Moving forwards on equality and diversity in our energy sector

In late September, 28 Prospect members and staff attended a seminar to discuss and explore issues around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within the energy sector at Birchwood Park in Warrington.

The day featured guest speakers from Prospect, as well as professionals from across the energy industry who each spoke about EDI, ensuring fair treatment, respect and opportunities for everyone, in their workplaces.

This is our energy sector

Prospect research officer Joel Pearce gave a presentation on the demographic make-up of our 21,000-plus energy sector membership.

Allowing for some considerable variations across certain branches in terms of age and gender, Joel showed that:

• Overall membership is skewed to older and male workers
• More than 1 in 5 of the membership is expected to retire in the next decade
• We have limited data on ethnicity, but from what we do know the vast majority of energy members are white

With the National Grid estimating that the energy industry needs to recruit 400,000 new workers by 2050 to meet Net Zero, it was clearly shown that the industry, and our sector, needs to change in order to attract a younger and changing workforce.

In our workplaces

The seminar heard from several of our own reps, industry professionals and managers about how they are pushing forward on EDI issues in their specific workplaces.

Sarah High, deputy chief executive of the Office for Nuclear Regulation, gave an update on how the ONR has been working closely with Prospect on EDI issues and two Prospect members from ONR Cathy Collins and  Alex Pitsillos co-presented an ONR case study.

Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at National Grid, Lisa Waterhouse, and her colleague Hayley Creighton gave a presentation on how they’ve invested in EDI and shared some case studies on how their practices have managed to shift some of the demographics in a positive direction within the company.

Mary Erlund, a Prospect rep at the National Nuclear Laboratory, where she is also the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, spoke about the EDI work they’re doing in her workplace.

Prospect’s work on EDI

Andrew Pakes, Prospect’s research and communications director, spoke to the attendees on the recent progress and initiatives that the union has taken on EDI, in particular highlighting the Race Action Plan and the launch of our Equality and Diversity Hub.

Prospect’s legal officer, Frances Cusack, gave the energy reps a legal overview of bullying and harassment in the workforce, with a focus on prevention, ways to respond and how to effectively use the Equality Act.

Moving forward

The intent behind the seminar was to be a ‘conversation starter’ and keep a spotlight on EDI issues in Prospect’s energy sector going forwards.

One of the key message from the day was: how do we embed EDI in the course of everyday business and making sure that it becomes everyone responsibility?

The participants left the seminar having identified some actions to take forward in their workplaces and a full report will be provided to the energy sector’s executive committee in October.