Andy Keith’s Post

I sometimes sit and wonder at how amazing humans are. In just 6 months or 18/22 months and often less for short 5 day or 1 day courses, the amount a genuinely dedicated and interested person can learn is just incredible. Are people a genius in their trade by this time? Absolutely not!! But they have excellent core skills to grow experience and are some of the most motivated and dedicated people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Often people join our courses and I say “our” because without our incredible team that collectively make up team ETA, there would be nothing close to where we are headed. I personally need the help of all these amazing and skilled individuals and no one works for me, people work with me, or I work with them. Genuinely our students, are the people I would want working with my business, absolutely phenomenal dedication observed daily. What an amazing multi skilled recruitment pipeline!! I see people go on to become utilities engineers / techs, service and repair engineers, installers and some own their companies, some work for companies. More recently Green Skills for Solar, Battery, EV ASHP and of course Gas, LPG, Oil often working as Hybrid Systems. Our Energy supplier, Council, large business, individual business customers, really benefit from these recruitment pipelines. Take a person that’s super motivated with excellent core Electrical, Gas, Hydronic, System Design, Fault Finding and train them in job specific metering, HVAC, Gas, Electrical or Renewables roles and Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 is back on the map with engineering and innovative minds. But everyone should do a 4 year apprenticeship! I hear you say!! And All accreditations especially electrical should be City & Guilds!! Genuinely this is not the case, has not been the case for around 10-15 years now. A qualification is exactly that, regardless if it’s City & Guilds, LCL Awards, BPEC and so on. Training providers will choose different certification bodies, depending on client demand and various factors. Also, very few companies run full 4 year apprenticeships anymore!!! Been the same for at least a decade, most just can’t afford it, the companies invest thousands into individuals who just leave and move on to the highest bidder when they qualify, or don’t apply themselves properly, or are off sick all the time etc and all that investment is gone. Don’t get me wrong I’m all for 4 year apprenticeships, but there’s scope for both longer courses and shorter adult apprenticeship courses, skilled worker upskill courses and that ultimately is where ETA comes in. We are all here to learn together, no one can know everything. Anyway, all the very best of wealth, health & Happiness for 2024 and I hope to work with you, catch a coffee, go for some beers, meet for a wee motorcycle ride or something fun and hopefully thrive together and just enjoy life every day 🤝 Wishing you all the very best for 2024 & Beyond Tommy

Last week the apprentices at CATCH joined us on the roof 🏗️ We gave them their first experience of working at heights and invaluable hands-on experience, Showing them how to install the solar panels 🟢⚡ None of this would be possible without GRIMSBY COMMUNITY ENERGY LIMITED Here is a short video to see what we got up to 👇 #solarpower #grimsby #communityenergy #solaredge #skills #experience #solarenergyuk #solarenergy #climatechange #renewablenergy #renewabletechnology #greenenergy #reduceenergybills #solar #greenfuture #genfit #enviromentallyfriendly #ecofriendly #environment #solarpanelinstallers #solarforbusiness #solarinstallation #savemoney #solarpv #photovoltaic #community #apprenticeships

Rounding out our National Careers Week profile series - we meet Samantha Bennett, an Electrician and Assistant Site Supervisor Transport for NSW. What do you love about working in the construction industry?   I get the chance to help build and shape the electrical infrastructure for our future. My job is so different each day and it’s amazing to look back at completed projects and think, wow I did that. Can you tell us a little bit about what your role entails?   As a HV Authorised Operator I can complete high voltage and 1500V DC isolations so projects can complete work safely. I assist projects with design investigation works, defect or breakdown support and I also help plan commissioning events. I also assist with facilitating the project and supervising the work on site. Every project is different so it’s never boring! How did you get your start in the construction industry?   I really struggled at first, as six years ago it was much more difficult to get into a trade as a woman. After attempting university a few times, I completed my Cert II in Electrotechnology. However, it was a pre-apprenticeship program with Sydney Trains that helped get me into my Substation Technician apprenticeship. I completed a Cert IV in Substations/Power Systems, got my electrical license and now work for Transport for NSW. I enjoy it so much! What is your advice to women thinking of joining the industry?   Do it! I know it can be daunting at first, but I have no regrets. Try pre-apprenticeship programs, work experience and whatever you can to get some experience. There are so many different trades to try. It’s an amazing career path that isn’t just for men and I guarantee you’ll be able to do things you never thought you could!  

This is what real green investment looks like. Job by job, #apprentice by apprentice, project by project. Investing in #hydrogen skills for today and for a sustainable future. #nationalapprenticeshipweek

Is time running out? Apprentices have strict timelines to complete what is required to be deemed a licensed electrician. Working outside these timelines has implications for both the employer and the apprentice. Get to know what is required to keep yourself safe under the law. Read full story below. . . #getintheknow #knowyourbattery #solarbatteries #skillsfirst #solar #cleanenergy #upskill #electrician #sparkylife #melbourneelectrician #electricial #electricialapprenticeship #apprenticeelectrcian #futureenergy #renewableenergy #renewable #electrician

A terrific way to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week: the launch of the first #HydrogenApprenticeship Scheme in Newcastle. This is the result of a collaboration between SHFCA member GeoPura and Siemens Energy and aims to address skill shortages, particularly in the hydrogen industry. About the Scheme: The apprentices will embark on a four-year journey working towards a Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, working alongside teams at Siemens Energy. Their hands-on training will occur at the Siemens Energy manufacturing facility in Newcastle and on-site with GeoPura engineers at locations across the UK, where they will be involved in providing zero-emission power for various applications. We couldn't agree more with Darren Davidson, Vice President of Siemens Energy UK&I and Siemens Gamesa UK: “I honestly believe that there’s never been a more exciting time to work in our industry and in the hydrogen sector. The energy transition presents great opportunities for skills development, technological innovation, and collaboration.“ Andrew Cunningham, CEO at GeoPura, reiterated: "The energy transition is at a crucial juncture, and one of the barriers we face is the shortage of skilled individuals. At GeoPura, we’re proud to take a proactive step by bringing in apprentice engineers who will not only contribute to our growth but also play a vital role in advancing the energy transition." More about GeoPura: Established to decarbonise global economies using zero-emission fuels, GeoPura has grown rapidly since its first Hydrogen Power Unit (HPU) in collaboration with Siemens Energy in 2019. GeoPura’s HPU technology and end-to-end service are multi-purpose replacements for diesel power worldwide and are available today. GeoPura generates hydrogen and stores and transports the fuel to customers for use in its HPUs – customers simply rent the units and pay for the fuel used.

As part of this solicitation, proposed projects must address projected workforce needs and prepare pre-apprentices, apprentices, and journey workers for employment in at least one of the following clean energy technology areas: building electrification and energy efficiency technologies; renewable energy generation, interconnection, transmission, distribution, and storage; and electric vehicle charging station installation and repair. Eligible training initiatives include: 🔷 clean energy technical training for pre-apprentices, apprentices, and/or journey workers; 🔷 curriculum development and expansion; train-the-trainer programs; 🔷 equipment purchases for hands-on training, virtual reality training, and mobile labs; 🔷 wrap-around services such as childcare and transportation to ensure an individual is positioned for success in a clean energy career; and K-12 career awareness and outreach activities. NYSERDA will accept applications requesting up to $750,000 per project commensurate with the scale of training proposed, with an additional $150,000 available for projects that include K-12 career awareness and outreach promoting clean energy jobs as part of a training initiative for a total of $900,000. For projects that do include a K-12 education and awareness component, at least 50 percent of participating schools or afterschool/summer programs must be located in a disadvantaged community or serve a majority of students from these communities. Cost share is not required but encouraged, with proposals that include other funding sources or in-kind services receiving additional points during evaluation, as well as higher consideration given for projects that exclusively train individuals from disadvantaged communities or priority populations. #PressRelease: https://lnkd.in/g9XSZYE5 Round 1 applications are due at 3:00 p.m. on February 7, 2024, with additional submission opportunities and deadlines throughout the year as outlined in the solicitation. Any unallocated funds from this initial offering will be made available in subsequent rounds over the next two years. #Apprenticeship and #Preapprenticeship #CleanEnergyTraining (PON 5437) https://lnkd.in/gwU2m-HJ

#workforcedevelopment will be key to an effective #energytransition. Kudos to #newyorkstate for supporting the state's goals by funding #cleanenergy #apprenticeships. Of the $45M set aside, $15M is available now. #renewableenergy #trainingprogram #solar #renewables #climateaction

I'm in complete agreement with Mark Krull. Whilst in a transition stage across the Heating Industry, there is still a requirement for good all round heating engineers and will be for some time, espeically whilst gas boilers are continuing to be sold and installed which isnt going to stop for a little while just yet. There will then be the legacy that this all brings even at the point that Heat Pump installations take over from Gas Boilers. The up-skilling and cross skilling into Renewables should be the push and focus as opposed to as Mark rightly stated, a limiting Low Carbon apprenticeship. What are everyone elses thoughts..? https://lnkd.in/e4Z-hAct #lowcarbon #netzero #decarbonisation #heatpumps #gasboilers #heating #gasengineers #renewableengineers #apprenticeships #training #discussion #hvac