Inspiring a Generation
ECITB at Skills North West
‘The engineering construction industry needs to recruit 60,000 more skilled workers over the next ten years’, that’s the message coming loudly and clearly from the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB).
The ECITB will be exhibiting at Skills North West on the 6th& 7thMarch, at EventCity in the Trafford Centre, Manchester. The ECITB can be found at stand 100, promoting the engineering construction industry to young people who may not have considered a career in the industry.
David Edwards, Chief Executive, ECITB said: “The engineering construction industry is in a position to be able to offer exciting and well paid careers to young people. Our latest manpower forecasts predict a 30 per cent growth over the next ten years with 60,000 more skilled workers needed across all our sectors. It is vital to the future of engineering construction in this country that we raise awareness of the industry with young people.”
The engineering construction industry plays an essential role in the UK economy through the design, construction and maintenance of much of the industrial processing and energy production facilities essential to the country’s prosperity and way of life. The industry generates £16 billion annual turnover and accounts for 1.5 per cent of the UK’s GDP.
The next generation of engineering construction workers will play a key role in shaping the future world. Currently, this skilled workforce is working in the nuclear industry; they are also at the forefront in developing renewable energy resources and have played a key role in oil and gas production in the North Sea. Engineering construction workers can also be found in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry where they have designed, constructed and maintained manufacturing plants. In fact there is very little in this modern world that doesn’t rely on the skills and imaginations of engineering construction workers.
“The career opportunities in this industry are numerous,” explained David Edwards. “There are currently some 100,000 UK workers in the engineering construction industry in more than 170 different roles. Some with practical skills such as Steel Erecting, Pipefitting and Welding and others, which are more technician- based, such as Instrumentation and Control Maintenance and Design and Draughting. There are good career prospects for all these roles and salaries compare very favourably with other industries.”
For example, the minimum starting salary, once a young person has qualified as an electrician or welder is between £23- £28K while offshore workers such as riggers can command salaries of between £28- 30K. Starting salaries for engineers, including design, project, welding, electrical, mechanical and instrumentation are between £30-£40K. These figures don’t include career progression and don’t even include overtime.
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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, qualify and develop 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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