City & Guilds supports World EV Day as it looks at challenges ahead

City & Guilds has commemorated World EV Day by reminding the industry of the challenges it faces to ensure the UK is ready for the transition and what can be done to meet those challenges. 

For its part, City & Guilds has been developing a range of new products that will support the need to train tens of thousands of people to fit the new EV charging points required in the years ahead.

Kirstie Donnelly MBE, CEO at City & Guilds, commented, “At City & Guilds we are committed to supercharging our positive social and environmental impact by developing the skills needed to create a more sustainable world. It is critical that we transform the way we operate and live out our purpose by developing the skills needed to enable climate recovery and sustainable growth. It is a real honour for City & Guilds to be playing an integral part in promoting safe use and installation of EV charging points while also working towards a more sustainable future.”

City & Guilds is working with industry associations and companies to develop training to equip more electricians with the skills to install EV chargers. The move is designed to support the effort to help the UK meet its target of 300,000 chargers by 2030.

To develop a new portfolio of charging design and installation training courses City & Guilds has been working in collaboration with companies such as Shell UK, to ensure the products truly meet the needs of industry. The shared aim is to set exceptional, market-leading standards and help train up the net-zero generation of the future. The courses include skills to install domestic and small-scale commercial EV chargers, as well as commercial and large-scale design and installations.

Roger Hunter, VP of E-mobility at Shell, noted, “By 2030, we aim for 90% of UK drivers to be within 10 minutes of a Shell fast charger. Installing and maintaining these will involve thousands of hours of highly skilled work, requiring electrical engineers that the UK doesn’t have in vast numbers today. So, this is a great opportunity for us to combine our skills to train up the net-zero generation of the future.”