliable supplies for millions of homes and businesses. The new infrastructure maintains modern communications used by automatic power restoration systems and allows engineers to remotely control local network equipment. The routers send signals between network control systems and 11,000V secondary substations to restore customers’ power supplies quickly in the event of a fault. While its primary purpose is supporting electricity network resilience, the communications will also enable UK Power Networks to connect more smart flexibility services and electric vehicles in the future, supporting the transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. UK Power Networks trained 78 employees in new skills to support the roll-out, enabling engineers with basic computer knowledge to replace equipment without specialist SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) engineering skills. UK Power Networks, ukpowernetworks.co.uk
the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) had dangerous or potentially dangerous issues, and only 32% were labelled as satisfactory. City & Guilds, cityandguilds.com
JTL LAUNCHES FIRST APPRENTICESHIP ACADEMY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ENERVEO JTL has recently partnered with Enerveo to launch its first apprenticeship academy. The academy will see 20 JTL trainees undertake a six-week traineeship before beginning their apprenticeship with Enerveo. The goal of the traineeship is to equip learners with key skills that will form the foundation of their apprenticeship journeys, as well as educating them about the role. All 20 learners, who began their traineeship at the end of July, will begin their apprenticeships in September. The traineeship will cover sector-specific training alongside developing each learner’s English, maths and digital skills. Three weeks of the programme will also focus on practical work experience, during which Enerveo will assign each trainee with a colleague to shadow within a relevant department. These departments span across Enerveo’s multitude of services such as mechanical, electrical, high voltage, test and inspection services, EV charging and street lighting. JTL, jtltraining.com
AICO TAKES ON THE SNOWDON SUNRISE TREK TO SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT CENTRE Aico is no stranger to fundraising challenges, and is already looking to 2023 when it will take on the Snowdon Sunrise Trek challenge in support of local charity, The Movement Centre. On Wednesday 28 June 2023, over 50 Aico colleagues from Aico and HomeLINK will set off from its headquarters in Oswestry, travelling through the night and beginning their mountain ascent at 2am. The team will reach the summit of the largest mountain in Wales in time for the sun to rise, all to raise vital funds for one of its long-term local charity partners. The journey will be carried out in the complete darkness of night and will see the team travel nine miles and ascend 3,199ft. The Movement Centre helps children who have cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome or other diagnoses to achieve new skills through increased strength and control of their movement. The Movement Centre’s Fundraising and Marketing Officer, Curtis Langley says, “The response has been that great, not only from Aico, but other local businesses too, that we may have to put two events on in 2023 to keep up with demand, which will raise vital funds for The Movement Centre, and the families who attend.” Aico, aico.co.uk
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