Centrica has announced plans to recruit an additional 2,500 apprentices, taking the total up to 3,500 over the next decade.
The British Gas owner announced in February this year that it was aiming to hire 1,000 apprentices over the next two years after its chief executive admitted the company had “underrecruited” in recent years.
In a further announcement today (13 September) Centrica revealed its target had increased to 3,500 over the next 10 years. The company has a further ambition for 50 per cent of the apprentices to be women.
The news was welcomed by prime minister Boris Johnson who, along with chancellor Rishi Sunak, unveiled Centrica’s 500th electric vehicle (EV), one of the 3,000 Vauxhall Vivaro-e vehicles ordered over the last two years.
As part of its apprenticeship drive, two of the new British Gas EVs will be travelling from John O’Groats to Land’s End this week and visiting key cities such as Glasgow, Salford, Wolverhampton and Cardiff, with engineers encouraging people to gain green skills by applying for an apprenticeship.
British Gas will train its new recruits at one of its academies in either Dartford, Hamilton, Thatcham or Leicester.
Once qualified, the new smart energy experts will be upskilled to install and maintain carbon-efficient technologies, including EV charging points, heat pumps, hydrogen boilers, and provide energy efficiency advice to customers.
O’Shea said: “We’re creating thousands of highly-skilled and well-paid British jobs to ensure that we have a workforce that can help to make the transition to low carbon both hassle-free and affordable for our customers and to support the government’s ambitious targets to make net zero a reality.
“It’s important that we address the low representation of women who currently work in STEM roles, which is why we have a targeted campaign to attract and retain more female recruits. Together, we can create a more inclusive and sustainable future that supports our communities, our planet and each other.”
Speaking following a tour of the Leicester academy, the prime minister said: “Upskilling people around the country is crucial to scaling up the UK’s green industrial revolution over the next decade.
“Centrica’s commitment to hire and train 3,500 apprentices will build the next generation of clean energy experts, who will go on to install the electric vehicle charge-points and heat pumps we need across the UK.
“Through our plan for jobs, we’re supporting more and more people from all backgrounds to start new careers in innovative industries and get the right skills for the future.”