Scotland’s largest construction trade association says the electrical talent of tomorrow needs a thorough grounding in all aspects of installation – not just the green technology that will help on the journey to net zero.
Fiona Harper, Director of Employment and Skills at SELECT, insists it is essential for would-be electricians to follow the traditional apprenticeship route and undergo full training, not just try to specialise in low carbon areas.
Fiona also said funding was essential to continue the pipeline of electrical talent and attract more people into the UK construction sector, which is predicted to face a shortfall of 250,000 workers by 2026.
Speaking on the Clive Holland Show on Fix Radio, Fiona said, “The country and the industry needs apprenticeships and full-blown electricians. But what we don’t need is people who come in and can only install solar PV or EV charging units – that doesn’t work in electrical installation.
“Electricians need the foundational knowledge to apply their holistic knowledge and skills to install any technology correctly and safely, whatever it may be.
“That’s not to say they might not need some upskilling in certain specialisms, but we don’t need the ‘six-week wonders’ and we’ve worked with the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland to really try to get that message across.”
Fiona, who is also The Secretary of the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB), said the industry was eager to support apprenticeships to help plug the skills gap – but financial backing was also needed at Scottish Government level to achieve the necessary numbers.
She says, “We are an employer-led industry, so if an employer says they would like an apprentice, we go out of our way to supply one through the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT).
“However, we need government funding to do this as we have no employer levy. Instead, we do a lot through time and talent to support what we know is a good system.”
Fiona’s comments came after SELECT Managing Director Alan Wilson also appeared on the national station for the building sector to stress the importance of proper training and SELECT’s ongoing campaign for the regulation of the electrical industry in Scotland.