SELECT, the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) and the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) have released a new video ahead of Scottish Apprenticeship Week that reinforces the range of renewable training currently being undertaken by apprentices.

The film shows how young electricians are receiving a thorough grounding in a wide range of green skills to enable them to cater for our future heat and power needs, including working with electric vehicles, battery storage, solar panels, air source heat pumps and more.

But the bodies also insist that the government, homeowners and wider construction sector must also embrace the opportunities offered by renewables and work together to ensure that the transition to net zero becomes a reality.

Alan Wilson, managing director of SELECT, said: “This video aims not only to inspire young learners to become electrical apprentices but also to show that the electrical industry is at the heart of the move to the electrification of society.

“However, we also need to persuade those outwith our industry to be equally committed to the adoption and uptake of green technology to ensure that this training is not in vain and that the electricians of tomorrow emerge into a country that is willing to embrace renewables.”

Fiona Harper, director of employment and skills at SELECT and The Secretary of the SJIB, added: “To ensure that there is a sustainable and healthy pipeline of work for this next generation of electricians, we need the government, the Scottish people and the construction industry to use renewable technology and join us on the transition to net zero.

“Such a transition needs to happen now and we all need to face the reality that we must do it sooner rather than later if we are to secure an energy-efficient future for our children and our children’s children.

“More incentives for the adoption and installation of green technology and clearer advice and information on funding and grants would be a big help in encouraging take-up and ensuring the renewables skills currently being taught are successfully utilised by electrical professionals in the years to come.”

Running from March 4 to 8, this year’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week will again celebrate the value and importance of apprenticeships, with this year’s event focusing on skills generation.

Anne Galbraith, CEO of SECTT, said: “The electrical sector in Scotland is taking the lead in skills generation, with 2,500 young people currently receiving the training necessary to cultivate complex skill sets and lay strong foundations for a long and rewarding career.

“However, the vast depth of knowledge needed to become an electrician can only be obtained by completing the Modern Apprenticeship, and there are no short cuts to equipping electrical professionals with the skills they need to power our country for decades to come.

“If we are to make the transition to net zero safely and securely, it is of the utmost importance that the electricians of tomorrow spend a minimum of four years learning their trade properly and completing a dedicated, tailor-made apprenticeship.”