Electrification community set for ‘single source of truth’ boost with launch of new skills Framework

A vitally important £800,000 initiative – designed to provide a ‘single source of truth’ for electrification skills and capabilities – is nearing its first big milestone.

The Electrification Skills Network (ESN), which is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and delivered by Coventry University, is weeks away from launching the UK’s first-ever Framework for a sector that has the potential to create more than 100,000 jobs by 2025.

Extensive research, interactive workshop sessions and the creation of a dedicated forum have all been completed, involving more than 100 academic partners, training providers, accrediting bodies and employers, including Aston Martin and Bentley.

All this knowledge and real-world experience has been channelled into the ongoing development of an interactive website, which will house the Framework and layout a common set of skills to support the development of job roles and specifications for high quality electrification training and qualifications.

“Industries, such as battery manufacturing, vehicle electrification and energy infrastructure, are accelerating at pace and demand for people and skills is outstripping supply,” commented Deepak Farmah, Director of ERS Hub and C-ALPS at Coventry University.

“The speed of change means we have a very fragmented landscape in the UK and that is not helping anyone, whether you are an employer, an individual looking to enter the sector or specialists currently trying to deliver.

“What we are trying to do with ESN is create a comprehensive electrification skills reference point to support the sector’s growth. It will be completely neutral and the Framework we will shortly be launching will help standardise qualifications and accreditations and create agreed pathways that people can follow to secure employment.”

He continued: “Employers will also be able to better identify the skills they actually need to transition to an electrification economy, whilst training providers and academia can forge collaborations to meet any gaps in the current provision.”

The ESN Framework, which is also backed by the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and Enginuity, will feature multiple listings, placed in relation to roles/operation levels within industry and, where appropriate, grouped by sector or specialism.

Each listing represents one ‘Common Set of Skills’, which has been collated, reviewed and ratified for inclusion by key stakeholders within the electrification community and will reflect current and future skills.

Importantly, where no existing training and/or qualifications are linked to a listing, the Framework provides a nationally available standardised starting point for the development of specific training modules or qualification units.

Paul Whiteside, ESN Head of Programme, went on to add: “We’re reaching the first major milestone with the launch of the Framework scheduled for Autumn and we’re looking forward to giving visitors attending Cenex Expo next week a taste of what they can expect.

“However, this is just the start, and we want this ‘single source of truth’ to continue to grow until we have a skills ecosystem and training roadmap that is delivering for the entire sector.

“ESN’s focus is to build a strong, resilient and agile workforce for today, alongside a pipeline of talent and capability to support electrification skills provision going forward.”