ECA calls on UK Gov to craft new local strategy for developing net zero skills

The Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) has called on policymakers to reconsider their strategies for developing electrical skills. 

The appeal was made during the Westminster Employment Forum, where the focus was on the future of local skills improvement plans and regional skills in England, post the introduction of the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF).

At the event, the ECA's Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Eldred, emphasised the importance of proper training for those working on net zero electrical installations. He stated, “The shortage of qualified electricians in England, intensified by a broken skills pipeline, poses a serious but solvable challenge to achieving national, regional and local net zero targets."

Eldred, along with other speakers such as Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and representatives from various organisations, discussed the current state and future directions of devolved skills policy in England. The conversation highlighted the urgency of addressing the electrician shortfall in the country.

In England, there are approximately 200,000 practising electricians, yet an estimated 35,000 lack industry-recognised Level 3 qualifications. Furthermore, less than 10% of the 20,000 students enrolling in publicly-funded electrical courses each year move on to apprenticeships. To combat this issue, the ECA has proposed several policy changes through their Recharging Electrical Skills Charter. This includes increasing the annual number of electrical apprentices from 7,500 to 10,000 and providing upskilling opportunities for qualified electricians.

Eldred further commented, “Through closer engagement and coordination locally we can start to bring the number of apprentice starts up to a sustainable level. We can also create appropriate green upskilling opportunities for qualified electricians using the industry’s own ‘Electrician PLUS’ kitemark."

Additionally, Eldred critiqued the current Skills Bootcamp approach in England for its inadequacy in properly equipping electricians to install low-carbon technologies. He mentioned, “Policymakers also need to recognise that the present Skills Bootcamp approach in England is not fit for purpose for equipping electricians with the right qualifications to install low-carbon technologies efficiently and safely.”