Northern Powergrid has joined with energy and utilities companies across the UK to again pledge its commitment to create work ready apprenticeships that create a diverse talented workforce that is equipped with the right skills and behaviours as part of the latest 2020 to 2025 Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership ‘Workforce Renewal & Skills Strategy’.

The electricity distributor, responsible for powering everyday life for 8 million through 3.9 million homes and businesses across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, has been working with the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership since its initial commitment in 2017 to help create thousands of highly skilled apprentices for the critical energy and utility workforce.

Andy Bilclough, Director of Field Operations at Northern Powergrid, said: “We’re dedicated to attracting the skilled people needed across our sector to support the long-term workforce challenges we all face. Being part of the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership gives us the opportunity to collaborate and find the right solutions.

“The Energy and Utilities Sector will require 277,000 people over the next decade to deliver the essential services we provide for our customers. We’re one of 30 major organisations that form the Energy & Skills Partnership, working together to ensure the industry has the safe, skilled, diverse and sustainable workforce needed to deliver essential services to the public now, and to meet the fast changing requirements in the future.”

Nick Ellins, CEO of Energy & Utility Skills said: “The Workforce Renewal and Skills Strategy continues to provide a framework that everyone in the utility sector can work within and aims to secure successful UK wide skills provision for the next five years. By working together through this voluntary alliance, the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership have led the way and they now call on the whole industry to help in tackling the issues set out, and to work with central and devolved governments, regulators and key interest groups to continue building these initiatives and meet the skills challenge. By working together, we can ensure a highly skilled, safe and productive workforce that ultimately invests directly back into society and our communities.”

Northern Powergrid joins Northern Gas Networks, Northumbrian Water, Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Cadent Gas, Centrica, E.ON, FCC Environment, Keltbray Utilities, M Group, National Grid, Pennon Group, Scottish Power, Scottish Water, SGN, Southern Water, SSE, Thames Water, UK Power Networks, United Utilities and Wales & West Utilities to pledge their commitment to the Workforce Renewal and Skills Strategy 2020 – 2025

The inaugural strategy launched three years ago, had clear strategic priorities enabling the sector to deliver tangible achievements:

• Attracting diverse talent to the sector, Energy & Utilities Jobs has reached over 8 million people and continues to attract over 50% female visitors* to its website.
• Created the sector’s first ever Inclusion Commitment backed by over 40 utility partners
• Increased investment in skills by changing culture through the Procurement Skills Accord with 67 signatory employers participating
• 1500 plus technical apprentices have graduated into critical utility industries

The Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership has a clear vision for society and the environment; delivering vital infrastructure and essential services while playing a central role in tackling the climate emergency. You can download the Workforce Renewal and Skills Strategy 2020 – 2025 here.