- Content
- News
- Heading Down A Different Path Towards Diversity
26 February 2019
CEOs from 32 of the country’s leading energy and utilities employers have launched a Sector Inclusion Commitment - a long-term commitment to attract more diverse and inclusive talent into the industry.
The Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership, led by sector employers, recognised in its Workforce Renewal and Skills Strategy: 2020 that its current workforce fails to fully represent the 65 million people it serves every day. 83% of the sector’s workforce is male, compared to 47% for all sectors nationally. Women, people with disabilities, black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people and under 24s have traditionally been under-represented in the energy and utilities sector, compared to national averages.
To tackle this challenge, and to build a resilient workforce for the future, the 32 employers have committed themselves to drive change and work collaboratively to attract, recruit and retain a more diverse workforce.
Employing around 566,000 people across the UK, the sector will need over 221,000 new recruits to fill its expected skills gap by 2027.
Two blokes
Nick Ellins, Chief Executive, Energy & Utility Skills Group said: “Through the inaugural skills strategy, led by the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership, the UK’s utilities and their contractors have set out their ambition to enhance the diversity of their workforces and be ever more inclusive. This new commitment is a framework. It starts the collective action to help the sector workforce mirror the communities it serves and secure the unquestionable benefits that result from having vibrant, inclusive and diverse teams.”
Basil Scarsella, Chair of the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership Council said: “The Inclusion Commitment is an opportunity for all of us in the Partnership to develop workforces that reflect the communities we all serve and tackle the challenge of increasing diversity head on. We are very keen to share best practice and drive change through active, transparent measures.”
Contracts
Government organisations will invest more than £425 billion in over 600 major projects across the UK to 2021. Nearly half the projects in this pipeline are assigned to electricity, gas, water & sewerage and waste, making the energy and utilities sector the largest single contributor to government’s UK infrastructure strategy.
Picture: Heading down a different path - energy and utilities employers have launched a Sector Inclusion Commitment.
Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 26 February 2019
Share
Related Articles
Jobs Paying Less Than The Real Living Wage Drops To Seven-Year Low
Less than one-fifth (19%) of UK jobs now pay below the Real Living Wage (as defined by the Living Wage Foundation), with the latest estimate down from 22% last year and...
Read Full Article
Work Insecurity - Living Hours Campaign Launched
The Living Wage Foundation has launched Living Hours, a new programme to tackle the widespread insecurity many 'employees' suffer over hours they might get to...
Read Full Article
McAlpine's Flexes Muscles In Support Of Flexmakers Project
McAlpine's is supporting the Flex Appeal campaign and the launch of the Flexmakers project, which aims to explore flexible working solutions for employers and...
Read Full Article
Living Wage Champions Recognised At Awards
The annual Living Wage Champion Awards have been delivered - including those from the cleaning sector. We've got the full list of the large and small organisations...
Read Full Article
RICS Quals Earn The Big Bucks & Gender Pay Gap Closing
A 39% higher salary – that's the effect a RICS qualification has on average pay in the real estate and built environment sector says our survey.
This is just...
Read Full Article
Real Living Wage Rate Rises to £10.90 an Hour
The Living Wage Foundation has brought forward its wage increase due to the sharp rise in living costs.
The new Living Wage rates have risen to £10.90 an...
Read Full Article
FM Firms Win at Living Wage Champion Awards
Several companies in the facilities management industry featured in the winners' list at this year’s Living Wage Champion Awards.
EMCOR UK, a provider of...
Read Full Article
Living Wage Updates in FM
Some businesses in the facilities management sector commit to paying their staff an independently calculated Living Wage – let’s take a look at the latest...
Read Full Article
Leeds College of Building Announces First Female Principal & CEO
Leeds College of Building (LCB) has announced Nikki Davis as the next Principal & CEO and the first woman to hold the post in the 60-year history of the...
Read Full Article
How the National Living Wage Rise Could Impact Your Security Services
With many officers paid the National Living Wage, security workforces are going to be some of those most impacted by upcoming changes.
Julie Hulme from Expeditious...
Read Full Article