The JIB recognises the shortage of skilled electricians at a local level will have a substantial impact on the ability of local authorities to properly plan for the future development, support the transition to net zero and provide suitable infrastructure for electrification and digitisation of services. We were pleased to attend an initial roundtable meeting with West Midland Combined Authority (WMCA) on October 30 to discuss how to address the skills gap in the area.
This event, organised by the ECA and WMCA, was part of the launch of the ECA’s Electrotechnical Training and Careers Alliance (ETCA) for the West Midlands. It brought together those with a desire to improve standards and provide more opportunities for people wishing to enter the electrical sector. Along with JIB and ECS, the roundtable gave voice to JIB member companies, including Actemium and West Midlands Electrical Installations LTD, and to industry stakeholders – Unite the Union, NICEIC, JTL, Birmingham Electrical Training, West Midlands, Dudley, and South and City Colleges.
The WMCA are striving to make the West Midlands a happy, healthy, place to live. One area of focus is to ensure young people have the education and employment opportunities available to them, helping to set them up with a strong start in life. As part of the discussion, David Gaughan, Head of Employer Services at WMCA gave a regional update and ECA Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Eldred, shared insights on the electrical sector’s immediate and future needs.
Andy Reakes, Director of Growth and Development at the JIB and ECS, said: “It was great to be involved in a positive discussion on how we can collaborate to improve take up of apprenticeships and raise skills at a regional level. This is vital to ensure we have a future workforce with the competency to deliver infrastructure, housing and built environment for the West Midlands. On the same day as this launch event to tackle real skills issues in the area, the government confirmed that WMCA will receive greater financial support to drive growth and provide meaningful careers with the skillsets the industry needs.”
The JIB has a long and successful history in setting standards for apprenticeships, and provides information and support to electrical apprentices and others in training to achieve electrician status. Find out more here.
Alongside the JIB, the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) works with industry to define routes to competence across all electrotechnical occupations and provides a means of certifying and assessing the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours of the workforce. ECS is working with the Building Safety Regulator and others on a framework to set out ‘what good looks like’ for career entry and progression. This means better guidance for individuals and companies about training routes which lead to Electrician grading, as well as support for continuing professional development (CPD). Find out more on how the ECS supports industry with certification and visibility of workforce competence here.
