With the UK showing a commitment to tackling the climate crisis by setting a target to meet net zero emissions by 2050, the Joint Industry Board (JIB) is urging electrical contracting companies to evolve and broaden their skill sets.
The JIB believes that the increasing adoption of greener technologies presents contractors with a number of opportunities to upskill and open up their services to new markets. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £3bn boost to the UK green economy to be spent on decarbonising buildings and introducing modern systems to save homeowners on their energy bills and kickstart the sector.
The JIB is therefore encouraging members to take advantage of the JIB’s Skills Development Fund, which provides financial assistance for courses for those undertaking further education and training in the electrical industry.
The following green technology courses are accepted by the JIB Skills Development Fund as eligible courses:
- – Solar Photovoltaic Installation and Maintenance
- – Electric Vehicle Charging Point Installation (City & Guilds 2919-01)
- – ONC/HNC/Degree courses in sustainable engineering
Darren Crannis, Managing Director of CTS Electrical, was funded through the JIB Skills Development Fund to undertake the C&G 2919-01 (as well as obtaining European Social Funding), and he believes all electrical contractors can benefit by improving their knowledge on electrical vehicle charging equipment (EVCE).
Darren said: “The EV market is constantly evolving and it is going to play a crucial role if the UK is to succeed in hitting its net-zero target by 2050. It really makes sense for installers to become familiar with EV technology as early as possible and it has certainly opened up a profitable new avenue for our business.”
He added: “The Level 3 City & Guilds 2919 is a two-day in-depth course on the design and installation of EVCE. There is access to funding via European Social Fund (ESF) from training providers and if you are a JIB company this course is eligible for JIB skills funding, which reduced the cost of the course significantly for me.”
Andy Reakes, Head of Operations, Employment and Skills at the JIB, said: “Given the direction of travel and the changes coming down the line, such as a push to use the restart following Covid-19 to focus on 2050 Net Zero and climate change, now is an ideal time for companies to move into new markets. The Skills Development Fund can help businesses upskill their workforce and diversify into new and emerging technologies, as well as the traditional careers progression routes, and thus increase their customer base. It is also open to those who have been made redundant so if your company has, unfortunately, had to reduce numbers in the workforce, the Fund may be able to provide grants to help increase the skills of those unemployed to re-enter the workforce.”
For further information please visit: www.jib.org.uk/jib-skills-development-fund
