Apprenticeships have been and remain the dominant and preferred entry route for individuals joining our industry.
Consistently, the electrical apprenticeship enjoys one of the highest take-ups of any apprenticeship: 25% of all ‘construction and built environment apprentices’ in England are electrical apprentices, for example.
Other features that set us apart include the fact that our apprentice numbers have grown in recent years, not shrunk. There is also the essential role played by SME employers in the sector: 80% of electrical apprentices are employed by businesses too small to pay the Growth and Skills levy.
This week – which is National Apprenticeship Week in both England and Wales – ECA will be shining a light on different facets of apprenticeships in our industry.
Tomorrow and Wednesday, we celebrate the achievements of some of the former apprentices featured on the Electrical Careers website. These achievements include not only successful progression in their own careers post qualification, but also an admirable willingness to share experiences and insights with the next generation of apprentices and potential apprentices.
On Thursday, Jeremy Parkin, ECA Member and Chair of our all-Wales Skills Forum, discusses the work we are doing to influence the Welsh Government and other key bodies to help improve apprenticeship provision in Wales.
And on Friday, to mark the 50th anniversary of the ECA Edmundson Apprentice Awards, ECA President, Stuart Smith, and Edmundson Managing Director, Mark Felber, will look ahead to some of the special features of this year’s Awards.
Additionally, on each and every day this week – starting today – ECA’s Catherine Watt will highlight one of the resources available on our website and the MyECA app to support Members in their role as apprentice employers.
Employing apprentices is not without its challenges, and certain recent events – not least last autumn’s Budget – have arguably accentuated these challenges even more than before.
As always, however, National Apprenticeship Week offers a chance to consider the ongoing benefits of apprenticeships, both for individual businesses and the industry in general. ECA will also continue to play our part: offering relevant advice and support to Members; influencing policy-makers at both national and regional levels; and, celebrating the hard-earned successes of apprentices and their employers.