Tool helps to assess careers in controls, drives and machines
An online tool that helps people assess their prospects for a career in drives, controls, power electronics and machines, has been launched by the Electric Revolution Skills (ERS) Hub – the UK Government-backed platform that provides a national skills resource to help attract people into the “electrification” sector.
The aim of the new Electrification Self-Assessment Tool is to help fill the 169,000 electrification jobs needed in the UK. It will help individuals to understand the skills, courses and roles available, and how suited they are for a career in the sector.
The self-assessment tool takes less than 30 minutes to complete and can be used both by people who are already working in the industry, and by those with no prior experience but who want an initial insight into the sector.
It provides a broad overview of the skillsets and jobs involved, and will later offer more details on specific roles such as mechanical design engineers, software integration specialists and battery engineers.
“There are so many opportunities in electrification, but it is still an emerging industry, and it can be difficult to navigate the skills and capabilities required,” explains Dr James Shuttleworth, the ERS Hub’s operations director. “We have taken advantage of the reach of the ERS Hub, the common language of the PEMD Body of Knowledge and the understanding of electrification from our connections with colleges, universities, employers, and experts in the sector.
“The tool gives users the benefit of all this expertise and understanding to help them identify the careers they want and the skills they need,” he adds. “Thanks to the enormous amount of career and development opportunities on the Hub, the tool can then link people directly to the ones that suit them.”
The ERS Hub was launched a year ago, with funding from Coventry University and UKRI (the UK Government’s research and innovation organisation), to support careers and skills development in the sector. It has already helped to fill more than 600 jobs and has hundreds of positions available with more being added every day.
The Hub’s directory of training, development and courses continues to grow, and now boasts more than 900 entries, including short courses, upskilling programmes, and graduate placements.
At its heart is the “Body of Knowledge”, which promotes a consistent view of the sector’s skills and technologies and helps create a consensus for the disciplines needed to upskill the UK workforce.
The Self-Assessment tool builds a tailored, interactive journey for individuals.
“This is just the start,” says ERS Hub product development director, Richard Lane. “The tool has multiple pathways already and can expand to support people at different points of their journey, across different sectors, and job roles.
“We are encouraging companies and training providers to come forward and work with us on creating more pathways that are relevant to their current and future workforces,” he continues. “The technology can be branded and customised in order to support organisations looking to attract new talent in what is an extremely competitive environment.”
“We have a great opportunity to make sure the electrification market is truly inclusive and energised, attracting people of all ages, backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and specialisms,” concludes ERS Hub commercial director, Deepak Farmah. “The Hub is ensuring that the UK has the right talent pool to lead the electrification race and this smart tool is the latest innovation to support that agenda.”
ERS Hub: LinkedIn
