Luceco Group, a designer and manufacturer of residential and commercial electrification products and systems, has partnered with Scottish construction trade association SELECT to launch a new £18,000 apprenticeship funding initiative
The Powering Potential scheme saw three SELECT member firms receive grants to help support the cost of employing a first-year electrical installation apprentice.
Announced at the SELECT President’s Lunch on in September, the initiative responds to growing concerns around the cost of apprentice recruitment and training. A recent SELECT survey found that high wage costs and low levels of employer funding are among the biggest barriers businesses face when recruiting apprentices.
The inaugural recipients, representing the east, west and north of Scotland, are: V C Electrical, Gullane, supporting apprentice Reece Michie; T Walsh Contracts Ltd, Ayr, supporting apprentice Thomas Shirkie; and A B Electrical Scotland Ltd, Aboyne, supporting apprentice Ritchie Pirie.
Each company received its funding at The Balmoral in Edinburgh from SELECT President Darren Crockett and Ian Hunter, UK Trade Sales Director at Luceco. The apprentices will also receive a toolkit, workwear and a selection of electrical products supplied by Luceco.
Hunter says: “As someone who started my own career as an apprentice, I know first-hand the opportunities that apprenticeship training can create.
“Luceco is proud to support this initiative because we recognise the pressures many employers face when investing in new talent. Supporting apprentices is an investment in the future of our industry and a way of giving something back to the contractors who support our business every day.”
The three apprentices will also be invited to visit Luceco’s headquarters in Telford, giving them an opportunity to learn more about the wider electrical industry and gain first-hand insight into manufacturing, product development and the electrical supply chain.
V C apprentice Reece Michie adds: “I am looking forward to gaining practical experience on site, learning from qualified electricians, developing new skills and working towards becoming a fully qualified electrician.”
For more from Luceco, click here, and for more from SELECT, click here.