Energy & Utility Skills Judged "Outstanding"
As part of the Government's relicensing process of all 25 Sector Skills Councils across the UK, it has been announced that Energy & Utility Skills (EU Skills) was not only successful in being relicensed, but they were also judged to be "Outstanding".
Independent performance assessments have been commissioned for all 25 Sector Skills Councils, by the Government's UK Commission for Employment & Skills, which was carried out by the National Audit Office. In addition, as part of the relicensing process, EU Skills was also visited by the Commission itself and were also subject to panel interviews. All three strands were taken into account before being awarded the "Outstanding" status.
The UK Commission exists to ensure the country becomes a world-leader in productivity, now and in the future, by delivering improved employment and skills-based solutions based on employee needs.
EU Skills covers the gas, power, waste management and water industries. They work with employers to identify qualifications and training needs, develop (with training providers) relevant skill-based training programmes, maximise investment opportunities for the sector, undertake valuable market research projects and act as a key link to build a wider intelligence understanding of all four industries.
The reach of the Sector Skills Councils, as a whole, equates to approximately 90% of the workforce in the UK.
The National Audit Office's independent assessment of EU Skills was a rigorous process and some of the key findings highlighted:
- EU Skills influenced the securing of an impressive £68 million for the sector since 2003;
- EU Skills benefits from a "very strong" Chief Executive and Board;
- EU Skills were the UK's top performing Sector Skills Council in gaining the highest amount of investment towards establishing a National Skills Academy;
- EU Skills labour market intelligence is regarded as "best practise" and was crucial in helping to secure financial investment for the sector;
- EU Skills has introduced a wide range of skills solutions for employers within the sector across all four nations in the UK.
Speaking about the "Outstanding" judgement and the future of the organisation, the Chief Executive of Energy & Utility Skills, Tim Balcon, said:
"This news is not just excellent news for EU Skills, but it is excellent news for the industries we work with. It is a true testament to the hard work we undertake alongside our sector colleagues to ensure we have a workforce in place that will deliver today and in the future.
"I am extremely pleased that we have been judged to be "Outstanding" and I am also pleased that the National Audit Office has highlighted some of the many areas where we have excelled in meeting our core aims and objectives. However, as far as I am concerned, we still have a lot of work to do and will take today's announcement as a clear mandate to work even harder with our sector colleagues and partners to bring about even more results that ultimately keeps the country's gas supply flowing, the power in our homes constant, the management of our waste effective and sustainable and brings water to our taps.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody at EU Skills for all their hard work and commitment to the industries they work for. I would also like to thank the sectors themselves for becoming engaged with us and working together for the same results. We have a real opportunity now to build on all the good work to ensure the future needs of our sector employers are met."
A full copy of the National Audit Office report can be found at www.ukces.org.uk/sector-skills-councils/ssc-relicensing-process/relicensing-decisions
