Learning and Development covers everything from leadership development and professional training through to operational and technical training - all focused on ensuring that our employees have the right skills to meet the needs of the business.

Learning and Development is one of the quadrants of the Employee Deal, emphasising the importance that we place on this activity. Through the performance management process (click here for more information), employees are able to discuss their development needs with their line manager, both those relating to their current position, and those that would enable them to take on future roles.

E.ON UK is also starting to provide its programme of learning events across the UK business for the first time. Currently there are around 40 programmes covering leadership development as well as business and personal skills. The UK businesses have also established specific programmes to address particular development needs. One example would be the 18-month Pathway programme in Retail, which is aimed at managers and consists of three six-month placements around the business. 17 people from the 2004 intake are due to finish May 2006, and six more started the programme in 2005. This is designed to prepare colleagues for more senior positions and create a reservoir of talent.

The E.ON Academy, the Group's corporate university, offers leadership programmes at a number of leading European and US business schools as well as making a range of online tools more widely available. In 2005, the UK business collaborated with the Academy and Warwick Business School to develop the Challenge of Leadership for our senior managers, and over 100 managers completed the programme.

In late 2005, we established a UK-wide schedule of learning programmes and events, supporting business skills and personal development. During 2006 the introduction of Academy Online, a new learning management tool, will ensure that development programmes, guidance and support are much more visible and easier to access.

We also support employees in continuing their education and obtaining further professional qualifications. This support can range from providing time off for courses and study, to support with learning materials and the payment of tuition and exam fees.

Addressing the skills shortage

We are facing a serious shortfall of electrical engineers in our industry, and to address this issue we are one of the prime movers behind the 'Power Academy' which was set up in 2004 by the Institution of Electrical Engineers (now merged with the Institution of Incorporated Engineers to form the Institution of Engineering and Technology) and a consortium of major energy companies. Central Networks' managing director Bob Taylor is the Power Academy's Chairman. The Power Academy is a practical scheme that aims to reverse the decline in engineering student numbers by sponsoring promising young people to take degrees in power-related engineering courses at six leading engineering universities - Southampton, Manchester, Strathclyde and Queens University in Belfast, London and Cardiff. We supported 40 undergraduates in 2004, and another 60 taken on in 2005. They each receive a £2,000 bursary, help with course materials, payment of their fees, and a place on a special summer school designed to raise their awareness of business issues. In 2005 seven undergraduates from across the country spent two months with us as part of their training, two of whom have joined us as graduate engineers, with a further nine undergraduates joining the scheme in 2006.

"I really enjoyed my work placement which gave me the chance to take the theory I've learnt at university and turn it into practice. Everyone was so supportive and I managed to get out and about and see the network for myself. This was my first placement with the company and already I've learnt so much. I'm sure by the end of my degree I'll have a set of skills which will be really valuable."
Sophie Stubbles, from the University of Southampton, who worked at one of our Central Networks locations this year.

We are also training a record number of apprentices. We believe our apprentice programme is one of the best in the industry, and in 2005 we recruited 35 young people to train as fitters, jointers and linesmen in Central Networks. The programme offers four years of on-the-job experience supported by the chance to study for a City and Guilds qualification, and a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in electricity distribution and transmission engineering. We also recruited 11 apprentices into our Energy Wholesale business and another nine into Energy Services. In 2006 we will be looking at the possibility of bringing apprentices in from our parent company in Germany, where there is currently an oversupply of good candidates.