Six new members have been appointed to the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) by education secretary Gillian Keegan MP
The new ECITB Board members will work under Lynda Armstrong OBE, chair of the organisation.
The ECITB is an arms-length body of the UK Government, reporting to its sponsor, the Department for Education (DfE).
Made up of employer representatives and several independent members, the ECITB sets the strategic direction and monitors performance, with a majority drawn from levy payers.
The new ECITB Board members are:
- Mark Riley, project controls lead, Emerging energy, Phillips 66 Limited
- Helen Higgs, head of construction workforce capability, EDF Energy
- Andrew Colquhoun, executive vice president, Altrad
- Richard Law, Managing Director, Technica Limited
- Mark Fotheringham, technical director, Infinity Engineering
- Professor Paul de Leeuw, director, Energy Transition Institute, Robert Gordon University
The new trustees will help steer the ECITB and hold the Executive Team to account for the delivery of the ECITB’s strategy to grow the engineering construction industry (ECI) skills base.
They will also act as ambassadors to champion the ECITB’s work as the statutory skills organisation for the industry in Great Britain.
Bringing a variety of skills and credentials to the Board
The process of appointing six new Board members was managed by DfE, with a panel conducting the first and second interviews that was chaired by a representative of the DfE and also included Lynda Armstrong and an independent member.
The finalists of this process were then reviewed and approved by the minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education, Robert Halfon, as well as Scottish ministers.
Chair Lynda Armstrong said: “I am delighted to welcome such a high-calibre group of professionals to the ECITB Board.
“The new members are industry figures and together represent the wide range of sectors and regions in which the ECI operates. They bring to the Board a real breadth of expertise and knowledge of the engineering construction industry.
“This industrial knowhow is complemented by Professor Paul de Leeuw, who has an excellent energy academic background.
“Our six new trustees bring new perspectives and complement the diversity of talent already represented. I am in no doubt that these appointments will greatly benefit the ECITB in helping deliver the aims from our Leading Industry Learning Strategy 2023-25.”
Delivering on net zero, engineering careers and SME business
Helen Higgs said: “I’m delighted to join the ECITB board to support the growth of engineering construction skills for all levels, which will create enormous opportunities for social impact and for increasing productivity of our projects.”
Richard Law said: “As a representative of an SME business and a military veteran, I am really pleased to be appointed as a trustee. I am looking forward to working with the Board and Senior Leadership Team to help deliver the current strategy and inform future decisions and policy.”
Professor Paul de Leeuw said: “I’m delighted to join the Board of the ECITB at this crucial time. With the requirement to re-plumb, re-wire and re-purpose the UK’s energy system over the coming decades, the work of the ECITB is absolutely critical to successfully prepare the workforce for our new, net zero future.”
