The first ECA Wales Roundtable was convened to discuss the content and recommendations of the Wales Recharging Electrical Skills Charter. The Roundtable was seeking collaborative solutions to the skills-related barriers to reaching net zero in Wales Joining the Roundtable were Welsh Government, FE colleges, Unite the Union, and industry stakeholders. ECA were keen to demonstrate the contribution electricians to make to the Welsh economy and their central role in achieving net zero across all sectors.
Positive progress
In Wales, the electrical apprenticeship has one of the highest take ups compared to other apprenticeship routes and the Personal Learning Account supports greater flexibility for individuals. In line with the other UK home nations, interest in wanting to join the industry is high.
Compared with England, the Welsh Government has designed a better skills system for their country by working with industry. It has also succeeded in raising awareness of net zero among ECA Members and others in the industry.
Funding issues
Issues remain however about funding cycles. Both the release times for apprenticeship funding and the overall amount of funding need review if the country is to provide training to industry standards. The safe and just transition to net zero depends on it. Participants recognised the difficulty of capturing training data for the whole of Wales. Without country-wide monitoring and measurement of electrical starts and progression rates onto apprenticeships it is hard to understand the reasons for (and therefore fix) the fall off in apprentice completions.
Electrical breadth
While ECA has good relations with Welsh Government in certain areas, the breadth of their work across all sectors can leave them marginalised. It would accelerate the transition to net zero if there was greater recognition in the Welsh Government for cross cutting industries. Indeed, the electrical industry is the best organised and best resourced sector, so would present a good template for how to approach other cross cutting industries.
Cabinet reshuffle
With newly appointed Ministers in the Senedd, particularly those with a deep knowledge of apprenticeships and the net zero imperative, there is an opportunity to reach out to the Welsh Government. It was agreed by all that closer ties between industry and education was key to the co-creation of training with a greater focus on quality and competence. The Welsh Government are looking for collaborative solutions that will work to move the net zero agenda forward and boost the economy.
Launch of the Charter
The final version of the Wales Electrical Skills Charter is being launched by ECA on 20th November in the Senedd.