A COLLEGE has put the spark back into training the next generation of electricians with an almost £30,000 investment in its electrical department.
In a bid to combat a predicted 230,000 national shortage of electricians by 2030, Darlington College has completely refurbished its workshops and skills bays for Level 1 to 3 students and apprentices.
Skill bays have been reboarded, work benches restored and new more sophisticated testers installed, as well as older equipment which has been refurbished.
Prospective students who don’t yet have their maths will be helped to secure the qualification alongside studying to be an electrician, as well as being shown the relevance of the subject to the job.
The prospects of the courses leading to well-paid, regular employment have never been so strong especially with evolving technologies such as EV chargers, smart homes and sustainable climate control, including air and ground source heating and solar panels.
Last academic year students achieved 11 distinctions and 19 passes one of the best set of results in the country.
Darlington College senior lecturer Gary Cook said: “Industry is crying out for electricians and the Government also wants to see an upskilled workforce.
“It is very well paid work and they will never be out of a job. They can work for big or small companies or for themselves, in this country and abroad.
“The new workshops will benefit all levels – students must reach Level 3 to be qualified – and feed into the apprenticeships which employers are asking us to find them.”
The courses attract men and women and recently a female trainee electrician reached the national finals of Spark of the Year.
Content covers domestic and commercial, from the very basic wiring of a plug to steel, wire and armoured cabling, wiring a house, such as sockets, lighting, alarms, data and wi-fi cabling, smart house features like automatic remote curtain closers, heating controls and lights, which can be operated from phones, trunking, conduit and clipped cabling.
“Students are here to learn but also enjoy themselves,” said Gary. “So we make sure the workshop feels real and we tap into the network of local businesses.
“We also try and show students that, while they may not have left school with what they need, we can help them progress. We show them how buildings are put together, what is behind the walls, so they can understand how to take it apart and install.”
For more information on opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk.