A new skills and training platform for the electronics sector launches this week to help deliver the 169,000 jobs the UK will need by 2025 as it switches to zero emission vehicles and competes for pole position in the global electrification race.
In an industry-first, the digitally integrated Electric Revolution Skills (ERS) Hub provides inclusive access to training, development and jobs for businesses and across academia from universities to schools.
Details are being unveiled before 200 delegates attending the inaugural ERS Hub conference in Birmingham.
Companies urgently need to build capacity in the supply chain, they say, so the UK avoids becoming merely a design house for new technologies – a fate occurring in other fast-emerging markets.
Leaders from the sector are calling for immediate action so Britain can still become a hotbed for the production and development of power electronics, machines and drives.
These technologies, known as PEMD, enable the control and delivery of electrical energy, a fast growth area expected to generate more than £12bn of domestic revenue by 2025.
Jaguar Land Rover, Lotus, racing gear box producer Hewland, content creation software provider Maxon and an army of SMEs are already backing the Hub’s introduction, with 150 companies and organisations set to benefit in the first year alone.
“We’ve let too many sectors disappear or become design houses, letting other countries manufacture our technologies. We can’t let this happen to electrification and clean mobility,” explained Deepak Farmah, ERS Hub commercial director.
“The opportunity is huge, and we’ve got some of the brightest minds in the industry.
“Now is the time to seriously look at capacity and capability, ensuring we have the people in place – with the right skills – to take advantage of the emerging demand for power electronics, machines and drives.
“Government has committed £500 million to support 169,000 jobs in zero emission vehicles and this is just the tip of the iceberg…electrification touches many industries, including aerospace, agriculture, energy, and marine.
“The ERS Hub is an important new weapon in the sector’s arsenal and will help firms understand what skills are needed through a Body of Knowledge and a cutting-edge skills diagnostic tool.
“You will be able to find training courses through a trusted directory, as well as sourcing new talent through an interactive jobs board. The platform will also be a vital resource for people looking to make the transition into electrification.”
The Body of Knowledge will promote a consistent view of PEMD and build a consensus for the disciplines required to upskill the UK workforce.
The aim is for businesses to be able to attract new individuals to work in electrification and support growth in this vital industry by making training courses – including electrical engineering, laminations, motors, automation and 3D printing – easy to find through a comprehensive catalogue.
The ERS hub, which is being delivered by Coventry University and funded in partnership with public agencies UK Research and Innovation and Innovate UK, will host the industry’s first jobs board purely for electrification, providing a constantly updated list of available positions, the skills required for those roles and the average remuneration.
Work with academia will encourage students to consider a career in this field and, importantly, connect with industry.
Sunderland-based Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), a globally recognised designer and manufacturer of sustainable electric powertrain technologies, is one of the first firms to back the ERS Hub.
Founder and chief executive James Widmer declared: “The primary challenge most companies face is identifying and sourcing the essential skills required to meet market demands.
“The UK urgently needs a solution to upskill employees to compete globally – the ERS Hub will help the sector to begin solving this critical problem that is holding back progress.”
