Shaun Newton, Electrical Installation Curriculum and Development Manager at Smart Energy Training, on why growing class sizes are the leading cause of poor outcomes for learners on electrical courses
Around five years ago college classes had a maximum of around 16 people, but it’s been a long time since I walked into a classroom with fewer than 20 people in it. Recently, class sizes seem to have crept up to around 26 learners.
I can’t see the situation changing in the short-term as electrical courses are more popular than ever as people seek AI-proof careers. Many fear that menial and office jobs are going to be eroded by either robotics or AI and are looking for alternatives. A former colleague at a college has told me that demand has doubled for their electrical courses in the last 12 months.
Adding to the problem is the fact that electrical lecturers are at a premium. I’ve been teaching for over 10 years and I know it’s very difficult to operate properly in classes with more than 20 learners. You just cannot give people the time required to offer them the one-on-one attention required.
That’s why, as we introduce electrical courses at Smart Energy Training, we’re committed to a maximum of 12 learners per classroom. This will ensure we can deliver on our goal of being an electrical centre of excellence rather than just a training provider. It’s very much quality over quantity.
Smart Energy Training has grown rapidly over the last 12 months, now with nine centres across England and Wales. Our main focus has traditionally been gas and low carbon heating solutions, so this step into electrical marks a significant moment for the business.
Initially the electrical courses will be offered at our Ashbourne and Nottingham centres and we have our first cohort of learners starting in November. We have built new testing and fault finding rigs within those two centres, and have safe isolation facilities as well.
We’ve spent considerable time and effort making sure the bays are set up to encourage learning; even just making sure the learners have enough space and the lighting is right can make a huge difference. We want the centre to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It sounds simple but these things are often overlooked.
‘We teach people how to be first-class electricians – not just how to pass’
It’s really important to me and the wider team that we are teaching people how to be first-class electricians, not just how to pass an exam. We want to help people improve their skills and understanding, so they leave Smart Energy Training work-ready.
There will always be some in the class who are exceptional and push ahead of the rest of the group. We see this as a chance to give them extra challenges, expanding their knowledge further, rather than just standing in the corner waiting for others to catch up.
The curriculum must be consistent, but we also build in room so that it can be tailored for everyone’s needs. For example, if an apprentice is working for a commercial lighting installation company, we’ll tailor the sessions to what they are doing day in day out rather than teaching them about lighting circuits in domestic settings.
The ultimate goal is for Smart Energy Training to be the number one electrical training centre in the UK – but we want to make sure we can walk before we run. We want to under promise and over deliver.
The electrical landscape is changing, with more people becoming ‘prosumers’ — generating electricity through solar PV, storing it in batteries and managing their energy use through technologies such as heat pumps, smart controls and EV charging.
It’s important that training and skills keep pace with this shift – and we’re committed to offering the very best provision for anyone committed to a career in the trade, whether they are brand-new to the industry or are looking to upskill.
Shaun Newton is Electrical Installation Curriculum and Development Manager at Smart Energy Training
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