APPRENTICESHIPS NEWS
A Make a bright decision
s young people prepare to receive their exam results across Scotland this month, SELECT is encouraging school- leavers to make their future an electric one.
Thousands of teenagers will currently be mulling over their life choices – and SELECT says an electrical apprenticeship is the first step to an exciting and fulfilling career. The association points to recent figures that showed a record intake of 738 apprentices for the electrical sector so far in 2021 and says an increasing number of youngsters are choosing an apprenticeship over traditional higher education routes. Fiona Harper, Director of
Employment and Skills, said: “From electric vehicles and battery storage to heat pumps and the Internet of Things, more youngsters are realising that the complexities of modern electrotechnology will put electricians in pole position in the employment market. “There’s never been a more exciting time to be an electrotechnical professional, and the opportunity to be at the forefront of the technology of tomorrow is one that we hope will be willingly embraced by Scotland’s current
Visitors see how donation makes a difference
SELECT and SECTT recently welcomed two representatives from Electrium to the Assessment Centre in Cambuslang. Business Development
Manager Gary Shirkey and Regional Sales Manager John Richmond were given a tour of the facility to check on the progress of equipment donated
From left: Gary Shirkey, David Henderson and John Richmond
by the manufacturer. Electrium helped upgrade the centre’s Approved Competency Assessment (ACA) training booths by contributing a range of equipment, including a Crabtree range PowerStar Panel
10 CABLEtalk AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021
Board and Loadstar Distribution Boards and Wylex NM range Dual RCD consumer units. And the duo saw their
products in action thanks to a socially distanced update by SECTT Training Centre Manager
are seeing electricians as custodians of the future – an image we would heartily endorse.” Fiona said the sector is hearing more
stories like that of aspiring young electrician, Paul Maxwell, who changed his initial career choice and now works with established Glasgow-based electrical contractors A Alexander & Son. The 27-year-old recently told
Paul Maxwell
cohort of school-leavers.” Fiona, who is also The Secretary of the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB), added: “It’s clear that young people are recognising that becoming a qualified electrician can provide an extremely rewarding and highly remunerative career. As part of this, the opportunity to ‘earn while they learn’ and gain practical skills in a real-life setting while studying is also an attractive proposition for many. “The number of young people who
have been taken on by companies this year has not only defied the pandemic but also suggests that more young people
CABLEtalk: “I studied marketing at university but soon realised it wasn’t for me. Becoming an electrician gives you a skill for life; it’s probably the best decision I’ve ever made.” In addition to the opportunities
provided by an apprenticeship, Fiona said electrical apprentices of the future would benefit from the long-standing campaign for regulation, the momentum of which continues to build. She said: “The recognition of our trade as a profession will finally acknowledge the skill and dedication required to become a fully-qualified electrician, with training as in-depth and detailed as many university degrees. The electricians of tomorrow will be viewed as highly skilled, expertly trained professionals, equipped with the specialist tools needed to build and maintain a society that depends on electricity. Who wouldn’t want to be part of such a future?”
David Henderson and SELECT Technical Standards Adviser Bob Cairney. Bob said: “It’s essential that
these training booths simulate the type of environments and electrical installations that an Approved Electrician would encounter and that they are relevant and up to date with requirements introduced in BS 7671:2018.” David added: “Tis generous
donation will help keep our facilities up to date and ensure that all trainees have access to cutting edge technology."
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