The Energy Training Academy and Electric Heating Company join forces to address skills shortage

The Energy Training Academy (ETA) has stepped up its bid to address the skills shortage in the sector by joining forces with the Electric Heating Company (EHC), a distributor of electric-heating products.

The specialist training centre in Edinburgh is hosting a six-month, approved, renewable-installer course, the first of its kind to be fully funded by the Blantyre-based company.

Completing the programme successfully will see students take the first steps on a new career path.

ETA co-founder Andrew Lamond said: “We want to bring as many new people into the industry as we can, so this kind of partnership makes complete sense.

“Upskilling the next generation of engineers is hugely important and having a major manufacturer like the EHC support the work we are doing is very reassuring.

“There’s no silver bullet in terms of achieving net zero. We do need to consider all different types of technology, including electric boilers.”

EHC chief executive, David Barrett, said: “This is about giving somebody the opportunity to embark on a new career. 

“The scale of the investment here is impressive, as is the work the guys are doing with other energy partners. The academy wants to do things in the right way and that fits in with our values.

“We know this is a space where there’s a real lack of talent and a lack of people doing electrical work. This is about partnering with the academy to give somebody a new opportunity.

“As the industry changes, we need the right installers. We need electricians to be comfortable with products such as electric boilers and electric radiators. It’s a challenge to get the right people and we are pleased to be involved in a partnership of this nature.”

The first successful applicant on the course is Colin Garvey from Edinburgh, who is changing careers from financial services:

“I feel privileged to be the first person to benefit from the funding being offered by the EHC in this partnership,” he said: “My background is finance so I’m taking a total career change and really looking forward to learning so many new skills.”

www.theenergytrainingacademy.com

Colin Garvey (centre) with ETA co-founder Andrew Lamond (left) and EHC chief executive David Garrett (right)