Is Electrical Training a Route Out of Joblessness for Women?

Wired for Success is an exciting initiative launched by the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA). The scheme is providing electrical training to 11 women from the same housing association and aims to get them off benefits and into full time employment by equipping them with valuable practical skills.

As the first female president of the ECA, Diane Johnson has masterminded the electrical training scheme and hopes that soon projects of this sort will be springing up across the country in a wide range of different trades.

There are many barriers which prevent women from entering the trades and a lack of flexibility is one key problem area. Many of the women undertaking the electrical training are single mothers who between full-time childcare and housekeeping could find little time to train on conventional courses. The Wired for Success scheme has rebalanced the situation for these dedicated women, offering electrical training which fits around their schedules and allowing them to develop their abilities at a time and pace which suited them.

Financial problems are another serious issue which stop mothers on benefits from gaining employable skills. One woman on the scheme found that she did not have the spare cash to travel to the training centre, for example. Thanks to the commitment and understanding of those behind the project, hurdles like this can be overcome.

Although a significant amount of time, energy and support is required from both the Wired for Success participants and creators, the ultimate outcome appears to be more than worth it. By finding the time, space and finance to complete electrical training, these women will emerge with extremely employable skills which will allow them to stop receiving benefits and provide for their families.

Yet even the benefit system makes life difficult for women who want to develop employable skills. The Job Centre does not recognise the Wired for Success programme as a training course and therefore pressured the participants to look for work or face losing their Jobseekers’ Allowance.

It can be extremely difficult for the unemployed to gain the skills they need to get off benefits and begin productive careers. At Access we offer electrical training on flexible courses which allow you to train at your pace and at a time which is convenient to you. We hope to see more schemes like the Wired for Success springing up across the UK soon, until this happens we are dedicated to offering the most accessible and flexible electrical training to candidates from all backgrounds. Contact Access today on 0800 345 7492, or explore our website to learn more.