Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 27TH OCTOBER - 2ND NOVEMBER 2017 | 25 Gouthwaite was built in 1901 and is a compensation reservoir for the River Nidd. It is unusual because it is managed by the Gouthwaite Manage- ment Board, which was set up by an Act of Parliament. Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency provide advice to the board; some work to improve access to and operation of the reservoir's valve towers has already been completed. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, email: paulnewton@fav-house.com. Pipe up Kevin Fowlie A modern world without electricity, gas or water is unimaginable in our interconnected times, but few people spare a thought for the mammoth task of keeping the essential delivery infrastructure up to scratch. Utility services need frontline labour to repair and upgrade networks and as demand increases, so do cus- tomer expectations about better connectivity and service. However, there is a major problem. Like in many sectors there has been historical under-investment in the core skills required for these frontline roles. Demand for specialist and frontline skills is growing as our country invests in its infrastructure. Add to this an ageing work- force profile (one-fih of the sector's skilled workers are approaching retirement age) and the potential reduction in labour migration from the EU and we need a range of solutions to address these challenges. Already, 36 per cent of vacancies are proving hard to fill (higher than in any other UK sector) and 14 per cent of all employers report skills gaps within their existing workforces. There is an urgent need to build a sustainable workforce – and one with the right skills for the future. There is cause for optimism. The smart metering installation pro- gramme has been a brilliant vehicle for attracting new talent into our industry. However, more is needed. Our industry needs to appeal to the huge pool of as-yet-untapped talent who currently aren't aware of the huge value of our work and the opportunities it contains for them. The engaging and exciting con- nection between the essential soci- etal value of utility services, and the contribution the sec- tor makes to environmental sustainability, is a hook with which we can convince people who have not considered a career in our sector, of the value they could bring. We are not vocal enough about this, but this could help us drive diversity in our workforce. More diverse workforces help drive innovation and better customer service. And different perspectives lead to more diverse thinking. Like every industry undergoing change, we also need to challenge our own mindsets about what work will look like in the future. We will always need some of the manual capabilities we are familiar with today, but the advent of technology such as robotic drain clearing, drone-based inspection regimes, preventative monitor- ing and data analytics, will help us anticipate issues and deliver services in a less intrusive way. Our graduates and apprentices will continue to fuel this innovation as they invent solutions to issues we are only just understanding – or are yet to even be aware of. Kevin Fowlie, managing director of utilities, Amey "We need to appeal to the huge pool of as-yet-untapped talent who aren't aware of the huge value of our work." Operations & Assets "The smart metering installation programme has been a brilliant vehicle for attracting new talent"

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