UK electrical industry needs more apprentices, says the ECA

The Electrical Contractors Association is trying to encourage engineering services businesses to recruit more apprentices, with the firm highlighting the myriad of benefits they can bring. 

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses may be reassessing whether or not to take on new apprentices. After all, apprentices take time to train and cost businesses money. Would it not be better to use that money to ensure you have staff that already have the necessary training?

The ECA argues that apprentices are still valuable despite these drawbacks, because the benefits they bring are worth more than the time spent training them. Also, in comparison to more experienced staff members, apprentices are relatively low cost. 

One argument that the ECA is making to highlight the benefit of apprentices comes in the form of cold hard cash. As part of the Covid-19 recovery, the UK Government is offering businesses up to £3,000 per apprentice hired up until the end of January 2021. Additionally, Government training grants mean that in England, for example, non-apprentice levy payers need contribute only 5% of the costs of training an apprentice. 

Considering their low cost and the financial incentives available, the ECA argues that over four years a business can receive a return on investment of up to £57,000 from each apprentice. Of course, that’s without factoring in the skills gap that will be created if companies stop taking on apprentices. 

To highlight all the benefits of apprentices, the ECA has created a video explaining the range of ways in which employers can get apprentices back to work. It also outlines how apprentices can travel to, and undertake, work safely, in line with current social distancing requirements.

https://youtu.be/e2g23eLiTlI

Andrew Eldred, ECA director of employment, commented, “Apprentices are the bedrock of the electrotechnical and engineering services industry. Those employers able to retain and hire new apprentices can expect a healthy return on their investment, as well as longer-term benefits such as more sustainable business growth and stronger capability in new technologies.

“ECA urges employers to watch our new video and consider the benefits of having apprentices in your organisation, as well how you can bring existing apprentices back safely from furlough. We welcome the consistent commitment of ECA Members such as T. Clarke, who recently confirmed recruitment of another tranche of apprentices, and hope other businesses will now follow suit.”

This renewed push to get companies to hire apprentices comes after the ECA announced an extension of its existing loan labour scheme. This scheme allows employers to both loan out apprentices and hire them on a temporary secondment basis, without needing to use agencies.