Calls for UK phone repair apprenticeship scheme

Here is a neat applied example of the importance of human capital in improving occupational mobility of Labour. Zoe Kleinman, the BBC's Tech editor visits a business set up to repair some of the 72 million mobile phones in the UK.

There are no search results under "phone repair" on the website for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, a government agency. Should the government be looking to rectify this?

There is no industry standard training for fixing smartphones and other devices but training more people to repair phones would help increase the life expectancy of each device and contribute to improving the sustainability of a sector with a huge amount of e-waste.

E-waste from mobile phones

Mobile phones create e-waste, or electronic waste, because they contain a variety of materials and components that are not easily biodegradable and can be harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly.

Mobile phones contain precious metals such as gold, silver, and copper, as well as rare earth metals like neodymium, which are used in the manufacture of electronic components such as circuits and batteries. These materials are valuable, but if not properly recycled, they can end up in landfills or incinerators, where they can leach into the environment and potentially harm human health.

In addition to the materials used in their construction, mobile phones also contain hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, which can be harmful if not disposed of properly. These substances can contaminate the environment, including water sources and soil, leading to potential health risks for humans and wildlife.

Another reason why mobile phones contribute to e-waste is that people tend to upgrade their devices frequently, leading to a large number of old phones being discarded each year. When these devices are not properly recycled, they can contribute to the growing problem of e-waste.

To reduce the amount of e-waste generated by mobile phones, it is important to recycle them through certified e-waste recyclers, which can safely and responsibly dispose of the materials and components in a way that minimizes environmental harm. Additionally, people can consider reducing their consumption of new mobile phones by using their devices for longer periods, repairing them instead of replacing them, and donating or reselling them if they are still functional.