Yesterday the UK finally approved the first vaccine that will help us bring an end to Covid-19, and that’s great news for the electrical industry, as well as the world as a whole.
We’re still months away from a period where everyone in the UK can receive an inoculation, so restrictions will need to remain in place for now, but 40 million doses of the recently-approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been ordered. That’s enough for roughly 20 million people.
The first inoculations should begin next week, with 800,000 doses currently making their way from Belgium to the UK to begin the massive campaign of bringing an end to the coronavirus pandemic.
While that’s all great news, what does the vaccine mean for those in the electrical industry? Well, it means that those holding back on investment due to an uncertain future should get more certainty. The vaccine is essential in helping the UK return to normality, which means people back in offices and shopping centres, businesses that are a source of a lot of work for those in the electrical profession.
If those buildings reopen after the Covid-19 pandemic, then the work will begin on the next task at hand – ensuring every building in the UK is progressing towards a net zero future. That will be a huge undertaking and the UK Government wants the UK’s transition to net zero to be central to the economic recovery from Covid-19. That should be positive news for those in the electrical industry.
So, how can you prepare for this near future? Well, as many industry groups have said time and time again, one way to prepare is to ensure that you have the skills in place to take advantage of the upcoming riches. To do this, it’s essential that companies are nurturing future talent through apprenticeships, rather than holding back due to Covid-19.
While it’s understandable why companies will be hesitant to invest in new talent in 2020, the longer you hold back on investing in that talent, the more it will cost your business in the long-run. In fact, there’s never been a better time to nurture new talent, thanks to a wealth of Government funding to encourage the hiring of apprentices.
So, what are you waiting for? The end is near for Covid-19, it’s time to start looking to the future.
This editorial originally appeared in the Electrical Review Newsletter dated December 3, 2020. To ensure you receive these editorials direct to your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter now.
