Carrying out research into the water industry is a key focus for Energy & Utility Skills, below you can find all the up to date research that has been completed.
Sector Skills Agreement - Report on the Water industry
During 2006/07 we have been working on our Sector Skills Agreement which has involved many stages of research and collaboration with employers and stakeholders. Below you can find out all the main priorities from this in relation to the water industry.
In developing the potential scope of an SSA for the water industry the Water Industry Skills Steering Group (WISSG) has developed an overarching theme which embraces three key elements.
This is defined as "Towards a Sustainable Workforce".
Competency Frameworks
- Increased dependence upon common training standards - e.g. Competent Operator
- Skills Frameworks to embrace the supply chain
- Increased reliance on registration / skills frameworks / quality assurance to support skills development
- Creation of career progression frameworks and career pathways e.g. Apprenticeships
Sustainable Recruitment
- Development of non English-speaking candidates for recruitment
- Targeted recruitment policies to engage woman and ethnic minorities
- Increased university sponsorship
- Closer links with Higher Education e.g Water Academy
- Increased links with schools and colleges to support
Sustainable Training Provision
- Building a greater and better provision of training providers
- Increased flexibility of access
- Environment impacts considered within education and training
- Changes to the vocational qualification system
- Closer links with Higher Education in workforce development
There is synergy across the three initiatives listed. Indications from the research suggests that there is good support for progressing on these fronts, together with an acknowledgement that maximum realisation of the potential value may only be achieved through agreement and collaboration.
Occupational Functional Map (OFM) of the UK Water Industry
The OFM project commenced in July 2002 and was completed after the final stages of consultation with the UK water industry in September 2002.
This project is of considerable importance to those responsible for personnel planning and development in the UK water industry.
The OFM provides detailed analysis on all occupations in the industry how these occupations are defined in terms of work roles and job functions, how many people are employed directly and indirectly in the UK and forecasting how work roles are changing and the numbers employed are likely to expand or decrease in each occupational group.
Labour Market Investigation of the UK Water Industry
This research project aims to develop a labour market investigate and a labour demand forecast methodology for the UK water industry. The forecasts predicts water industry skills and qualifications requirements alongside numbers employed at each stage of the supply chain
