The Energy & Utility Skills Partnership, represented by Phil Beach CEO of Energy & Utility Skills, is taking a leading role on the ministerial-level Green Jobs Delivery Group – a key government programme that has resulted in an unprecedented analysis and the means to deliver the skills and workforce needs of power, gas, water and energy from waste industries over the next decade.
At its launch, the Green Jobs Delivery Group had no template for how to assess the future skills demand or routes to competence. Energy & Utility Skills has led the way, conducting a series of cross-industry workshops to identify the skills and workforce needs to construct, operate and maintain the UK’s infrastructure to meet the British Energy Security Strategy. We have developed a map of the routes to competence for the in-demand and shortage occupations; identifying the actions needed to address barriers.
As a result of a direct request from our Members, we have also successfully championed ministers to broaden the work of the Green Jobs Delivery Group on environmental issues, particularly the skills and workforce needs of the water industry to achieve outcomes of the 25-year Environmental Plan.
The outcome is groundbreaking. For the first time, industry and government is quantifying the skills and workforce plan, matched against key UK policy ambitions for net zero and addressing the climate emergency. This allows industry to collaborate on shared workforce priorities and develop tailored solutions to meet demand. This will include attraction and retention initiatives, the development of apprenticeships, qualifications and bespoke industry schemes, and Government has the evidence necessary to target interventions and resources where they are most needed.
We have identified Social Impact as an additional cross-cutting theme for the Green Jobs Delivery Group, taking a leading role in convening representation from all industry groups to identify barriers to inclusion, share best practice and agree key actions for both Government and industry.
We are also engaged in the Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) industry groups, having led key projects across gas transmission, distribution and installation to set the industry training and assessment standards for the future hydrogen workforce. Furthermore, we are collaborating with industry to address the skills requirements associated with implementing the carbon capture technology at carbon intensive, thermal power generation sites.
If you would like to know more about the Green Jobs Delivery Group, or get involved in the CCUS development work please contact Stephen.barrett@euskills.co.uk