The report highlights how Energy & Utility Skills has continued to bring industry leaders together to find solutions to sector wide challenges. It evidences the impact and successes the sector has seen through this collaborative working, and how the organisation continues to be at the forefront of addressing the human capital challenges our sector faces.
Throughout 2019-2020 the Energy & Utility Skills team focused on delivering real results for its members, whilst securing excellence across the core services that its business provides. As a dedicated energy and utilities specialist body and a not-for-profit business, the company invested more back into the people, processes and systems that underpin the sector, than at any other point in its history.
The review sets out to achieve three things:
- To highlight what Energy & Utility Skills has achieved through UK wide collaboration with the sector and close partnership with its members.
- To showcase the tangible business value that membership brings – from the sector Chief Executives setting workforce strategy to the specialist practitioner groups.
- To demonstrate the results each industry group has delivered in their efforts to build and maintain a skilled, diverse and sustainable workforce.
The year has been the company’s most successful in its history, with the major Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership growing and securing the highest levels of participation since its inception in 2016. It focused on delivering the key elements of the Workforce Renewal and Skills Strategy, growing the vital human capital that will ultimately deliver the nation’s essential services and Net Zero Carbon targets.
The outcomes included securing workforce resilience within two major utility sector price reviews for the first time. Working in cooperation with water regulator Ofwat (PR19) and energy regulator Ofgem (RIIO-2), the work successfully set out the vital need for a sustainable direct and indirect workforce and ensured that all regulated water, gas and power companies are encouraged to submit robust workforce strategies within their business plans.
Other highlights of the report include:
- Securing the 1500th engineering-based apprentice to graduate through the sector’s end point assessment body, the Energy & Utilities Independent Assessment Service.
- Creating and embedding an audited Inclusion Commitment, that is changing how utility-based businesses operate and recruit, to build diversity in the workforce. 42 organisations became signatories in its first year.
- Changing procurement culture as part of building a sustainable supply chain workforce. Around 67 asset owners and supply chain partners worked in collaboration, seeking to secure the Procurement Skills Accord Awards.
Jan Ward CBE, Non-Executive Chair, Energy & Utility Skills states:
“What you will read in this document, represents a selection of what has been achieved by convening policy makers, regulators, unions, regulated businesses and the critical supply chain as well as highlighting where we have delivered trusted and credible results. On behalf of the Energy & Utility Skills board and the whole team, we sincerely thank everyone who has worked with us to make this year so impactful.”
Nick Ellins, Chief Executive, Energy & Utility Skills comments:
“We set out this year to further raise our level of performance for our sector, using robust IPSOS MORI membership research to guide us as to exactly where the most impact and benefits could be achieved with the resources available. That clarity on industry priorities, added to never-ending support from our partners and unprecedented investment right across our people and systems, has delivered results. Recognition, yet again this year as finalists in the Utility Week Utility Partner of the Year Award was a highlight for my Board and the whole team. This year’s successes set a new baseline for how Energy & Utility Skills will contribute to the vital gas, power, water and waste management industries in the future. We must continue to maintain and retain the precious human capital that serves around 67 million consumers and customers across four nations with essential services and infrastructure.”