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A Government initiative to install over 50 million smart meters by 2020 has resulted in thousands of job opportunities available for those looking for a stable, well-paid career.
Currently, the number of unemployed people in the North West is just under 200,000, despite estimates that there are thousands of secure smart meter engineering roles up for grabs if the Government’s target is to be met.
A young dad from Manchester is one of the latest people to take advantage of this skills gap and secure a job in the industry, after hearing about the opportunities a career in smart metering provides.
32-year-old Lee Moore from Salford has secured a job with leading security services company G4S, immediately after completing a five-week smart metering dual metering course.
Lee, who has a one-year-old son, heard about the opportunities from a friend who worked in the industry and signed up to the smart metering course with ECTA Training, based in Stockport.
During the course Lee learnt how to install both gas and electric meters and completed a work placement with G4S, before taking the exams needed to qualify.
Upon completing the course, Lee was immediately offered employment as a smart meter engineer with G4S and as part of the package was offered a generous starting salary, van, work tools and bonus scheme.
Undertaking a smart metering course does not require any prior industry experience, and newly qualified engineers can expect to earn between £16k and £40k per year. Many employers offer other benefits such as Sharesave schemes and generous pensions.
Lee said: “I had previously worked in construction and sales but after being made redundant twice and my son being born I wanted a career which was stable. After hearing about the benefits of a smart metering career, I decided to book on to a training course to become qualified.
“For anyone looking for a career change, I would definitely recommend that they consider a smart metering course as it’s a very rewarding career, and with the thousands of jobs available, it’s easy to secure a position quickly.”
Kerry-Anne Berry, director at ECTA Training, said: “To have a chance of reaching the Government’s 2020 smart metering target, the UK will need thousands more engineers to install the meters. We work with many North West energy companies that are desperate for new recruits, so there’s never been a better time to train up in smart metering.
“There is also a lot of scope for career progression so it is a great route for someone looking to get their foot on the career ladder.”
For more information on the smart meter rollout and the courses ECTA Training provides, please visit http://www.ectatraining.co.uk/
