The experts at The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP) answer a common training-related question.
Q. What sort of things can I do to ‘give something back’ to the industry? It would be great to play a part somehow in helping people get the right advice about becoming an electrician.
It’s great that you want to get involved; there are plenty of initiatives that allow you to share your experiences with young people and let them know exactly what’s involved in the industry.
The quality of apprentices ‘these days’ is often discussed and debated, but sometimes this can be down to the fact that young people are getting incorrect or inaccurate advice before they make a careers decision. This can then lead to the wrong type of person applying for an electrical apprenticeship.
Individuals actually from the industry, such as yourself, can give their personal story and convey clearly what skills and attributes you need to succeed.
TESP is working with a number of organisations that allow you to carry out online or in-person careers advice, work experience placements and much more.
By becoming a ‘STEM Ambassador’ (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) you could hold a career talk or practical workshop for a primary or secondary school, college or youth/community organisation.
The ‘Speakers for Schools’ initiative also arranges careers talks, plus virtual and real-life work experience placements or online projects.
Or, in just 45 minutes you could hold an online mentoring session via the Youth Group’s ‘Mentor Me’ programme and make a real difference to a young person interested in the electrical industry.
You can find out more about these on the TESP website and we hope that more people like you will come forward to inform and inspire the next generation of electricians!
Find out more about becoming a mentor by clicking here
