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Diversification of workforces in UK utilities companies remains behind the national average for recruiting women, people with disabilities and those from ethnic minority groups, according to data from the Energy & Utility Skills (EUS).
The number of people with a disability working in the sector increased by 3.6 per cent to just below the national average of 15.7 per cent in 2019.
EUS analysed data between 2016-19 and found the gas, power and water industries all saw increases above the UK average however supply chain companies saw a decrease in its number of disabled employees.
The number of workers joining the sector from black, Asian or other minority backgrounds remained below the UK average of 11.4 per cent, despite an increase to 6.9 per cent. The power sector saw the most significant increase of 4 per cent while the number of employees from minority backgrounds decreased in gas companies.
The water sector had the highest number of women working in it (29.1 per cent) compared to other power and utility groups, however even this lags far below the 47.3 per cent of women in the nation’s workforce as a whole.
Young people also remain underrepresented in workforces with a decrease to 8.4 per cent of 16-24 year olds working in the sectors compared to the UK average of 11.4 per cent. Despite the overall decrease, the gas utilisation, power, and water industries all reached above the sector average.
Phil Beach chief executive of EUS, said: “Energy and utilities companies are at the forefront of delivering the 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution to achieve net zero carbon targets in 2050. There is clearly more to do, and we are committed to attracting, recruiting, and developing a diverse workforce to fill the green jobs being created with truly inclusive teams.”
The number of people employed in the sector rose to 586,800 in 2019, up from 520,100 in 2016.
Last year the EUS published its Workforce Renewal and Skills Strategy 2020-2025, which identified an estimated 277,000 vacancies that need to be filled by 2029. This included an estimated 80,000 skilled trades positions.
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