UK Government sets out plan to boost upskilling in EV, solar installations

The UK Government has announced a £1 billion youth employment package that it says will create more than 200,000 jobs and apprenticeships for young people.

The package includes a wider Jobs Guarantee for 18 to 24-year-olds, a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers hiring young people on Universal Credit, and a £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for SMEs taking on 16 to 24-year-olds.

While the package is obviously good news for the whole economy, given the difficult job market that exists for many young people at the moment – it’ll be music to the ears of those working in the electrical sector. That’s because the Government is launching brand-new apprenticeship units that are specifically designed to respond more quickly to labour market demand – in other words, it’s specifically targeting growing industries that are experiencing significant skills shortage. 

The apprenticeship units are designed to be shorter-term compared to traditional apprenticeships, and will be specifically aimed at those who are already employed and yet need to be upskilled quickly. The plan is for these units to last anywhere between one and 16 weeks, and will be initially restricted to specific training providers. 

What does this mean for the UK’s electrical industry? 

It’s no secret that electrical skills are in desperate need, with the UK gearing up to electrify everything from transport to heat. There have already been warnings from the likes of the Electrical Contractors Association, which noted that the skills shortage impacting the industry could put the whole of the UK’s net zero ambition in jeopardy. It seems the UK Government has received that warning loud and clear. 

Three of the UK Government’s new apprenticeship units are specifically aimed at the electrical sector – with one focused more generally at electrical fitting and assembly, while the other two specifically target two industry niches that have seen booming demand – EV charging point installation and maintenance, as well as solar PV installation and maintenance. 

The UK Government has big ambitions when it comes to the rollout of solar PV, but many in the industry have warned that it lacks the skilled workforce to make it a reality. A 2023 study by Pye Tait laid bare the crisis facing the solar PV industry, which found that there was a significant shortage in the number of electricians coming into the industry that had the necessary skills to meet the Government’s ambitions. 

There’s also growing ambition in the EV charging sector. Just last month, the UK Government announced the expansion of the EV charging grant to cover almost half the cost of installing workplace chargers, but demand hasn’t exactly been the constraining factor for the industry – having access to a skilled labour pool has.