Find out how a national approach to re-skilling, up-skilling and new-skilling the workforce for the electric revolution is taking shape.
To meet net zero carbon commitments, the UK needs to invest in technologies for electrification, meaning many employers and employees will need to up-skill, re-skill and new-skill to meet demand.
How the transport and utility sectors can develop their workforce to meet this demand has been outlined in ‘The Opportunity for a National Electrification Skills Framework and Forum’ report.
Supporting multiple industries
The framework currently considers vehicle electrification as well as battery manufacture, power electronics, motors and drives. Learnings will next be extended to rail, aviation and utilities.
It is aimed at:
- employers
- training providers
- accrediting organisations
- learners.
The report recommends the use of short and long courses, plus continuing professional development, to deliver the competency sets to meet electrification goals across a range of sectors.
The report discusses how industry engagement, along with educational collaboration rather than competition, will be vital in putting the UK at the forefront of the electric revolution and securing future work opportunities.
Collaboration is essential
For the UK to successfully transition to an electrified and net zero future it is essential that all aspects of industry and education collaborate.
The forum provides an opportunity for different companies from multiple sectors to work together. It also encourages training providers across the UK to collaborate and focus on the need for training, enabling the right courses to be offered at the point of need.
New development opportunities
Overall, the forum will help create skills development opportunities and make the electric shift as smooth and sustainable as possible.
This national approach to re-skilling, up-skilling and new-skilling the workforce for the electric revolution has been established by:
- Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at University of Warwick
- the Faraday Institution, part of the Faraday Battery Challenge at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
- the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
Filling roles in a technological revolution
Business Minister Lee Rowley said:
We are leading the world in developing the latest technology in electric vehicles and today’s report demonstrates the work that employers and industry organisations can collaborate on to keep the UK in that pole position.
This revolution in our automotive sector will create thousands of jobs, building on our rich industrial heritage and giving opportunities to our talented and highly-skilled workforce: all this will be essential as we work to eliminate our contribution to climate change by 2050.
Tony Harper, the Director of the Faraday Battery Challenge at UK Research and Innovation comments:
UK industry is undergoing an exciting and rapid transformation to fulfil the UK government’s 2050 net zero commitments.
This once-in-a-generation, global technological revolution leaves competency gaps at all job levels.
Particularly in engineering and manufacturing roles which will need to be filled with specific education and training.
We are pleased to make available a UK-wide framework and forum to ‘re-skill, up-skill and new-skill’ the UK engineering and manufacturing workforce.
A major step forward to ensuring the right skills are in place at the right time.
Our report defines the training and investment in people, education and skills that will allow the UK to build back better and secure greener jobs in a flourishing UK electrification sector.
Further information
The report ‘The Opportunity for a National Electrification Skills Framework and Forum’ is available online.
Information on course materials is available on the High Value Manufacturing Catapult website.
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