Apprenticeships

The Power of Apprenticeships

The FEA are actively working with Trade Associations, colleges and training providers to promote the Electrical, Electronic Product Service and Installation Engineer Apprenticeship. In order to get more young people in the industry it’s imperative that employers know the facts and benefits of taking on an apprentice.

How Does the Apprenticeship Scheme Work?

A government levy of £9000 is available for businesses that apply for an accredited Trailblazer apprenticeship scheme. The levy fund is delivered over three years to cover the cost of paying for a college or Training Provider to teach apprentices how to become Service and Installation Engineers. Other than wages and travel costs, the amount of topping up required by the employer will be minimal, as courses typically cost around £2,500 to £3,000 per year plus exams.

The apprenticeship is based on EAL courses that are already taught throughout the UK. By mapping the apprenticeship to these courses, suitable units within each course can be selected by the apprentice and their employer from a list that will ensure the best match between what is taught in college, and the type of work that is undertaken by the employer.

You can download our quick reference guide here.

Electrical, Electronic Product Service and Installation Engineer Apprenticeship

This apprenticeship offers a perfect grounding for companies who employ anyone that operates in an Installer, Service Engineer, or Service Technician capacity. Apprentices learn how to:

• Transport and Protect Electrical & Electronic Products
• Install, Test and Hand Over Electrical & Electronic Products
• Diagnose Faults and Repair Electrical & Electronic Products

A full break down of the course can be found on the Institute for Apprenticeships website.

Resources for Employers

With the government keen to get as many people into apprenticeships as possible they offer many helpful resources to guide you employers through the process.

Fundamentals to employing an apprentice:

• Employing an apprentice
• Pay and conditions for an apprentice
• Making an apprentice agreement

Downloadable guides:

• Apprenticeship recruitment: support tools for employers and training organisations

Useful Links:

• SEMTA - Your one stop shop for essential resources and information for delivering engineering, science and technology skills.
• EAL (part of SEMTA) - A central hub for apprenticeship and training providers. EAL's qualifications are fine-tuned to meet the current and future needs of industry.