Apprenticeships are an increasingly important part of Scotland’s workforce and fast becoming a popular route into a career in engineering.
Electrical know-how, in particular, offers a skill set that can be used in engineering, construction and the oil and gas industries.
Naturally, we wanted to find out more.
So who better to speak to than Anne Galbraith, who is Chief Executive of apprenticeship training at the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust?
Can anyone get wired in?
Yes, indeed. We run the modern apprenticeship and adult training schemes on behalf of the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB).
We don’t discriminate on age and neither do our employers. We have apprentices on the scheme ranging in age from 16 to 53.
What’s it all about?
Ours is the longest running training programme in Scotland, having been in place for more than 26 years. We’re also the most intensive single discipline course of study, averaging four years of training.
It can take three-and-a-half to five years before the apprentice is ready to take the Final Integrated Competence Assessment (FICA) so we ensure apprentices are fully prepared to sit the test and are ready to become an Electrician.
The programme is aimed at teaching apprentices how to produce commercially acceptable standards of electrical work.
That’s why the SJIB Grade Card is recognised around the world as being one of the highest levels of professional competence attainable.
We have 20 approved centres all over Scotland, from the Shetland Isles all the way to the Borders, with 2300 apprentices currently in training.
What are the job prospects?
All professional training schemes took a hit after the 2008 recession, but the electrical profession has rebounded quite quickly.
Properly trained electricians will always have work, be it commercial, industrial, or domestic.
There are also opportunities to go offshore to the oil and gas sector at the moment.
Do I need to be a ‘bright spark’?
Enthusiasm, keenness, and timeliness are more important that the technical skills, at first. Employers are looking for apprentices who are eager to learn. They can teach you the skills, but they want people who are willing to make a full-time commitment.
We run a series of pre-apprenticeship courses and the graduates are very popular with employers – they know what the programme entails and they’re making an informed choice.