Making a pledge for apprenticeships
We have signed the sector’s Apprenticeship Pledge as a clear commitment that apprenticeships will form a key part of our people strategy. The initiative is being led by the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership.
In response to struggling industries and employers across the UK who have paused, or are forced to end their programmes, the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership has stated its commitment to apprenticeships by launching its Apprenticeship pledge. The pledge is backed by over 25 employers within the sector.
The pledge follows the recent launch of the major ‘Workforce Renewal & Skills Strategy 2020-2025’ for the gas, power, water and waste management industries. The strategy sets out how through collaboration, the utility businesses and their supply chain partners will tackle the 277,000 vacancies they expect across the sector over the next ten years, while accommodating a fast-changing competency need.
The Partnership believes that building inclusive apprenticeship programmes brings clear economic and business advantages. Boosting apprenticeships across the sector’s technical occupations is now paramount, despite a general decline in employer participation in apprenticeships in England. In the last two years, the energy and utilities sector has outperformed the overall UK picture, with over 8,000 apprenticeship starts in 2018-19 across the four nations.
”The Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership has set out to make a positive difference to society and is making clear that its long history of investing in apprenticeships remains firm, with employment through this approach continuing to be a key part of utility workforce strategy.”
“We are working together to create an inclusive culture, employ apprentices and build a diverse and sustainable workforce in a sector that is now openly recognised as a critical industry; pivotal to society, to the future of the economy and to solving the environmental crisis. Talented people can make a real difference here, and the employers have a strong pedigree over decades for nurturing talent through high-quality apprenticeships, employing people from across our society from entry level to highly skilled.”
Nick Ellins, former Chief Executive of Energy & Utility Skills.
“We are fully supportive of this voluntary initiative by the Energy and Utility Skills Partnership. The Apprenticeship pledge commits to tackling the market volatility by providing assurance that within the gas, power, waste, and for us in the water sector, apprenticeships will be maintained as one of the key ways to meet our skills needs.”
Andy Willicott, Managing Director at South Staffs Water.
Apprenticeships
Our apprenticeship scheme ensures that the next generation of bright, talented individuals join our teams in order to help drive our business forward. This is our 'Talent Pipeline'.
Posted: 18 August 2020