Recruiting and retaining a talented team can be a challenge for any business – and electrical wholesalers are no exception. For most organisations, people are the most valuable asset, but is the sector taking every opportunity to attract and keep talented employees? Here, the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) explores the challenges and opportunities for education and training in our sector.
According to the CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey 2016, “more than three quarters of businesses (77%) expect to have more job openings for people with higher-skills over the coming years” and they also “expect to need more people with intermediate-level and leadership and management skills”.
This optimistic outlook is tempered, however, by the high proportion of businesses (69% – and a new high in the Survey’s nine-year history), that are pessimistic about finding enough people with the skills to fill these roles.
Indeed, the EDA’s own 2016 member survey, ‘What keeps you awake at night?’, found that the quality of staff was the second highest business concern amongst wholesalers, with opportunities for staff training and the recruitment of school leavers attracting high scores.
Route to success
Careers in our sector are, perhaps, not an obvious choice when making decisions after school or university and yet time and again, we see people start off in warehouse or trade counter roles and work their way up to branch manager and beyond, enjoying the success of being leaders in their field.
Building a talented team can be a challenge, but the rewards reaped often include staff loyalty and retention, motivation and performance. Offering a clear learning and development pathway, and opportunities for career progression, will attract ambitious individuals to our industry and retain top talent who desire a satisfying, long-term career.
The EDA is committed to developing a clear career pathway for the sector through a framework of life-long education and training. Spearheading this vision for the Association is Education & Training Manager, Simone Fonseca (pictured below).
Simone, who joined the EDA late in 2016, explains “There are some fantastic examples of structured employee learning and development in action amongst member businesses, with many offering apprenticeship schemes, specialist product knowledge training and even graduate trainee programmes. This is a great selling point when it comes to attracting new talent to the sector.
“At the EDA we’re working with our members, and the wider sector, to harness and share this best practice. By demonstrating to potential employees how the sector invests in its people through high quality training and development opportunities, thereby opening doors to career development and earning potential, we can help to change perceptions.
“The EDA understands that many of our members just don’t have the time or know-how in-house to recruit an apprentice or source tailored training, which is why our education and training portfolio was launched. The current portfolio offers an apprenticeship programme and specialist product knowledge distance-learning modules, but there is much more that we can do to be of service to our members. For example, in the future we’d like to offer an expanded information, advice and guidance service, supporting managers to source the most appropriate training solutions to boost business performance.”
Managers also face the challenge of ensuring that employee know-how keeps pace with technological developments. “Identifying skill gaps in the sector, and helping to source the best way to bridge them, is a key part of the EDA’s role,” explains Simone. “Our distance learning modules are designed to cover the key product ranges supplied through the electrical wholesales, and we are currently working to introduce new modules to reflect emerging technologies.
“We find that the modules are equally useful for apprentices who are moving up the career ladder, employees who are new to the sector – including graduate trainees – and anyone moving into a sales or commercial role. The fact that employees are getting a CV-enhancing Level 2 City & Guilds accredited nationally-recognised qualification is definitely a motivating factor.”
Grow your own
Apprenticeships are good for business and since the EDA’s apprenticeship programme was introduced in 2011, over 500 apprentices have been recruited for and trained in EDA member branches. Over 80 per cent of these apprentices have been offered permanent jobs or have continued their apprenticeship studies at a higher level.
The EDA is also leading the development of the new Trailblazer Level 2 Trade Supplier Apprenticeship Standard and, like all Trailblazers, the needs of the employer are central to its development. The group driving the new standard forward includes EDA member representatives from Edmundson Electrical, City Electrical Factors, Rexel UK, Stearn Electric, R & B Star, Lockwell Electrical, Lincs Electrical Wholesalers, Kew Electrical, as well as employers from other trade supplier sectors including builders merchanting, kitchens, and joinery. It is hoped that the initial Level 2 apprenticeship will be ready for launch from late 2017/early 2018.
Making or breaking training: the line manager’s role
Time and again the stats show the significance of the manager’s role in successful employee development. Alan Reynolds (pictured), CEO at buying group Fegime UK, and one of the EDA’s 10-strong panel of Education & Training Ambassadors, comments: “The line manager’s role in their team’s learning and development is key. If they are actively engaged in the learning journey, providing support, feedback and encouragement, then the employee is more likely to excel. There’s a group of managers starting to emerge who are doing a great job at encouraging others to follow in their footsteps.”
Craig Hiepner (pictured), Product and Operations Manager for Deta has a clean sweep of 10 distinctions in the specialist product modules, agrees: “I get a lot of satisfaction from encouraging and mentoring others in our business to embark on training. It’s a win-win because it enhances their CV and Deta benefits form a more knowledgeable and skilled team that will grow and develop with the business.”
Peter Simm (pictured), Branch Manager with Edmundson Electrical in Bristol and with nine module distinctions, adds: “I’ve encouraged all of my colleagues to do the product knowledge modules and worked with them to achieve the best marks possible.”
In conclusion, Simone adds: “Both the employer and employee need to think carefully about the rigours of professional study and the time and commitment needed to do it justice. Be positive and motivate your employee to aim high and, when the results are in, (and hopefully it will be good news) don’t forget to celebrate. Employee recognition cultivates happier employees, who are engaged, loyal and productive. Growing your own cohort of high performers can only be good for business.”
To find out more about the EDA’s education and training offer, call 020 3141 7350 or email: training@eda.org.uk
