Welcome to 2026: Looking Ahead to a Year of Opportunity
As we enter 2026, we’d like to thank all our learners, partners, and employers for being part of the Optima community throughout 2025. The past year marked an important period of growth, including the launch of our new Taunton training centre and the introduction of our Pathway to Placement programme, designed to help learners progress from training into real employment opportunities. With continued investment in the electrical industry and strong demand for qualified electricians, 2026 presents exciting opportunities for those gaining qualifications, changing careers, or working towards their Gold Card. We look forward to supporting our community throughout the year ahead and wish everyone a successful and rewarding 2026.
ChargeUK Calls for Urgent Action to Unlock Electric HGV Charging and Decarbonise UK Freight
The UK’s EV charging industry association ChargeUK has published a new roadmap urging Government and industry to work together to unlock the electrification of the freight sector. The report highlights how progress is being held back by a “chicken and egg” challenge, with fleet operators reluctant to invest in electric HGVs without charging infrastructure in place, and charge point providers hesitant to build infrastructure without clear demand. With HGVs responsible for a significant share of transport emissions despite making up a small proportion of vehicles, ChargeUK sets out practical recommendations to accelerate investment, provide regulatory certainty, and reduce costs for operators in order to support the UK’s 2040 target to end the sale of new diesel HGVs.