SUMMITSKILLS' chief executive Keith Marshall has been named in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours list and appointed an OBE (Officer of Order of the British Empire), in recognition of his contribution to skills.
Keith Marshall joined SummitSkills as chief executive in 2003, where he led the sector skills council for the acr industry, through its licensing in 2004 and, later in 2007, the award of its second contract.

He began his career as a weapons electrical engineer for the Royal Navy. His dedication to training began in 1985 when he joined the Engineering Industry Training Board.

Marshall worked on the first occupational standards in engineering, NVQs and the first engineering modern apprenticeship framework. He also worked with the Engineering Council on the introduction of competence-based registration for professional engineers.

His contribution to skills development continued with directorships in both the Training Standards council and the Adult Learning Inspectorate.

Marshall said “I am delighted and honoured that my contribution to the skills agenda has been recognised in this way. It has made me stop and think and realise that I have worked in the skills arena for over 20 years, before the days of NVQs'.

SummitSkills, the sector skills council for the building services sector has more than 550,000 employees of which 95,000 are air conditioning, refrigeration, ventilating and heating professionals.