Employers and approved providers are now being invited to express their interest in the Sector Entry Programme, developed through a partnership between Energy & Utility Skills Group and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The programme is moving from pilot to scale, with up to 1,000 funded Sector Entrant opportunities in England, connecting people looking for work with opportunities across energy and utilities.
For employers, Sector Entry provides an opportunity to explore how the programme could support known or planned vacancies and help build new talent pipelines. For approved providers, it creates an opportunity to support the recognised training and delivery required to prepare people to enter the sector.
This next phase builds on the impact of the original employer pilots, where more than 80% of completers secured jobs. It will bring employers, approved providers, DWP, Jobcentres and Energy & Utility Skills Group together around real workforce demand.
Government backing for Sector Entry
Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, said:
“With around 40,000 roles to fill in energy and utilities, investing in skills is more important than ever.
“This fantastic partnership will do just that, ensuring employers can find the skilled workers they need, and giving up to 1,000 people the chance to build a career they can be proud of.
“Through our Sector-based Work Academy Programmes and £2.5 billion youth employment package, we are giving young people the support and experience they need to get on in life and power the industries we rely on.”
Now is the opportunity to get involved
Jade Uko, Head of Corporate Communications at Energy & Utility Skills Group, said:
“Sector Entry has the potential to make a real difference for employers looking for new talent and for people looking for a route into the sector.
“I’m delighted to be helping promote this opportunity across energy and utilities and would encourage employers and approved providers to get involved. We also need organisations across the sector to help us extend its reach by sharing the opportunity through their own networks and referring others who could play a part.
“The more employers, providers and partners we can bring together, the greater the opportunity to create meaningful routes into work and strengthen the sector’s future workforce.”
Hear from those already involved
Our launch webinar on 12 November brought together Energy & Utility Skills Group, DWP and M Group, providing perspectives on the workforce challenge, experience from the original pilot and how organisations can play a part as Sector Entry scales up.
Watch the webinar recording and explore Sector Entry.
Could your organisation play a part?
Whether you’re an employer with vacancies or an approved provider able to support delivery, expressions of interest are now open.
Explore the Sector Entry Programme and find out how to get involved.
For more on the Government partnership and the journey from pilot to scale, read our original Sector Entry announcement.
Follow the Energy & Utility Skills LinkedIn page for further Sector Entry updates.
