Mayor launches alliance to tackle critical shortages of electrical apprentices

Mayor launches alliance to tackle critical shortages of electrical apprentices

Mayor Paul Bristow is taking action over a decline in electrical apprenticeships in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 

The Combined Authority has a responsibility for driving increased numbers of apprentices across all sectors and supporting local businesses with the skills they need to grow. It is also working to drive down unemployment and help more people advance in their careers. 

Businesses in the region are saying that they cannot find enough suitably qualified workers, while many young people are struggling to secure the apprenticeship they need to become electricians. 

The Mayor is committed to helping more people into well-paid careers, and has joined forces with trade association the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) to launch a new regional Electrotechnical Training and Careers Alliance. 

The new Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Alliance is an innovative and unique initiative that connects ECA Members, skills providers, and the Combined Authority. The purpose is to help ECA Members and other local employers to train and employ more people with electrical skills in the region. 

Paul Bristow said: “We need more electricians and I’m taking action. My mission is to bring the right people together to get more people in this region into great jobs and careers. This is a fantastic example of that work in action. Electrical careers offer so much potential and this innovative alliance will open doors for more local people.” 

Paul Leonard of Cambridge-based ECA Member Munro Building Services Ltd: said: “The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough region needs many more qualified, skilled electricians to achieve its huge economic potential. As local employers and strong supporters of high-quality training, we and other ECA Members welcome the Mayor’s commitment to convene industry, education, the Combined Authority and the LSIP to address the opportunities and challenges our region faces together.” 

Charlotte Horobin, CEO of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, said: “The Electrotechnical Training and Careers Alliance is a fantastic example of collaboration in action. We are delighted to be working with a key representative body, the ECA, alongside local employers and the Combined Authority, to tackle these important skills challenges in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.” 

The first step is a plan of action on how to get a pipeline of skilled workers. 

The Alliance will be a crucial part of forthcoming work on the Local Skills Improvement Plan, delivered in partnership with the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce to drive betters skills and employment in the region.  

To maintain the number of electricians we need annual apprentice recruitment to be at least 5% of the existing workforce each year, but the current average in England is less than 4%. Many existing classroom-based routes to electrical careers are not resulting in candidates progressing to the workplace. This Alliance will look to help tackle this broken pipeline.