THE MAGAZINE FOR THE DRAINAGE,WATER &WASTEWATER INDUSTRIES


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audited framework. To help people better understand the value they can bring to society and the environment froma career in the utility sector, the partnership launched an attraction platform called Energy&Utilities Jobs.Targeted at hard to reach groups and accommodating those impacted by job losses, the virtual initiative has alreadymadea big impact in its short life, reaching over 8.5 million potential employees and offering over 500 jobs per month. In tackling gender diversity, the Partnership effort secured over52%female inquiries over 2020 and accelerated to67% acrossMay. To ensure the vital supply chain can also build a sustainableworkforce and skillset, the Partnership committed to its Procurement SkillsAccord which promotes investment in training and skills development through procurement practices.The five robust and challenging commitments are audited each year, and companies receive awards for reaching best practice.At the recent awards, presented byOfwat Chief Executive Rachel Fletcher, andMichael Lewis, E.ONUKChief Executive, 46 companies met the criteria andwere evidenced as delivering investment growth against targeted skills gaps. Michael Lewis,whois also Chair of the Energy&Utilities Skills Partnership advised“Today’s announcement joins together a core pledge to apprenticeships that our partners share, with a framework of 14 approaches explaining howwe will build diversity and inclusion to help asmany people aswe can intonewcareers. It is one vital part of our wider strategy to create the skilledworkforce needed to deliver theUK’s essential services and tackle the climate emergency. Iwould encourage employers across our sector to showthey stand behind apprenticeships too. “Because utilities have apprenticeships in their DNA, with awell evidenced history of nurturing talent through high quality apprenticeships and employing people fromacross society - from entry level right through to the highly skilled. Utility employerswere in the vanguard of adapting to thenewApprenticeship Levy policy reforms, andmy owncompany delivered some of the very first technical apprentices to graduate under those changes.They remain highly


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valuable routes into ourworkforce.”


Creatingwork ready apprenticeships to attract diverse talentwas a stated objective of the inaugural Energy&Utilities Skills Partnership ‘Workforce Renewal&Skills Strategy’, which was launched in 2017.The latest 2020 to 2025 publication continues that firm commitment to build a talent pipeline through rigorous and high quality on and off the job training. Apprenticeships remain one of the keyways to develop the skills needed for successful business today and for the future. Since thatwork commenced, thousands of highly skilled apprentices have emerged to take their place within the ranks of the critical energy and utilityworkforce.


These apprentices deliver services that help to bring heat, light, power, fresh water, sanitation, removewaste and support recycling for 66.5 million people across the United Kingdom.They bring great value to society, the environment and the economy.The Partnership believe that building inclusive apprenticeship programmes brings clear economic and business advantages. Boosting apprenticeships across the sector’s technical occupations is nowparamount, despite a general decline in employer participation in apprenticeships in England. In the last two years, the energy and utilities sector has outperformed the overallUKpicture, with over 8000 apprenticeship starts in 2018-19 across the four nations.


September 2020 | drain TRADER 75


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