The
government will invest in partnership with energy and utility companies to
address skills and recruitment issues in the sector.
The
government and energy and utility employers today set out an action plan to
strengthen the UK’s energy and utility workforce over the next three
years.
As
an estimated 50 per cent of current employees are set to leave these sectors
and 200,000 new recruits will be needed by 2023. The Energy and Efficiency
Industrial Partnership sees 67 employers working together to fill training and
skills problems in the power, gas, water, renewables and waste management
industries.
The
partnership, the biggest government scheme of its type, is supported by Energy
& Utility Skills (EU Skills), the National Skills Academy for Power (NSAP)
and employers including National Grid, British Gas, E.ON UK, Thames Water and
United Utilities. The employers will match the government’s £33m
investment in the partnership to help deliver around 70,000 new learning
opportunities including Apprenticeships and traineeships. The partnership will
also fund increased training to ensure the industry has the right quantity,
quality and diversity of new recruits.
Energy and Efficiency Industrial Partnership Chair and
National Grid Chief Executive, Steve Holliday, said:
This investment shows major government recognition of
the challenges facing the UK’s energy and utilities sectors, and the
vital role young people and local communities can play in solving them. The
strength and scale of this partnership means it will build consensus within
these industries on how to meet the demand for new, innovative power and energy
solutions, and build a more secure, sustainable economy for the
future.
Sally Cabrini, Business Services Director at water
provider United Utilities, said:
We
are delighted to be involved in this bold, ground-breaking partnership. It will
bring local communities such as ours across the north-west of England, closer
to their energy and utility employers. By working together as an industry, we
can improve awareness of what we do and grow the pool of young talent in our
sector.
The
partnership is the largest initiative within the government’s flagship
Employer Ownership of Skills pilot, which offers investment to develop sector
workforces. The scheme empowers employers by giving them flexibility in how
publicly funded training is created and delivered. It also focuses on providing
opportunities for unemployed young people and those from disadvantaged
communities or backgrounds.