Energy & Utility Skills celebrates 25 years
Published: 24 July, 2024
Energy & Utility Skills has announced it is celebrating 25 years as an industry skills body, collaborating with employers, regulators, governments and agencies across the UK. For over a quarter of a century, the business has identified workforce and skills needs, adapting to many challenges, and delivering solutions to meet employers’ needs.
Celebrating the anniversary on 22 July, Phil Beach CBE, CEO of Energy & Utility Skills said, “As the industry skills body for the sector, we are delighted to celebrate 25 years of achievement. This milestone reflects our success in collaborating with our members, government and key stakeholders to help deliver the skills that employers need.
"Our recent company party celebrated the wealth of experience and knowledge within our team and everything we have accomplished together. As skills and workforce experts, we’re proud of our work to set industry standards and deliver high-quality apprenticeship assessments, qualifications and schemes. We’re looking forward to continuing our work in support of industry and the UK’s ambitions for achieving net zero and environmental goals in the years ahead.”
The organisation began in 1999 as the Gas Industries National Training Organisation (GINTO). In 2003 it began trading as Energy & Utility Skills and was awarded its licence to operate as a Sector Skills Council by the Department for Education and Skills.
The Energy & Utility Skills Register (EUSR), launched in 2005, improves workforce safety and regulatory compliance through quality assurance, scheme development and a register of skills. Partnering with industry to provide a trusted, authoritative voice ensures a skilled, competent workforce. In 2006, EUSR launched the National Water Hygiene scheme, standardising hygiene training across water companies to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. EUSR is also the CSCS Alliance Partner for all on-site utilities work.
In 2015, the business reacted to apprenticeship reform by launching Energy & Utilities Independent Assessment Service (EUIAS). It carried out the first end-point assessments in the country for the Power Network Craftsperson standard in 2016. Last year, the business expanded to develop qualifications to support the sector’s skills requirements.
Energy & Utility Skills says it is the sector’s strategic voice on all skills issues, ensuring the right schemes, qualifications, apprenticeships, assessments and funding are in place across the UK. It supports the delivery of the workforce required to meet the UK’s energy and utilities infrastructure demands. Membership secures a seat at this influential table, enabling engagement as an industry with government, regulators and other key influencers, while receiving sector intelligence, research and insights to strategically drive their industry forward.
Beach added, "Our industries underwrite the UK’s ambitions to tackle the impacts of climate change through the drive to net zero and environmental improvements. A safe, skilled and sustainable workforce is critical for achieving these goals and we bring industry together to champion skills issues.”
With this in mind, the inaugural Energy & Utility Skills Conference and Awards will be held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on 10 September 2024. With significant changes ahead, the conference will focus on skills and jobs related to the green agenda and achieving net zero, sharing knowledge and celebrating excellence.
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