We know the world of work is constantly evolving. What is regarded as a ‘job for life’ by one generation can have all but disappeared from the employment landscape by the time their children are pondering possible career options.

After all, school-leavers looking for a safe bet 50 years ago were invariably pointed in the direction of a cashier role at the local bank branch. Fast-forward to the present and not only would you struggle to find a bank on the high streets but many young people have only a vague understanding of what cash is!

Change is nothing new and the seemingly unstoppable advance of AI and all it entails means the future looks pretty unpredictable for any number of careers. Perhaps that uncertainty will lead to a resurgence in the number of young people considering a more practical and vocational future in a trade? As things stand just now, it’s difficult to envisage how AI can take the place of an electrician or plumber anytime soon.

The choice of trades

The choice of trades is widening, too, with a growing number of opportunities in the renewable energy sector. It seems today’s prospective workforce are more than willing to give it a go. But there’s a catch. According to a recent study, more young people know how to apply for apprenticeships in traditional vocational courses (68%) than renewable energy vocational courses (58%) and say the main barrier to following the renewables route is a lack of information during their school years.

Energy experts at Confused.com surveyed around 2,000 16-24-year-olds in the UK and found that while a quarter said renewable energy vocational courses interest them the most, because of the positive environmental impact and the attraction of a growing industry, more than 43% said they would have wanted details on training programmes and work placements during their education.

One of the survey questions related to which trades young people felt would offer the highest salaries. The responses in the table below show that six of the top 10 came from the renewables sector.

Whether or not those wage estimates are accurate, there is clearly real potential for recruitment at a time when we repeatedly hear about the shortages of qualified engineers across the heat pump industry and beyond. Now it requires a concerted effort by everyone involved to work with schools and colleges and spread the word about the opportunities out there.

BESA’s SEED Programme aims to give engineers and business owners the tools to effectively engage with schools.

Although not specifically related to renewables, there are some encouraging signs.

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has launched a training programme to help firms work more closely with schools and inspire future generations of building services engineers.

The BESA School Engagement and Engineering Discovery (SEED) Programme is fully funded by the association and was developed by the schools engagement specialists Built Environment Skills in Schools (BESS) which has worked with more than 4,000 schools across the UK.

The 12-week programme is designed to give engineers and business owners the skills and knowledge they need to engage with their local schools and promote career opportunities in the building services industry.

Elsewhere, there’s a really nice touch from the Institute of Refrigeration, generously supported by food and temperature control specialist FJB, which is giving away LEGO refrigerant plant kits, pictured, to members who sign up to be STEM ambassadors to help connect with students.