July Edition
Welcome back to our monthly newsletter, Electrification Connect, which is designed for the entire community.
A Word from James Widmer
I have had the good fortune to be one of the founding members of the electrification community who have pushed the concept of something like the ERS Hub for nearly a decade.
It has been clear for many years that the UK was fantastically well positioned to take a lead in this rapidly emerging sector. However, it was equally obvious that skills could quickly become the limiting factor.
Two firsthand examples put this into sharp focus. During the mid 2010s I was involved in a discussion at a conference about how to expand skills.
I quickly looked around the room and realised just how few people we had in the UK, or indeed internationally, who could deliver the quantity and quality of cutting-edge training required. For electric motors, they numbered in the very low tens.
This was an immediate red flag and a bottleneck we would need to solve. The only option was to find a solution.
Theresa May’s government introduced its Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund in 2017 and this seemed like a good vehicle to start solving the skills shortage.
After much effort for many people and organisations, Driving the Electric Revolution was funded with an allowance made for skills acceleration.
Over time, this led to money being allocated for ERS Hub’s James Shuttleworth to assess the scale of the skills gap. He quickly showed that for 7000 vacancies, we were only training 400 people per year – a striking disparity.
Fast forward four years and I’m delighted to see the ERS Hub now moving into its commercial phase, with companies (such as Advanced Electric Machines) now able to buy credits that allow us to identify the candidates we need to build our businesses. This is the opportunity for the Hub to become the long-term, sustainable resource we all dreamed of nearly a decade ago.
What is equally exciting is that the new digital badging concept will allow individuals to mix and match training from across the UK, helping overcome concerns over the shortage of training resources and being able to draw on the best of what is available nationally.
The ERS Hub is and will continue to be a critical component in the global journey to electrification. I encourage every individual, every training provider, every company and every academic institution to make full use of the platform, which promises to bridge the electrification skills gap.
Best regards,
James Widmer
CEO and Founder at Advanced Electric Machines Group Ltd and ERS Hub Chairman Industry Advisory Board
New Developments with ERS Hub
New Podcast Episode Live!
Subscribe and listen to Switching on Electrified Skills, where Deepak Farmah brings deep insights from the electrification community. This month's episode features James Widmer and Paul Noon.
Engineering Apprenticeship and Skills Conference
Coventry University invites you to our upcoming Engineering Apprenticeship and Skills Conference featuring a range of distinguished speakers who will discuss diverse topics related to future skills and apprenticeships.
Featured Course and Job of the Month
COURSES
领英推荐
Cleanroom Protocols (Online) Cardiff University
This online course provides an overview of what it is like to work in a cleanroom environment for nanoscale production. It covers typical working practices as well as general principles for safe working.
Delivery will be via a variety of online and interactive activities such as short videos and test-your-knowledge exercises.
This course is designed for those who are new to the semiconductor industry, or those considering a career in the sector.
Location: Online Course
Length: Approx. 1 Hour
JOBS
Plant Safety Engineer - Electrolysis Ceres
? Support Ceres growth in SOEC large-scale electrolyser development, with a focus on DRI steel, green ammonia, and synthetic fuels. You will be specialising in the safe handling of steam, hydrogen, and oxygen at a plant scale. You will be responsible for advising on the design, implementation, and oversight of safety protocols to mitigate potential hazards, identifying risks and mitigations, as well as compliance requirements associated with industry standards.
Location: Horsham
Application Closing Date: 19th Sept
Industry News
Energy
Announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July, Great British Energy (GBE) to ‘accelerate investment in renewable energy’ with ￡8.3bn backing. Read more
Manufacturing
London Gatwick Airport in the UK is to serve as a testbed for liquid hydrogen ground storage and refuelling infrastructure being built by Airbus. Read more
Transport
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to give England’s metro mayors new powers covering transport, planning, skills and employment support. Read more
Upcoming Events
Cenex Expo 2024 - 4-5th Sept 2024 - Visit us on Stand C3-302.
Electric Vehicles Festival 2024 - 8th Sept 2024 - Find out more.
Advanced Engineering - 30-31st Oct 2024 - Find out more.
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Thank you for the highlight and for being part of this year’s Advanced Engineering show. The Electric Vehicles Festival 2024 is a fantastic new addition to the show. 10 weeks to go!! ?? #AEUK24