About Energy & Utility Skills
Energy & Utility Skills is the UK-wide industry skills body for the major asset owners and their supply chains in the water, power, gas and waste management industries. We work with industry and government to define skills needs and the impact of the greener economy, providing an authoritative skills voice. We convene and collaborate to set industry standards; drive best practice; and innovate to meet existing and future skills needs and emerging green priorities.
We provide high quality, industry-focused, specialist services including: competency card registration schemes, independent end-point assessment for apprenticeship standards, National Occupational Standards development, and workforce planning and consultancy services.
What are some key projects Energy & Utility Skills is focusing on currently?
We are proud of our close engagement with Government including the Office for Clean Energy Jobs. For example, we led the Hydrogen Gas Skills and Competencies initiative, in collaboration with National Gas, Cadent, SGN, Northern Gas Networks, and Wales and West Utilities, which continues through the National Skills Academy for Gas Hydrogen Skills Network Group.
Through industry collaboration, we have conducted and collated research on workforce demand and skills gaps across the UK. Having provided Government with a clear picture of the skills and workforce needs of our sector, we are committed to develop and deliver solutions to meet employer needs. A core part of this work is a sector-wide project on occupational mapping and standard setting. This will create a robust and industry led description of role competencies, that will support the development of pathways into jobs that are consistent across the UK.
Can you tell us about your impact so far?
The Hydrogen Skills and Competencies project has enabled the UK’s Gas Distribution Network to collaborate and create agreed skills requirements and an industry roadmap for the potential move from natural gas to a 100% hydrogen gas fuel source.
In response to industry demand, we bought together UK water companies, regulators and other key stakeholders to develop the mandated National Water Hygiene scheme. The scheme ensures the protection of public health, and as of 2024 there are over 110,000 active registrations.
The findings from the workforce demand and skills gap research formed the basis of the policy measures and mitigations that have been developed to form the Green Job Plan and cross-sector co-working.
Our Social Impact project will develop actions from a UK wide perspective and with increasing divergence of skills, recognising regional dynamics and delivering actions with clear commitment from CEOs.
The occupational mapping tool will aid identification of tasks that do not currently have an industry-standard route(s) to competency so that corrective action can be taken.
What motivates you most about your work?
Energy and utilities sector employers are on the frontline of the occupational, economic and industrial changes that are responding to climate change and driving the attainment of Net Zero. Supporting attraction to, and competence in these critical roles is key to the decarbonisation of the UK.
Are there any new projects or initiatives on the horizon that you’re particularly excited about?
Energy & Utility Skills is always looking forward, leading the way when it comes to the whole of the UK’s energy and utilities future skills requirements. As such we’re working with devolved administrations to explore the development of qualifications, have partnered with RenewableUK to address standards in renewable energy via offshore wind turbine facilities, development and agreement of the HVDC competency standard, and are committed to improving Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and enhancing sector attraction and retention.