Apprenticeship

SkillELECTRIC/WorldSkills: Alex going for gold in Shanghai

National Electrotechnical Training (NET), organiser of the SkillELECTRIC competition, has congratulated electrician Alex Rendall following his selection to represent the UK at the WorldSkills 2022 event in Shanghai. Alex, who competed in SkillELECTRIC 2019 and completed his apprenticeship at Bridgwater & Taunton College, joins 38 other young people from various industries as part of ‘Team UK’ which will travel to China in October and compete against 80 other countries in a battle…

More power to employers in new ‘Skills Bill’

A new law recently passed through Government means that employers are now embedded at the heart of the skills system. The Skills and Post-16 Education Act in England has introduced a number of measures to improve the skills and training landscape, empower employers to drive up the quality of apprenticeships and prioritise green skills. In addition, schools will now be required to make sure all children get to meet training providers…

Kickstart Portal: Government grant for apprenticeships available

The UK Government Apprenticeship Scheme offers funding and support to help businesses grow and thrive. The Scheme offers apprenticeship grants of up to £1,000 per apprentice. This grant can be used to cover the cost of training and assessment, as well as the apprentice’s salary. If you’re interested in learning more about the Scheme, or if you would like to apply for funding, please visit the Kickstart Portal Website for more detail…

JTL marks Mental Health Awareness Week

JTL, the leading work-based learner provider in England and Wales, is lending its full support to Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 May 2022). The not-for-profit charity is this week sharing the free and easily-accessible resources and guidance that is on offer to all learners and employers who work with the organisation as well as those working in the sector. Earlier this year, JTL launched the Tune Up channel that provides a collection…

Tradespeople say apprentices are the future of the industry but only a fifth hire one

Apprentices are crucial to tackle the skills shortage, research from omnichannel retailer Screwfix reveals. 9 in 10 tradespeople questioned agreed that apprentices are vital to the future of the industry, but only 18% currently hire one, and 31% said they would never hire one, highlighting a huge shortage of future tradespeople having the chance to learn a trade. Not being able to afford extra costs such as insurance and pensions…

SkillELECTRIC strengthens partnership with Electric Center

SkillELECTRIC 2022 is benefitting from a significant donation of competition materials thanks to a renewed partnership with electrical wholesaler Electric Center. Electric Center is a trading name of Edmundson Electrical, who have supported SkillELECTRIC for over a decade. This year, the Electric Center brand and its industry-leading range of own label Acel products are now the focal point for the strengthened relationship. Across all national heats and the UK final,…

International Women’s Day – Watch the CareerMap webinar

Marking International Women’s Day, you can hear from JTL apprentices and staff in a rescheduled webinar hosted by CareerMap on the 10th of March: ‘Why more females should consider careers as electricians and plumbers’. The panel included JTL representatives such as Lily Clarke, a successful learner turned Training Officer; Nikki Cowan (JTL Product Manager – Electrical); and Ibrahim Khan and Megan Wheatley of Darke & Taylor. Together, they discussed the reasons…