Apprentices are invaluable to the future of electrical contracting in the UK not only for being the next generation of industry workers to help address a prominent skills shortage, but because they are actually shaping reform in the industry, according to a leading industry expert and the UK Joint Industry Board (JIB), an organisation that sets the standards for employment, welfare, grading and apprentice training in the electrical contracting industry
Earlier this year, the UK JIB and Dave Kieft, co-owner and director of RDM Electrical and Mechanical Services and president of the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), met with representatives from the New York JIB at Lincoln House in London to discuss a number of areas impacting upon the electrical contracting industry in both countries.
Points addressed by the UK JIB have focused on highlighting electrical contracting as a second career choice for older people, the need to get more women into the industry and raising the profiles of the achievements of young people. Addressing productivity was also a key issue outlined in the meeting.
Many of these discussion points were brought to the agenda by UK apprentices. The organisations run an exchange programme for apprentices between the USA and UK, which is a procedure proving to be beneficial to how the industry moves forward in the UK.
Sheik Khan, secretary and head of industrial relations at the UK JIB commented:
“The apprentice exchange has been a great opportunity for the apprentices to study and work in their counterparts’ environment, but they are also able to bring their ideas back to us in the form of both oral and written reports. This exchange is a process of experiential learning for the apprentice and a reflective process for the organisations involved.
“We have learnt that the apprentices in New York for example come into the industry at a lot later age.Our apprenticeships are primarily aimed at 16 to 18 year olds. The New York JIB apprentices tend to be from mid-30s upwards.”
Dave Kieft added:
“It is interesting to note why the USA model attracts older apprentices in comparison to the UK. It appears to be those going through a career change who have come to understand that our industry is a very valid career path, which they come to realise from having undertaken other roles and activities first. This to me indicates that the messages about the career opportunities in our sector are not getting across to people at an early enough stage. As an industry, we do not sell our sector enough to schools, colleges or parents and often they know nothing about the fantastic career opportunities available. This has to change and is something we are dedicated to working towards.”
Those UK apprentices travelling to New York as part of the exchange programme are required to produce a robust report on their time working on site, which focuses on methodology and programme structure, union representation and diversity, and highlights the differences between the UK and US system.
The two UK apprentices who have been to New York on the exchange programme, Luke Wheeler and Samantha Jones, have been ambassadors for the UK JIB. They returned following their time in New York with their own ideas for improvement of the UK system, which the UK JIB takes into account for future reforms. The two apprentices have also addressed The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the USA’s labour union that represents workers in the electrical industry.
From her time in New York, apprentice Samantha Jones investigated the way in which women are promoted into the industry, with the hope her experiences and views could be of benefit to the UK. Having a union in the UK similar to the USA’s Amber Light Society for female electricians, for example, would be advantageous to allow women to be properly represented and supported in the industry.
Kieft commented:
“Our industry has always been seen as very male orientated, but it doesn’t need to be and shouldn’t be. There are as many opportunities for females in our industry as males and we need to create an understanding of the same.”
The level of education required for apprenticeship schemes is also very differently in each country. The extent of study in the US is that much higher than that of the UK because of the level it is pitched at. There is usually a requirement to complete a foundation degree as a minimum, providing apprentices with formal recognition for their studies, alongside the more technically focused apprenticeship programme in New York.
“Seemingly in the USA the value of the achievements are better recognised than in the UK and we have to raise the profile of our young engineers’ achievements with a graduation or similar end of training event,” said Kieft.
The UK JIB was born out of the New York JIB model. Whilst they are different JIBs, each board has problems that need resolving. With the help of apprentices providing greater understanding of successful procedures and challenges across the industry, it is hoped the sector will be shaped for a promising future.
