Energy & Utility Skills will officially roll-out its new-look, high quality and more durable ‘blue card’ this month as part of its investment in water safety and the National Water Hygiene Scheme.

The National Water Hygiene ‘blue card’ has become the recognised standard across the water industry, helping to protect the high standards of the UK’s drinking water - from source all the way to the tap. Completion of the National Water Hygiene training and becoming a blue card holder will help to ensure that all water staff can operate to the highest hygiene and safety practices.

Chief Executive of Energy & Utility Skills Nick Ellins commented:

“The National Water Hygiene training was introduced to the industry over a decade ago as a collaboration between the UK water industry, key public health bodies and Energy & Utility Skills."

“Individuals who successfully complete the training are added to the Energy & Utility Skills Register (EUSR), which allows employers to verify the skills of their workforce through a trusted online portal at any time. There are now nearly 80,000 cardholders registered on EUSR.”

Milo Purcell, Deputy Chief Inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, added:

"It is important for anyone working in contact with the water supply, to learn and fully understand their responsibilities to protecting public health and public confidence in drinking water quality. The Drinking Water Inspectorate expects all those involved to operate to the highest standards of hygiene and safety, ensuring that clean drinking water remains wholesome and there is no deterioration to the quality of supply."

Energy & Utility Skills has also formed a strategic partnership with the Institute of Water, the only professional body solely dedicated to the careers of water professionals. The partnership will see the organisations work proactively together to actively promote careers in water and prioritise health and safety.

The collaboration puts into action the key recommendations from the Workforce Renewal and Skills Strategy published by the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership in February 2017. The Council of the Skills Partnership consists of CEOs and leaders of energy and utility companies who have agreed to collaborate at the highest level on 2-3 key priorities a year for the sector.

The Strategy, the first-ever coherent strategic plan for the continued delivery of essential energy and utility services across the UK, set out the case for stakeholders to act together to ensure a safe, competent and sustainable workforce for the water and wider energy and utilities sector.

The Skills Strategy found that 221,000 vacancies will be created across the energy and utilities sector during the next decade. The vacancies will be made up of 100,000 existing employees who will retire, 90,000 who will move to jobs outside the sector, and another 31,000 that will be required to fill newly-created roles.