13 September 2005 00:00 Central Networks works with West Midlands schools to tackle potential power engineering skills crisis

Central Networks, the electricity distribution company for central England, has today (WED 13) announced a raft of measures designed to avoid a potential engineering skills crisis.

The company, which is part of E.ON UK, has been working with local schools to encourage the next generation of power engineers into the industry and today is rolling out the pilot of its pioneering plugin2engineering programme.

Managing Director, Bob Taylor, said: “So much has been written about the expected skills gap engineering industries face, and so serious is the threat to our industry, that we’ve decided to face this head on and start actively encouraging young people in our region to consider the profession.“

The pilot plugin2engineering scheme is being introduced to three schools across the Midlands including Matthew Bolton College and Turves Green Girls School and Technology College, both in Birmingham. It’s hoped the programme will be eventually be offered to 21 schools across the region.

The company will also welcome a record number of new apprentices this month at its own specialist training centre in Tipton. Of the 27 new recruits, 14 of the apprentices will eventually work out of delivery centres in Gloucester, Worcester, Stoke and Tipton.

In addition, the company is supporting eight university students as part of a Government supported industry educational scheme called the Power Academy. Central Networks helped to initiate the programme which encourages more graduate power engineers into the sector by offering work experience and financial support.

Over the next year, Central Networks is also looking to develop its own fast-track City and Guilds apprentice scheme with local schools.

“With a £1.2billion investment programme to deliver over the next five years it’s essential that we find the right people with the right skills to help us get the job done,” said Bob.

Earlier this year Central Networks announced that it needed to recruit nearly 600 new engineers to maintain and improve its network.

“As our company and the industry experiences its biggest era of investment in decades, it’s vital we face the skills shortage from the grassroots up. From apprentices to graduate engineers we need new people with a range of abilities and experience,” said Bob.

“Finding those engineers is going to be difficult and we’re certainly not going to solve this problem overnight but our investment into these training and education programmes will set us on the path of finding the right people today for tomorrow’s workforce.”

Ends

Photo and filming opportunity:
Wednesday 14th – 16th September the new apprentices will be conducting the first part of their training programme. Picture opportunities include apprentices learning to climb electricity poles, working on cables and in the classroom. A Central Networks spokesman is also available.
Please call to arrange and for further information.

Notes to editors:
•Central Networks is the new name for Midlands Electricity and East Midlands Electricity. The company brings power to 4.8 million customers across the East and West Midlands through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables and via almost 97,000 substations;
•Central Networks covers an area from the Peak District in the north to parts of Bristol in the south, and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast.

For further information and pictures contact:
Rebecca Middleton on 024 7642 5779
Out of hours, call 024 7642 4000 and ask for the duty press officer