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E3 Academy: an affordable alternative

Recruiting and retaining talent is a huge issue across numerous industries. There has never been a better time to get into the tech sector as digital transformation pioneers innovative solutions to age-old problems.

With the increased uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) and a shift towards alternative energy particularly prevalent, demand for electrical engineers may well surpass the number of engineers. The number of students plateaued and has remained the same for two decades.

To overcome this shortage, apprentice schemes are being more widely deployed. Recent initiatives also include the E3 Academy (E3), a UK non-profit that develops electrical engineering talent. Established in 2008, E3 connects employers with young people thinking about engineering at higher education levels.

As of yet, participating universities are Newcastle, Bristol and Nottingham. Recruiting companies provide financial support and guarantee employment upon graduation, which enables scholars to focus on studies without financial worry as money can hugely deter people from attending university.

On top of this, E3 offers summer schools, programmes and placements. As such, students experience real-world insight into their future career, making it less daunting. Students can also network early and build a professional community.

Following its success in securing funding under UK Research & Innovation’s (UKRI) Industrial Challenge Fund, E3 can now extend its scope and widen its talent pool as it doubles the number of partnering companies.

Bill Drury, E3 Academy Chairman, says: “From an employer’s perspective, the E3 Academy takes risk out of recruitment and secures the best candidates long before graduation. Our process is designed to give young people the best possible experience of their early career. They graduate as company insiders who are ready to hit the ground running from day one and typically develop as high-achievers who make significant impact in their companies”.

“We attract a lot of high-potential candidates from diverse backgrounds and we are scalable as an organisation. This means there is plenty of opportunity for new sponsoring companies to join the E3 Academy and build relationships with the electrical engineers of the future.”

E3 has worked with 10 sponsoring companies and supported the development of nearly 150 scholars. 93% of scholars achieved first or upper second degrees, and 80% stayed on with their sponsor company after their first two years of employment.

With an active advocacy for diversity in engineering, the scheme consists of 40% women in uptake.

Current sponsors include large engineering companies, as well as SMEs looking to scale up. They all share the need to develop a pipeline of electrical engineering talent and include Siemens Digital Industries, the technology company’s industrial automation division, as well as Control Techniques, the manufacturer of AC and DC drives, and Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains business, as well as powertrain manufacturer Turntide Technologies and Yasa, which produces high-technology electric motors and controllers.

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