Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 8TH - 14TH DECEMBER 2017 | 19 Tunnelling took 24 days, with 4,500m 3 of material excavated. Cadent Gas carried out the work as part of a £1 billion project to replace the capital's ageing gas infrastructure. It will now prepare the tunnel for the installation of a new gas pipe, which will help keep the burgeoning area (which includes the Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms development) connected to a safe and reliable supply. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, email: paulnewton@fav-house.com Pipe up Jacqueline Hall F our apprentices from Severn Trent Water have now graduated on the Level 3 Water Process Technician Standard. This has taken the total number of achievements on end-point assessments carried out by the Energy & Utilities Independent Assessment Service (EUIAS), across three apprenticeship standards, to 185. The EUIAS was established to deliver rigorous and robust apprenticeship end-point assessment services specifically to the sector. The result is an independent assessment service that not only meets government quality standards, but also secures qualified apprentices who can competently do the job they have trained for. In partnership with Energy & Utility Skills, sector employers also helped develop 11 new "Trailblazer" standards in England across gas, water, power and waste industries. EUIAS provides end-point assessment for nine of those standards and the apprentices from each are helping to address skills shortages. It also deliv- ered end-point assessment services for the first achiever and the first female engineer achiever at Level 2 on the English apprenticeship standards. The EUIAS is the first assessment organisation in the sector to achieve this, so 185 is an encouraging start in terms of the number of apprentices to complete in a sector that is strategically important to the UK economy. In addition, more than 2,000 candidates have commenced an apprenticeship within energy and utilities. These numbers give us reason to celebrate. There remain other matters in the shape of existing policy and new recommendations that could radically affect how we operate as a sector (putting Brexit to one side). How closely will the indus- trial strategy white paper's key themes, particularly people and infrastructure, translate to a policy environment that supports workforce and social mobility? How will the strategy's local industrial strategies interplay with our call for a UK-wide, joined- up approach to workforce renewal and skills? Employers in our sector are oen transnational, and while they are adjusting positively to the levy introduction, there is a need for alignment between the four nations. How will the devolution of skills assist sector employers? So as 2017 draws to a close, we have reason to be optimistic as a result of our collective determination to raise the bar on the quality of apprenticeships. With one shared vision, we will continue making a difference for the benefit of apprentices, the sector and UK productivity. Jacqueline Hall, associate director, Energy & Utilities Independent Assessment Service "We should be optimistic as a result of our collective deter- mination to raise the bar on the quality of apprenticeships." Operations & Assets "185 is an encouraging start in terms of a number of apprentices to complete in a sector that is strategically important"

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