Utility contractors need to take into account training to help address skills issue

Contractors need to take into account the views of their clients and undertake the training of their employees to meet their specific needs to address skills shortages in the utility and energy sector.

This was the view taken from a workshop organised by Energy & Utility Skills (EU Skills), the sector skills council for the electricity, gas, waste management and water industries, which aimed to identify a positive training programme for the future.

The workshop, attended by senior managers in contracting organisations and training providers, also concluded that clients need to work alongside contractors to help them fulfill the needs of its suppliers for a mutual benefit.

Although it was recognised that there were regional differences, feedback from the workshops called for a greater consistency from clients.

Having agreed on the importance of supervisory and management training, the workshop outlined a draft model to develop training plans.

This included the need to avoid overcomplication, to give supervisors the skills to control costs and budgets, the effects of change and the environment.

The plan also called for the industry to establish a tone for training and supervisory levels, as well as the fact that current training often lacks people and communication skills.

Feedback from the workshop will now be fed into a research report due to be released by Energy & Utility Skills later this year.