East Anglia: Business leaders urged to grasp export opportunities

From left, Paul Brown, senior audit manager at Grant Thornton UK LLP, Clare Stanley, senior international commercial manager at HSBC, and Martin Keepfer, yeam manager, UK Trade & Investment

By Duncan Brodie Sunday, May 6, 2012
6:00 AM

SENIOR business leaders from across East Anglia gathered to discuss growth opportunities overseas and whether the UK is in fact in the grips of a double dip recession at an event jointly hosted by business advisers Grant Thornton, banking group HSBC Bank and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

According to the latest official figures on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) the UK economy has returned to recession after shrinking by 0.2% in the first three months of 2012.

However, Mark Beresford-Smith, head of economics at HSBC, told guests at the “Global Markets” event, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Stansted Airport. that one set of figures may not represent the true picture over the coming months and that it is more likely the UK economy is “flat lining”.

Mr Beresford-Smith also commented on the impact negative media headlines about the economy were having on business confidence and that, due to the paying down of debt, both personal and national, demand is not being stimulated.

With the depressed UK economy in mind, guests were offered advice on finding and maximising new opportunities for overseas expansion, particularly in emerging markets, by Grant Thornton and UKTI.

Paul Brown, senior audit manager at Grant Thornton East Anglia, who co-hosted the event, said: “With the historic major markets of the US and Europe stalling, many firms are now more actively looking to develop other markets including China, Africa and India.

“According to our latest research on international expansion, just under half of the privately owned firms polled said their overseas growth was opportunistic rather than strategic.

“However, of those that did strategically plan expansion, their average profit before tax margin was 10% over two years as opposed to a 6% margin for those that were opportunistic.

“Profits also grew more quickly – 176% per annum over two years compared with 59% – proving that with the right strategy in place, overseas expansion can be a profitable option for UK businesses,” he added.

Guests also heared from Bob Nicolson, managing director of Cambridge-based technology company Aquasium Technology Ltd, who shared his experiences of opening up new markets abroad and overcoming the challenges this brings.

View the original article here

East Anglia: Energy supply chain could be worth £271bn to region’s economy

EEEGR chief executive John Best

By Duncan Brodie, EADT Business Editor
Friday, March 9, 2012
3:49 PM

BUSINESS opportunities worth more than £271billion for the energy supply chain in East Anglia have been mapped out in a new report commissioned by the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance.

The report highlights “enormous” benefits ahead for the region, with the potential to create thousands of new jobs and secure many more within the low carbon sector which is said already to employ around 19,000 people at 1,100 companies across the two counties.

It outlines the current energy generation mix and future energy opportunities, and assesses the capability of businesses to realise the economic benefits on offer.

With renewables, natural gas and nuclear power all set to continue to play a major role, it says Suffolk and Norfolk have a strong platform on which to build.

But the report adds that greater levels of support and guidance are essential, so that companies are aware of emerging opportunities in the energy sector and know how to access them.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance is a public and private sector coalition which includes Suffolk and Norfolk county councils, Suffolk Coastal, Waveney and Great Yarmouth district/borough councils, Suffolk and Norfolk chambers of commerce, the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.

Judy Terry, portfolio holder for Greenest County, Economy and Skills at Suffolk County Council, said: “The energy industry in our two counties offers such significant opportunities for businesses.

“We are already positioning Norfolk and Suffolk as key drivers for the UK’s green economy building on the area’s rich history in nuclear and offshore operations, innovation and technology, coupled with world class credentials in automotive design, engineering and manufacturing which give us a unique offering.”

John Best, chief executive of EEEGR, added “Nowhere in the UK has a broader energy mix or provides as much business potential as Norfolk and Suffolk.

“The area’s offshore gas industry is still growing after 50 years and the region sits at the heart of the world’s largest market for offshore wind. Nuclear power facilities are being decommissioned and a new site at Sizewell is planned for development.

“With a growing bio-fuels market and plans for the storage of gas and captured carbon in the Southern North Sea, the area has an energy business worth billions.”

The report identifies that limited levels of manufacturing and engineering capability in terms of key component manufacture and construction is a key weakness of the UK supply chain across the energy industry and its sub-sectors.

However, it says that the Enterprise Zone for Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft can play a key role in stimulating investment in new facilities and business growth to meet this challenge

And the report says this is further enhanced by the announcement in December that the two towns are one of only five Centres of Offshore Renewable Engineering, ensuring support from Government to attract key engineering manufacturing businesses to setup and locate in the area.

Chris Starkie, programme director at the New Anglia LEP, said: “Given our close proximity to the offshore energy markets, and the breadth of experience within our business community, it’s no surprise that energy is one of our two top priorities for economic growth, along with the tourism sectors.

“With more than £271 billion pounds worth of new business prospects across the UK, of which £30bn is projects within Norfolk and Suffolk over the next 10 years, there are significant opportunities that we must ensure we are ready to deliver on.”

View the original article here

East Anglia: Energy supply chain could be worth £271bn to region’s economy

EEEGR chief executive John Best

By Duncan Brodie, EADT Business Editor
Friday, March 9, 2012
3:49 PM

BUSINESS opportunities worth more than £271billion for the energy supply chain in East Anglia have been mapped out in a new report commissioned by the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance.

The report highlights “enormous” benefits ahead for the region, with the potential to create thousands of new jobs and secure many more within the low carbon sector which is said already to employ around 19,000 people at 1,100 companies across the two counties.

It outlines the current energy generation mix and future energy opportunities, and assesses the capability of businesses to realise the economic benefits on offer.

With renewables, natural gas and nuclear power all set to continue to play a major role, it says Suffolk and Norfolk have a strong platform on which to build.

But the report adds that greater levels of support and guidance are essential, so that companies are aware of emerging opportunities in the energy sector and know how to access them.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance is a public and private sector coalition which includes Suffolk and Norfolk county councils, Suffolk Coastal, Waveney and Great Yarmouth district/borough councils, Suffolk and Norfolk chambers of commerce, the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.

Judy Terry, portfolio holder for Greenest County, Economy and Skills at Suffolk County Council, said: “The energy industry in our two counties offers such significant opportunities for businesses.

“We are already positioning Norfolk and Suffolk as key drivers for the UK’s green economy building on the area’s rich history in nuclear and offshore operations, innovation and technology, coupled with world class credentials in automotive design, engineering and manufacturing which give us a unique offering.”

John Best, chief executive of EEEGR, added “Nowhere in the UK has a broader energy mix or provides as much business potential as Norfolk and Suffolk.

“The area’s offshore gas industry is still growing after 50 years and the region sits at the heart of the world’s largest market for offshore wind. Nuclear power facilities are being decommissioned and a new site at Sizewell is planned for development.

“With a growing bio-fuels market and plans for the storage of gas and captured carbon in the Southern North Sea, the area has an energy business worth billions.”

The report identifies that limited levels of manufacturing and engineering capability in terms of key component manufacture and construction is a key weakness of the UK supply chain across the energy industry and its sub-sectors.

However, it says that the Enterprise Zone for Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft can play a key role in stimulating investment in new facilities and business growth to meet this challenge

And the report says this is further enhanced by the announcement in December that the two towns are one of only five Centres of Offshore Renewable Engineering, ensuring support from Government to attract key engineering manufacturing businesses to setup and locate in the area.

Chris Starkie, programme director at the New Anglia LEP, said: “Given our close proximity to the offshore energy markets, and the breadth of experience within our business community, it’s no surprise that energy is one of our two top priorities for economic growth, along with the tourism sectors.

“With more than £271 billion pounds worth of new business prospects across the UK, of which £30bn is projects within Norfolk and Suffolk over the next 10 years, there are significant opportunities that we must ensure we are ready to deliver on.”

View the original article here

East Anglia region is finding the energy to solve skills shortfall

Energy Skills Foundation Programme award winners (left to right) Adam Crinnion (best project), Callum Leech (student of the year) and Leigh Yorke (highly commended

Tuesday, February 28, 2012
11:21 AM

With many business opportunities in the energy sector on the horizon more pressure is going to be piled on an industry already bemoaning a lack of skills. ANNABELLE DICKSON finds out what the challenge is and what is being done.

After more than two decades as a marine engineer in the Royal Navy, Jason Patchett left the service to carve out a career within the energy sector.

Ahead of leaving the service in 2010, Jason made contact with locally-based Forces4Energy as he searched for the right job in the oil, gas and energy sectors.

“They directed me toward prospective employers where my skills were compatible with what they wanted and where I could apply the skills I had,” he said.

Jason now works on the mechanical engineering side of oil and gas industry company Perenco, based in Great Yarmouth, where his role covers planning, procurement and adherence to regulations and while primarily office-based, his job does involve visiting the North Sea rigs to discuss issues such as equipment upgrades or planned maintenance.

Jason left the Royal Navy after serving for 21 years, including active service with HMS Battleaxe in the first Gulf War of 1991 and with HMS Grafton in the second Gulf conflict of 2003. He enlisted as a mechanic and left as a Petty Officer.

He added: “Making the move from the forces to the energy sector was not that difficult in terms of skills but I found it difficult in other areas, such as the different discipline and the change of culture. I had to adapt to that and Forces4Energy helped me do that.

“You need reassurance and to know that your skills are compatible with what is required, and in that Forces4Energy was there for me every time.”

When the latest generation of schoolchildren grow up the energy industry wants them to be engineers, project managers, geologists and technicians.

The established view that the industry is lacking the skills needed from this area has been confirmed in a new report out this week.

The Skills for Energy partnership commissioned report, Meeting the Energy Challenge, concluded that, at present, there are persistent skills shortages across the sector in ?most engineering disciplines from highly qualified engineers and experienced technicians to project managers with qualifications in engineering and more specialised areas such as geology, marine engineering and aeronautical engineering.

But it is not only the engineering skills. The report said more generic skills are needed in project management and business development skills are in demand.

Callum Leech, above centre, was one of the first students to join the Lowestoft College Energy Skills Foundation Programme.

The 19-year-old from Hopton completed the course and is now doing further training in operations and maintenance at the college on an ECITB course which will finish in June.

“Most of my family work in the energy sector,” he said. “It has given me the experience to find out what is there. I am looking to go towards offshore work as most of my family work offshore.”

Sean Largey, 18, has gone down the same route. He was given a leaflet about possible courses at the college at school.

“I did not know much about the industry and I thought it would be great to learn about it and learn about what was going on.”

He said that his first choice would be working offshore in gas and oil, but he realised that wind was an up and coming industry.

He said that he saw it as a long-term career path because of new oil and gas fields being found.

“If the opportunity arises, I would do future training and the company would like me to do it, I would definitely do extra training.”

Getting our act together, the report concludes, is critical to the region’s competitiveness, and will directly impact on it maintaining its current position as a significant energy hub.

So what is to be done?

Since 2007 this region has been piloting the Skills for Energy, which is a partnership between leading energy sector bosses, their direct supply chain together with training providers, schools, colleges, universities and the wider academic and skills sector and the public sector.

Head of UK operations at Perenco UK John Sewell, who is on the Skills for Energy board, said: “There is no doubt in my mind that for the next 15 to 20 years at least there is going to be a skills shortage.”

But he said: “We certainly think we are going in the right direction working with Skills for Energy and trying to get new talent into the region.”

Progress has been made. The Energy Skills Foundation Programme – a 12-month structured training programme which is an NVQ pre-apprenticeship course – is now in its third year at Lowestoft College giving students basic skills and a knowledge of the industry at an early age and the course is now being rolled out nationally.

Of the 21 students who have completed the course, all but one are in employment or further training. A further 16 are on the course this year.

Ferlin Quantrill, head of engineering at Lowestoft College, said: “There are plenty of opportunities and everybody is talking about the energy industry.

“This particular area seems to have a good share of it with oil, gas, wind and nuclear. We are well positioned and the college is geared up for it.”

At the other end of the spectrum the University of East Anglia, which currently has its first cohort of MSc energy engineering students, has recently approved a BEng three-year degree and MEng four-year course in energy engineering with environmental management.

And it is not just the schools and colleges that are working hard.

As well as targeting those about to set out on their career, work is being done in the region to attract former Armed Forces personnel.

Kip Morton, who has set up the company Forces4Energy to help former military personnel get into the energy sector, said: “We all know there is a skills gap and lots of companies are looking for people who can hit the ground running.

“The military guys have a high base level of skills and the discipline and experience of working in an engineering environment can easily adapt.

“It is not being used by employers as there is a problem with comprehension between what the military guys do and how they use them.

“We explain what the guys do and how they do it. When we talk plain English to the employers they realise the guys have a lot more to offer,” he said.

Plans are also being finalised for a new Energy Production Innovation and Skills Centre (EPIS) which has been supported by many industry heads.

The centre will allow regionally based small and medium sized businesses to develop their skills and capabilities.

The plan is that the new building will provide physical infrastructure, networks, facilities and equipment that is needed for training.

Mr Sewell said that as well as fully supporting the Skills for Energy programme Perenco itself had apprentices, was working with universities to provide year long undergraduate placements and is also running a post graduate training scheme.

But, Mr Sewell said: “I do not think there will ever be as much as we need to do being done.”

He said although the government was making a step in the right direction there needed to be more apprenticeship schemes.

“We are going in the right direction but there is always more to do. We have got to do more in the schools and educate both teachers and pupils about what the energy industry is about and the great opportunities there are in the industry.

“We haven’t been great at that and we are still not hitting all the right buttons.”

Celia Anderson, executive director at the East of England Energy Group who is leading the Skills for Energy programme said: “We have a single opportunity to exploit the huge opportunities ahead of us.

“The industry in the region wants to remain as a major generator and supplier of energy within UK and play a significant role on the world stage.

“This could be a period of the biggest growth that this area has ever seen. To support this we need to raise the ability of the local people to be the source of the skills, to be the first point of call when the companies are looking to develop and expand the workforce. That way we will ensure we maximise the economic benefits to the region. Otherwise, the business and the businesses will simply go elsewhere.”

She added that the most exciting conclusion of the work was that the industry believed it needed a body like Skills For Energy to be able to make this happen.

“With the third cohort of Energy Skills Foundation apprentices going through Lowestoft College, the first post graduates completing the MSc at UEA and recruitment starting for the bachelors and masters energy engineering programmes in 2013, a steady flow of people from the military, we are making progress.

“The EPISCentre will provide the focal point for the future industry training and an essential part of the education and training infrastructure.”

She said the next big area of focus was to establish an apprenticeship training agency to remove many of the barriers to companies wanting to take on apprentices both commercial and technical.

“We are working with Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex County Councils to improve the engagement with and support for schools through platforms such as U-Explore,” she said.

There is plenty of work to be done and many roles to be filled, but a pioneering industry-led body to address the issue.

What is clear is there are great opportunities and a buzz around the energy industry and the opportunities are there to be seized by the next generation.

Tomorrow the EDP will be looking at the potential for businesses to become part of the energy industry supply chain and what is being done to help them.

A large electrical shop in Dereham will shut this weekend nearly a year after the business was rescued by its rival Hughes Electrical.

Read full story »

View the original article here

East Anglia region is finding the energy to solve skills shortfall

Energy Skills Foundation Programme award winners (left to right) Adam Crinnion (best project), Callum Leech (student of the year) and Leigh Yorke (highly commended

Tuesday, February 28, 2012
11:21 AM

With many business opportunities in the energy sector on the horizon more pressure is going to be piled on an industry already bemoaning a lack of skills. ANNABELLE DICKSON finds out what the challenge is and what is being done.

After more than two decades as a marine engineer in the Royal Navy, Jason Patchett left the service to carve out a career within the energy sector.

Ahead of leaving the service in 2010, Jason made contact with locally-based Forces4Energy as he searched for the right job in the oil, gas and energy sectors.

“They directed me toward prospective employers where my skills were compatible with what they wanted and where I could apply the skills I had,” he said.

Jason now works on the mechanical engineering side of oil and gas industry company Perenco, based in Great Yarmouth, where his role covers planning, procurement and adherence to regulations and while primarily office-based, his job does involve visiting the North Sea rigs to discuss issues such as equipment upgrades or planned maintenance.

Jason left the Royal Navy after serving for 21 years, including active service with HMS Battleaxe in the first Gulf War of 1991 and with HMS Grafton in the second Gulf conflict of 2003. He enlisted as a mechanic and left as a Petty Officer.

He added: “Making the move from the forces to the energy sector was not that difficult in terms of skills but I found it difficult in other areas, such as the different discipline and the change of culture. I had to adapt to that and Forces4Energy helped me do that.

“You need reassurance and to know that your skills are compatible with what is required, and in that Forces4Energy was there for me every time.”

When the latest generation of schoolchildren grow up the energy industry wants them to be engineers, project managers, geologists and technicians.

The established view that the industry is lacking the skills needed from this area has been confirmed in a new report out this week.

The Skills for Energy partnership commissioned report, Meeting the Energy Challenge, concluded that, at present, there are persistent skills shortages across the sector in ?most engineering disciplines from highly qualified engineers and experienced technicians to project managers with qualifications in engineering and more specialised areas such as geology, marine engineering and aeronautical engineering.

But it is not only the engineering skills. The report said more generic skills are needed in project management and business development skills are in demand.

Callum Leech, above centre, was one of the first students to join the Lowestoft College Energy Skills Foundation Programme.

The 19-year-old from Hopton completed the course and is now doing further training in operations and maintenance at the college on an ECITB course which will finish in June.

“Most of my family work in the energy sector,” he said. “It has given me the experience to find out what is there. I am looking to go towards offshore work as most of my family work offshore.”

Sean Largey, 18, has gone down the same route. He was given a leaflet about possible courses at the college at school.

“I did not know much about the industry and I thought it would be great to learn about it and learn about what was going on.”

He said that his first choice would be working offshore in gas and oil, but he realised that wind was an up and coming industry.

He said that he saw it as a long-term career path because of new oil and gas fields being found.

“If the opportunity arises, I would do future training and the company would like me to do it, I would definitely do extra training.”

Getting our act together, the report concludes, is critical to the region’s competitiveness, and will directly impact on it maintaining its current position as a significant energy hub.

So what is to be done?

Since 2007 this region has been piloting the Skills for Energy, which is a partnership between leading energy sector bosses, their direct supply chain together with training providers, schools, colleges, universities and the wider academic and skills sector and the public sector.

Head of UK operations at Perenco UK John Sewell, who is on the Skills for Energy board, said: “There is no doubt in my mind that for the next 15 to 20 years at least there is going to be a skills shortage.”

But he said: “We certainly think we are going in the right direction working with Skills for Energy and trying to get new talent into the region.”

Progress has been made. The Energy Skills Foundation Programme – a 12-month structured training programme which is an NVQ pre-apprenticeship course – is now in its third year at Lowestoft College giving students basic skills and a knowledge of the industry at an early age and the course is now being rolled out nationally.

Of the 21 students who have completed the course, all but one are in employment or further training. A further 16 are on the course this year.

Ferlin Quantrill, head of engineering at Lowestoft College, said: “There are plenty of opportunities and everybody is talking about the energy industry.

“This particular area seems to have a good share of it with oil, gas, wind and nuclear. We are well positioned and the college is geared up for it.”

At the other end of the spectrum the University of East Anglia, which currently has its first cohort of MSc energy engineering students, has recently approved a BEng three-year degree and MEng four-year course in energy engineering with environmental management.

And it is not just the schools and colleges that are working hard.

As well as targeting those about to set out on their career, work is being done in the region to attract former Armed Forces personnel.

Kip Morton, who has set up the company Forces4Energy to help former military personnel get into the energy sector, said: “We all know there is a skills gap and lots of companies are looking for people who can hit the ground running.

“The military guys have a high base level of skills and the discipline and experience of working in an engineering environment can easily adapt.

“It is not being used by employers as there is a problem with comprehension between what the military guys do and how they use them.

“We explain what the guys do and how they do it. When we talk plain English to the employers they realise the guys have a lot more to offer,” he said.

Plans are also being finalised for a new Energy Production Innovation and Skills Centre (EPIS) which has been supported by many industry heads.

The centre will allow regionally based small and medium sized businesses to develop their skills and capabilities.

The plan is that the new building will provide physical infrastructure, networks, facilities and equipment that is needed for training.

Mr Sewell said that as well as fully supporting the Skills for Energy programme Perenco itself had apprentices, was working with universities to provide year long undergraduate placements and is also running a post graduate training scheme.

But, Mr Sewell said: “I do not think there will ever be as much as we need to do being done.”

He said although the government was making a step in the right direction there needed to be more apprenticeship schemes.

“We are going in the right direction but there is always more to do. We have got to do more in the schools and educate both teachers and pupils about what the energy industry is about and the great opportunities there are in the industry.

“We haven’t been great at that and we are still not hitting all the right buttons.”

Celia Anderson, executive director at the East of England Energy Group who is leading the Skills for Energy programme said: “We have a single opportunity to exploit the huge opportunities ahead of us.

“The industry in the region wants to remain as a major generator and supplier of energy within UK and play a significant role on the world stage.

“This could be a period of the biggest growth that this area has ever seen. To support this we need to raise the ability of the local people to be the source of the skills, to be the first point of call when the companies are looking to develop and expand the workforce. That way we will ensure we maximise the economic benefits to the region. Otherwise, the business and the businesses will simply go elsewhere.”

She added that the most exciting conclusion of the work was that the industry believed it needed a body like Skills For Energy to be able to make this happen.

“With the third cohort of Energy Skills Foundation apprentices going through Lowestoft College, the first post graduates completing the MSc at UEA and recruitment starting for the bachelors and masters energy engineering programmes in 2013, a steady flow of people from the military, we are making progress.

“The EPISCentre will provide the focal point for the future industry training and an essential part of the education and training infrastructure.”

She said the next big area of focus was to establish an apprenticeship training agency to remove many of the barriers to companies wanting to take on apprentices both commercial and technical.

“We are working with Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex County Councils to improve the engagement with and support for schools through platforms such as U-Explore,” she said.

There is plenty of work to be done and many roles to be filled, but a pioneering industry-led body to address the issue.

What is clear is there are great opportunities and a buzz around the energy industry and the opportunities are there to be seized by the next generation.

Tomorrow the EDP will be looking at the potential for businesses to become part of the energy industry supply chain and what is being done to help them.

A large electrical shop in Dereham will shut this weekend nearly a year after the business was rescued by its rival Hughes Electrical.

Read full story »

View the original article here