E.ON has officially opened its new Engineering Academy, a training centre designed to overcome the skills shortage within the UK's power and engineering industry to deliver the workforce needed to keep the country's lights on and homes warm for years to come.

The Academy, open to applicants from across the power and engineering industry, was designed to bring together technical and operational training from entry level to foundation degree to ensure the next generation of UK engineers receives practical and relevant training.

John Denham MP, the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, along with E.ON UK Chief Executive Paul Golby, officially opened the academy, which is based at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station in Nottinghamshire.


Dr Golby said: "As a company and as an industry we face ever-changing challenges with regards our climate, generating power more efficiently and the need to keep the lights on, and our engineers need an innovative approach to creating the power supply solutions for our future.

"Our Engineering Academy provides training, qualifications and career development to craft, technicians and engineers and will enable us to meet the professional development needs of power engineers across the country.

"We are investing billions of pounds in our industry which will help boost the UK economy and ensure we have the right people with the right skills for a sustainable mix of energy resources.

"To help us offer the very best technical, business and leadership skills, we're working with universities and colleges across the UK. This will allow us to build qualifications that meet our industry's ever growing demands."

(CD/JM)