With the ‘Electrification’ of Scotland a national priority, the leader of Scotland’s largest construction trade body has expressed his utter dismay at the Scottish Government’s continuing cut in funding for electrical apprenticeships.
Alan Wilson, managing director of SELECT, said the electrotechnical industry had been the biggest single trade employer of apprentices for some time – but recent financial decisions by the UK and Scottish Governments were deterring employers from taking on young learners.
He said: “We constantly hear from government at all levels about the importance of apprenticeships in our sector. But like some clever table magician, they show – or more likely say – on one hand what they want you to hear while, on the other hand, they are more often than not doing the complete opposite.
“The increase in the Apprentice National Minimum Wage to £8 per hour, announced by the UK Government at last year’s Budget, is a huge cost to many small firms, especially when the apprentice spends a great deal of the first stage at college.
“On top of that, the financial support which the Scottish Government gives to the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) to run the electrical apprenticeship scheme on behalf of the industry has not increased for more than eight years. In fact, when inflation is taken into account, it has decreased by over 30 per cent.”
Alan Wilson is not the only trade body leader who has raised the issues of funding for apprenticeships. Scotland’s motor trade, which was viewed as an essential part of the economy during the COVID crisis, has seen apprenticeship funding for independent garages slashed by the Scottish Government.
Alan Gall, the chief executive of the Scottish Motor Trade Association, has recently been campaigning on behalf of members to ensure more young people are able to find careers in the motor industry.
“Our industry has been training young people and giving them the technical skill and know-how to work on the most modern vehicles, including electric-charge cars. This requires the mechanical, electrical and software side of motor repair and maintenance, yet the Scottish Government do not see this as a priority. As the SMTA, we’d like to take control of this important part of our economy to ensure all those who want to enter the motor trade are properly trained and regulated,” said Gall.
“Our industry was viewed as essential during the Covid crisis when we needed to keep doctors and ambulances on the road. Now we need the Scottish Government to look seriously at the issue of apprenticeship funding for the motor industry in Scotland,” he added.
Both trade body leaders were making their comments as Scotland’s Apprenticeship Week got underway.
Alan Wilson continued: “Small and micro-sized concerns recruit the most apprentices and are the very type of firms who need government support, but the short-sightedness of politicians is rolling the skills shortage forward, not back.
“Technical apprenticeships in Scotland’s electrotechnical sector are an investment in our society. They create skilled, high tax-paying workers earlier, reduce youth unemployment and generate long-term returns through higher productivity and sustained tax income.
“By backing electrotechnical apprenticeships, Scotland strengthens its skills pipeline where it matters most: in high-demand, future-focused roles that support net zero, infrastructure growth and a resilient domestic workforce.”
He went on: “I have always been extremely proud of the number of apprentices our industry recruits, year on year and it is clear that electrical installation apprenticeships give young people a chance to earn while they learn, gaining respected qualifications and building a clear, well-paid career without the burden of student debt.
“Doing nothing is not an option but it does seem that those who make decisions on these issues need to visit their optician as their short-sighted views are going to end up affecting our whole economy. One day they will maybe come to their senses – but there’s no evidence of that so far.”
Mr Wilson’s remarks follow a prediction by an industry expert last year that Scotland would soon need double the number of electricians to implement the “unprecedented pathway of work” which was coming their way.
Professor Sean Smith, Director of the Centre for Future Infrastructure at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Never before in the history of this sector, has there been such a pathway of work to come. Do we need more electricians? Yes, probably double the number, really.
“The fastest fully-filled courses in engineering currently are electrical and mechanical engineering. You could probably fill them twice with the number of applications that all universities and colleges are receiving.”
