ECITB announces three appointments to drive skills agenda 

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has welcomed three new regional chairs to help progress skills in the industry.

Stewart Maxwell, technical director at Aquaterra Energy, is now the regional chair for the East of England; Tom Ventre, managing director of Laker-Vent Engineering, has been appointed as the regional chair for North West England; and Seán McKirdy, mechanical engineering director at RB Plant, is the regional chair for the South and engineering, design and procurement (EDP) companies. 

EDP companies are those that have a head office in the UK but do not employ site-based staff.

The announcement follows ECITB’s appointment of new regional chairs for Wales (Mark Poole, learning and competence manager at Altrad) and the Midlands (Phil Colquhoun, UK managing director at NIRAS Lorien Engineering Solutions) earlier this year.

Regional chairs ensure the needs of employers in that region are represented in decisions around skills and workforce development programmes, as well as enabling the ECITB to forge closer connections to engineering construction businesses in those regions.

Andrew Hockey, ECITB chief executive, said: “I am delighted to welcome these three industry leaders as both members of the ECITB Council and regional chairs. 

“Their experience and passion will be a massive asset to drive forward the skills agenda in these regions, building better connections with client and contractor companies across the regions and being part of the solutions to overcome skills gaps.”