Utility Week

UtILItY WeeK | 4th - 10th November 2016 | 19 said: "At this altitude there have been a lot of weather-related challenges, but we got through them safely and it's great to see all the turbines finally in position." Once complete next spring, the site will generate up to 94.05MW for the National Grid. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, email: paul.newton@fav-house.com Pipe up Nick Ellins S trategic workforce renewal and skills investment are quickly becoming recognised as vital success factors in ensuring the delivery of the infrastruc- ture ambitions of all four nations' governments. The National Infrastructure Pipeline currently plans for both the public and private sectors to finance and deliver projects worth £240 billion over the 2016/17 to 2020/21 period. The single largest contributor and market is the energy and utilities sector, with 57 per cent of the investment. One of the key challenges in the UK's National Infrastructure Plan for Skills is how to incentiv- ise skills investment through procurement. The energy and utility asset owners and delivery partners are busy testing a potential solution. Last week Lord Aberdare, vice-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships, hosted the launch of the new energy and utilities Skills Accord at the House of Lords. Over the past 12 months, procure- ment specialists from five asset-owning organisations and 22 supply chain energy and utilities companies have driven the development of the Skills Accord forward in partnership with Energy and Utility Skills. We have been collaborating in the recruit- ment and training of skilled workers to increase workforce mobility and efficiency, to bring about ongoing strategic workforce renewal and widen the available talent pool. Each pledging company has committed to undertake an annual review of performance to calculate their contri- bution to an overall sector training target of five per cent of the workforce being enrolled on formal technical train- ing, and to encourage their supply chain to do the same. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), part of the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, is collaborating with the sector to build a new utility workforce strategy and has praised the creation of the Skills Accord. The signatories at the launch were commended for incenti- vising skills investment through procurement, and the IPA welcomed the wider energy and utilities sector work under way to encourage the retraining and upskilling of the workforce to meet future skills demands. Organisa- tions testing the Skills Accord include National Grid, SSE, Thames Water and UK Power Networks. This initiative is just one part of a new proactive and strategic sector approach to workforce renewal, and we're looking to seeing more utility-based businesses sign up to this Skills Accord. Nick Ellins, chief executive, Energy and Utility Skills Group "The aim is to bring about ongoing strategic workforce renewal and widen the available talent pool" One of the key challenges is how to incentivise skills investment through procurement Operations & Assets

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