The HEEST (Household Electrical and Electronic Servicing Training) Forum, which is supported by AMDEA, met again during National Apprenticeship Week.

HEEST is forging links with more colleges across the UK and is designing a menu of training options that can be offered to different employers. They plan to conduct an on-line survey later this year to find out how many employees may be wanting to take the qualifications, possibly as apprentices, as trainees or even as veteran technicians wanting to take formal qualifications. Training can be delivered in a range of formats to suit employers and, at least for younger workers, government funding may be available to defray some of the costs.

A new Technical Funding consultation has just been launched and will close on 1 May.

And the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has launched a new website – Apprenticemakers.org.uk aimed at both businesses and potential apprentices. The aim is to encourage small businesses in particular to consider employing apprentices.