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JTL female apprentice initiative n


Training charity JTL hosted a


parliamentary reception to mark the launch of its new programme to encourage more women into building services engineering apprenticeships. The initiative was backed by a range of cross-party MPs, including the Leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband, who attended the event, which was sponsored by Jim Sheridan MP and hosted by JTL’s chairman, Dr Ian Livsey. JTL’s Apprentice Ambassador Initiative has been developed to give young women real-life role models from within JTL’s group of female apprentices. The 10 inaugural Apprentice Ambassadors have been


taken from across England and Wales and are all current and former JTL apprentices. They have been chosen for the roles as a result of their personal success and passion for promoting apprenticeships. Throughout the year, the Ambassadors will go into schools and speak at local events in an attempt to encourage


more young women to become apprentices in the sector. The Apprentice Ambassadors will also act as mentors to any woman who signs up for a JTL apprenticeship. Currently, women


make up just two per cent of apprentices in the construction sector, and about one per cent in the electrotechnical industry.


UKSUCCESSIN WORLDSKILLS 2013


Matthew Crane, from ECA member NG Bailey, is celebrating after being one of Team UK’s successful members at the WorldSkills 2013 competition in Leipzig, Germany – achieving a bronze medal with his excellent performance. Crane won the UK’s SkillELECTRIC


competition in 2010. Team UK’s performance at the bi-annual competition confirms the world-class skills of young people working in electrotechnical, refrigeration and air conditioning, plumbing and heating. Overall, the results from the world’s


biggest skills competition – running from 2-7 July – put the UK fifth in the worldwide medals table (ahead of France, Germany and China) with five gold, two silver and six bronze medals – the country’s best result in the 62-year history of WorldSkills. Keith Marshall OBE, chief executive of SummitSkills, said: ‘Their dedication is an example for young people across the UK to follow. It’s important that


Warning of skills crisis n


CITB has warned the UK construction sector that it faces


a skills crisis if it fails to recruit new workers to replace more than 400,000 people who will be retiring in the next five-to-10 years. Research published by the Office


of National Statistics (ONS) shows that, across the UK, 19 per cent of UK construction workers aged 55 or more (equivalent to 406,000 people) are set to retire in the next five-to-10 years. What’s more, 24 per cent of UK construction workers aged 45-to-54 (518,000 people) are set to retire in the next 10-to-20 years. With many young people having just


received GCSE and A Level results, CITB is encouraging employers to recruit from the emerging pool of talented young people who will be considering their next steps. Interim chief executive of CITB


William Burton said: ‘Almost one in five workers is set to retire from the construction industry over the next five-to-10 years, so not taking action now to encourage young people to join the industry, and investing in the training to up-skill our existing workforce, is no longer an option. To avoid the similar skills crisis that affected the industry in the early 1990s, we urge employers to act now.’


our sector continues to identify and celebrate excellence, to continue driving up standards and demonstrate the benefits of the right training.’ Steve Brawley, chief executive of the Joint Industry Board, a sponsor of SkillELECTRIC, added its congratulations: ‘We’re delighted that the UK’s electrical expertise is being recognised globally. Matthew’s excellent ranking is testament to his professionalism and dedication to the task in such a high-pressured environment. I’d also like to thank David Thomas, from the ECA, who coached Matthew throughout the competition.’


SMART METERS KEY, SAYS IET


The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has welcomed the Energy and Climate Change Committee report into the smart meter roll-out. Paul Davies, IET’s head of policy, said: ‘The report


acknowledges the importance of smart metering within the context of future UK energy infrastructure, and calls on government to do more to clarify the extent to which smart metering will facilitate the development of a smart grid.’ The report recommends that the debate around smart


metering should place greater emphasis on the wider benefits to the UK’s future energy security. Davies added: ‘The IET agrees and emphasises the role that households will in future be able to play by voluntarily shifting a part of their consumption away from peak times, facilitated by the smart metering system.’


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U R M E T I S T H E L A R G E S T M A N U F A C T U R E R O F D O O R E N T R Y S Y S T E M S I N E U R O P E September 2013 ECA Today 7


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