Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to help increase the supply of trained electrical workers in the UK.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The government’s skills reforms in England provide a ladder of opportunity that enables young people and adults to get good jobs and progress in their careers. We are building a skills system that is employer focused, high quality and fit for the future. It is also flexible enough to lead to more people completing high-quality courses that meet employers’ needs.

£3.8 billion has been invested in the skills agenda over this parliament .We are using this to expand and strengthen higher and further education, ensuring skills training is aligned to the needs of employers to enable communities to thrive. With this investment, we are putting employers at the heart of our skills system. This is why we are working with industry to shape our training offers, creating more routes into skilled employment in key economic sectors including electrical.

Our high-quality apprenticeships are supporting people of all ages with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start, or progress in, an exciting career in the construction sector. Employers in the electrical sector can access a range of high-quality apprenticeship standards to meet their skills needs, such as the Level 3 Domestic Electrician standard and the Level 6 Electronic Technical Support Engineer standard.

T Levels are strengthening vocational options for young people finishing their GCSEs. These two-year, technical qualifications are designed with relevant employers and are equivalent in size to three A levels. T Levels in Construction and Engineering & Manufacturing can lead to careers in the electrical engineering sector.

The Free Courses for Jobs offer, which was launched in April 2021, allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free. Qualifications are available that support electrical workers.

Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview with an employer on completion. Skills Bootcamps are available in a variety of skill areas including technical and engineering with courses on offer in electrification, electrical wind turbine technician and electric/hybrid vehicle maintenance and repair. These can help support a career in the electrical engineering industry.

High-quality careers information, advice and guidance is key to helping people to make informed decisions about their future, including being able to find out about and consider the different options available to them, including those in construction. The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) is supporting schools and colleges to embed best practice in the delivery of careers information, advice and guidance. This allows young people to be aware of the full range of training and careers available to them and to have access to a broad range of employers and workplaces, including those in the construction sectors. This will be delivered through the national roll-out of Career Hubs, Career Leader training, and the Enterprise Adviser Network.

The National Careers Service website gives people access to a range of useful digital tools and resources to support them, including ‘Explore Careers’ which includes more than 130 industry areas and more than 800 job profiles. This includes a range of key sector careers available, a description of what those roles entail, qualifications and entry routes. The content team regularly researches and updates content and welcomes updates from industry to ensure content is accurate and up to date.