Utilities Academy provides the Skills, Centinel provides the Gas Meter Installation Kits

By Cerro-EMS
schedule10th Nov 15

Centinel Smart Metering welcomes the news of the opening of a bespoke centre for electricity and gas metering education. With 14,000 gas safe accredited dual fuel and smart metering engineers estimated to be needed to roll out 53 million smart gas and electricity meters by 2020, such a resource is vital.

Chris O’Sullivan, Business Development Manager for Centinel Metering said, “One of the major challenges facing the sector is ensuring there are enough qualified engineers available to meet the governments installation targets. While Centinel are confident we can provide the smart meter kits when and where they are needed, we shared the industries concerns over the lack of qualified engineers. This announcement is a major step forward in solving that problem and we look forward to working with graduates from the centre”

The Utilities Academy, based in Bradford, has been set up to provide training for Smart meter engineers ready for the national roll-out commencing in 2016.

The training has been designed to emulate exactly what a smart meter engineer will encounter in their daily work and has secured accreditation with the National Skills Council, BPEC, Gas Safe Register, CITB and NSAP and Gold Provider of Independently Assessed Energy & Efficiency Assessors.

Neil Robertson, chief executive of Energy and Utility Skills, said: “The energy sector is gearing up for a significant challenge to ensure the government’s investment in this roll-out is carried out with the correct workforce, skills, and knowledge.

“Our mission is to ensure our energy industries have the skills they need now and in the future; the Utilities Academy is a fine example of just that.”