Energy & Utility Skills calls on industry input for inclusion study

Energy & Utility Skills has called for water sector-wide participation for a new diversity and inclusion benchmarking study. The Inclusion Measurement Framework 2021 will seek to provide “clear evidence of where the sector, and individual employers, can take action to move diversity and inclusion forward.”

The Energy & Utility Skills-backed study will measure inclusion under the themes of leadership, attraction and recruitment, retention and progression. Participation is open to all organisations in the sector and is free of charge. The information gathering window begins on 1 September.

Energy & Utility Skills Partnership said its first Inclusion Measurement Framework held last year found that only 29% of leadership roles were held by women and only 4% of leaders identified as being from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background.

This year, Energy & Utility Skills said participating companies will be able to benchmark their data against sector, industry – including water, power, waste, gas, organisational size and operating region.

And there will be a chief executive officer survey that will provide a “snapshot of the views of sector chief executive officers on what leading on inclusion means for them as well as providing insights into their diversity journeys to become a chief executive officer.

Chief executive of Energy & Utility Skills, Phil Beach (pictured), said: “Our commitment to the Inclusion Measurement Framework for the sector is such that for this year Energy & Utility Skills will cover the costs of the framework, so it is free for all to participate. I would urge all my fellow chief executives in the sector to also take part in the chief executive officer survey so the picture is as complete as possible.”

Energy & Utility Skills is managing the project, with The Equal Group as its data measurement partner.