The Energy Training Academy (ETA) has stepped up its bid to address the skills shortage in the sector by joining forces with the Electric Heating Company (EHC).

The specialist training centre in Edinburgh is hosting a six-month approved renewable installer course, the first of its kind to be fully funded by the Blantyre-based company.

Completing the programme successfully will see students take the first steps on a new career path and ETA co-founder Andrew Lamond said: "We want to bring as many new people into the industry as we can and this kind of partnership makes complete sense in that regard.

"Upskilling the next generation of engineers is hugely important for a range of reasons and having a major manufacturer like the Electric Heating Company support the work we are doing by committing to the partnership the way they have done is very reassuring.

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"There's no silver bullet in terms of achieving net zero. We do need to consider all different types of technology and electric boilers is certainly one of the things we can look at."

EHC is a well-established distributor of electric heating products and chief executive David Barrett said: "This is about giving somebody the opportunity to embark on a new career and we are delighted to be working in partnership with the academy.

"The scale of the investment here is impressive, as is the work the guys are doing with other energy partners. The academy wants to do things in the right way and that fits in with our values.

"We know this is a space where there's a real lack of talent and a lack of people doing electrical work. This is about partnering with the academy to give somebody a new opportunity. It's a six-month course, it's 27 weeks of study, and we're delighted to be working with the academy on the start of this journey.

"As the industry changes, we need the right installers. We need electricians to be comfortable with products such as electric boilers and electric radiators. It's a challenge to get the right people and we are pleased to be involved in a partnership of this nature."

The first successful applicant on the course is Colin Garvey from Edinburgh, who is changing careers from financial services.

"I feel privileged to be the first person to benefit from the funding being offered by the Electric Heating Company in this partnership," he said. "My background is finance so I'm taking a total career change and really looking forward to learning so many new skills."

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