Powering the Future and Building Tomorrow’s Workforce

As the UK accelerates toward its net zero ambitions, the demand for new skills is growing at an unprecedented rate. Nowhere is this more evident than in the battery manufacturing industry – a crucial part of the electrification revolution sweeping our economy.

I’ve long believed the only way to meet skills challenges is through meaningful collaboration between employers. The development and delivery of the UK’s first Battery Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship is a great example of what’s possible when industry comes together with a shared purpose.

While it’s correct that many manufacturing technician skills are transferrable across industries, employers faced challenges in ensuring the curriculum and apprenticeship standard covered the wide range of industry-specific requirements for EV battery manufacturing.

Input from key employers in the industry in developing the standard was crucial – in particular around the health and safety elements in addition to ensuring all parts of the battery manufacturing cycle were captured.

But this isn’t just about launching a new apprenticeship programme, as important as that undoubtedly is. Instead, it’s about building a pipeline of dynamic talent for an industry which barely existed a decade ago, and doing it in a way which is agile, inclusive and focused on the future.

Take Aaron Fitzgerald, for instance. He’s England’s very first Battery Manufacturing apprentice, working at RML Group in Wellingborough. Aaron is part of a team building high-voltage batteries for high-performance and race cars. His journey is more than a personal success story – it’s a symbol of how exciting new industries are being shaped by the people entering them, bringing fresh ideas and new energy.

“It feels special knowing I’m part of something new. People will take this course after me, but I’m the one who started it off – I was there at the very beginning,” Aaron recently told me. When you consider how this is an area in which the UK has the potential to become a world-leader in the coming decades, you get a sense of how powerful this idea really is.

His story highlights the power of apprenticeships to open doors, build confidence and connect people to a bigger mission. His training blends hands-on experience with technical learning, giving him the tools to contribute meaningfully from day one. Crucially, he’s not doing it alone: he’s supported by a network of trainers, mentors and peers.

This is what collaboration looks like in action. The battery manufacturing technician apprenticeship was developed in direct response to industry need: with more than 1.6 million fully electric cars now on UK roads – up from just 200,000 in 2020 – the demand for skilled technicians has never been higher. Employers made it clear us what they needed – this was the foundation on which to build a programme which delivers.

Employers across the sector worked together to shape the curriculum, define the competencies, and ensure the training reflects real-world challenges. Now, businesses are continuing to refine and expand the programme as the industry evolves.

This kind of partnership is essential if we’re going to meet the scale of the challenge ahead. Beyond transport, electrification is reshaping energy, manufacturing, logistics and a host of other industries. The skills required are complex and constantly changing, so no one organisation can tackle this on its own.

That’s why employers of all sizes must come together, share insights and invest in the future workforce. Whether it’s through apprenticeships or collaborative working groups championing the employer voice, the message is clear: we’re stronger together.

Around the UK there is a wider a movement which is helping to shape the future of industry, with the potential not only help move us towards our net zero targets but help deliver crucial economic growth across a range of sectors and regions of the country.

We’ve been championing the building of these kinds of close working relationships for more than two decades and this collaborative approach is set to become even more important in the years to come.

As Aaron put it: “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You’ll only get one chance to be part of something this new – so why not?”

James McIntosh, Managing Director, Cogent Skills Apprenticeship Training