Energy White Paper Response
The recent Energy White Paper covered a number of
strategic energy issues facing the country.
It also specifically addressed the sector’s skills issues.
Amongst its considerations, it supported the
discussions between the Economic Regulator and
the Industry facilitated by the Energy & Utility Skills research,
which looks at the long term skills needs and how to
invest in skills in a timely and economic manner.
It also asked for the preparation of a report from the relevant Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and Standard Setting Bodies (SSBs) on the overall skills situation. Collaboration between BERR, Cogent, ECITB and Energy & Utility Skills has resulted in a report, which should be published in October 2008 (http://www.euskills.co.uk) and they are looking at further areas for collaboration to meet the needs of the sector.
In addition to sharing the latest skills information, it proposes a simple action plan, which includes:
- The creation of a Ministerial led taskforce that will bring some senior employers, the SSCs/SSB and a number of senior government officials together to monitor the outomes of this action plan and overcome the inevitable hurdles that will need to be resolved as we take these issues forward.
- Use national initiatives, such as National Skills Academies and Sector Compacts to link a ‘nationally focussed’ industry with a ‘locally/regionally/devolved nation’ approach to skills delivery and funding and report to the taskforce on barriers, making recommendations for their removal.
- The use of strong links with Government sponsored or promoted technology groups or the newly proposed ‘Office for Renewable Energy Deployment’ to ensure that the industry skills bodies and their employers are able to join up the technology and business development initiatives with the development of the skills that will make them deployable.
This should provide a platform for greater industry collaboration on skills, and a closer engagement with Government.