ECITB Chief Executive Addresses the Skill Challenge
At EEEGR Skills for Energy Conference
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) predicts that around 60,000 personnel will be needed by 2023 to replace both retirees and meet the future demand of the energy industry. With an ageing workforce, the need to attract new talent into the engineering construction industry is becoming increasingly significant.
The Chief Executive of ECITB, David Edward’s, spoke at the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) Conference, People: Powering the Future - Skills for Energy, to share his views on the energy industry’s skills challenges.
David said, “There is a definite skills challenge ahead of us, not just in the South East of England but throughout the country as a whole. There are persistent skills shortages across the engineering construction industry in most engineering disciplines, from highly qualified engineers and experienced technicians to project managers with qualifications in engineering.”
The ECITB launched its new Level 2 qualification at Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth College last year. ‘An Introduction to the Energy Industry’ aims to provide a general overview of the energy industry sectors and provide information on career development and employment. The qualification was developed to provide a stepping stone into future jobs and qualifications and will directly impact on the East of England helping to influence people to enter the industry and maintain the country’s current position as a significant energy hub.
The vast engineering construction opportunities in the South East of England range from food processing, gas power stations, nuclear power, onshore and offshore wind farms, water treatment and biomass. The ECITB’s skills priorities for this area are predominantly, apprentice training, up-skilling the existing workforce, recruiting more people to the workforce and supervisor training and development.
An £11m investment into a new EPISCentre (Energy Production Innovation Skills Centre) in Great Yarmouth is hoped to boost energy skills in the region, providing conference, classroom and workshop facilities on site.
David said: “There is a common skills base across the energy industry whether in oil & gas, wind power or new nuclear and EPISCentre will help lead the way in developing careers, not just jobs.”
The conference addressed a range of topics as well as the EPISCentre through afternoon seminars. The seminars encouraged thought sharing and intelligence on issues such as: addressing the gender balance, military in energy and graduates and SME’s.
The ECITB has statutory responsibility for the training of the UK’s engineering workforce and development of qualifications. It invests £10m annually to support 2200 apprentices in the UK to develop those valuable skills needed to drive the economy. Over the next 4 years the organisation will invest at least £100m into the delivery of apprenticeships, training programmes and the development of qualifications for the industry.
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About the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
The ECITB is the statutory and charitable body set up to secure engineering construction skills now and for the future. It has delivered training successfully to over one million learners over 20 years, and is led and funded by employers from the industry, ensuring the services are relevant and fit for purposeThe ECITB provides professional advice, information, skills development and qualifications to help individuals in engineering construction and anyone interested in a career in the industry to succeed. A dedicated website has been set up to provide more detailed information http://careers.ecitb.org.uk/ The ECITB sets a range of occupational and training standards, awards industry specific qualifications and invests £20 million each year in support of apprentices and adult learners across a range of skills. From entry level craft and technician programmes through to advanced engineering project management skills. In 2011, 65,000 people were supported through the ECITB’s range of approved programmes delivered by a network of over 200 approved providers. The ECITB strategy is built on three objectives, these are to attract , develop and qualify talented people for the industry. The ECITB operating processes that secure the depth, breadth and quality of service are: employer engagement, identification of skills needs and priorities, stakeholder and provider engagement, delivery and continuous improvement. The ECITB provides support to employers, their employees and apprentices to design, build, maintain and decommission nuclear, power, pharmaceutical, renewables, chemicals, food, water, oil & gas facilities and other processes.
For more information visit www.ecitb.org.uk
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