International conference for SMEs' business opportunities in North African region

A high profile panel debate including investment experts from Libya, Tunisia and Egypt will provide participants with an insight on economic trends as a result of the ongoing political change in these countries, and the business opportunities that may stem from these developments.

In light of the recent upheavals that have characterized the political landscape in the Arab countries, a new approach to how business is being conducted and how a new economic reality is unfolding in the Southern Mediterranean region, is unveiling new business opportunities for Maltese and European enterprises.

The Malta Business Bureau and the Ministry for Competition, Small Business and Consumers have joined forces to organise a high profile international conference with the purpose of shedding light on the new economic developments occurring in the post-Arab spring. A panel debate with investment experts from Libya, Tunisia and Egypt will provide participants with a unique insight on the evolution of economic trends as a result of the ongoing political change.

This will be followed by separate workshops that will separately analyse the particular circumstances and markets of Libya, Tunisia and Egypt as well as charting business opportunities for SMEs.

A key intervention will be delivered by Mr Wojciech Sopinski and Mr Antonios Fysekidis - officials within the DG Enterprise and Industry (European Commission), who will highlight the various aspects of EU policy specifically aimed at supporting SMEs and at contributing to job creation in view of the EU-MED Industrial Co-operation. Other aspects will include an outline of the Commission's strategy to support SME internationalization efforts and the facilitation of business contacts through the Enterprise Europe Network.

A second key intervention will be delivered by Mr Dirk Vantyghem - Director of International Affairs at Eurochambres, who will be focusing his intervention on the EU's support programmes which aim at strengthening Euromed business-to-business cooperation. Mr Vantyghem will delve into the merits and requirements related to the 'Invest in-Med II' programme.

The half-day conference is being held on Friday 15th June (08:30hrs - 13:00hrs) at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, Floriana. For registration and more information contact the Malta Business Bureau on info@mbb.org.mt or 2125 1719.

Proceedings will be held in English.

View the original article here

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.

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

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.

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

The Star Business Survey 2012: Sheffield City Region creates opportunities - VIDEO - The Star

Published on Wednesday 18 January 2012 12:54

THE Star Business Survey 2012 is out today and Sheffield City Region (LEP) chairman James Newman reveals how hard work to counter a tough 12-months will maximise future economic potential.

VIDEO: Read his full comments below and click the play button to watch Mr Newman in conversation with The Star’s Business Editor Bob Rae.

The Star Business Survey 2012, in association wuith Lambert Smith Hampton, is a 44-page supplement in which business leaders take a close look at the shape of the region’s industry, manufacturing, innovations and training.

It is a FREE pull-out in The Star on Wednesday, January 18, 2012.

Mr Newman tells how Sheffield City Region is creating opportunities. Here’s his article in full:

Undoubtedly, the last 12 months have been tough for both the national and local economies,

At a national level there has been only sluggish growth, an increase in unemployment – particularly amongst younger people – and a reduction in both business and consumer confidence.

These trends have also been felt within the Sheffield City Region where, for example, over 6,500 more people are claiming job seeker’s allowance compared with the same time last year. Young people, including many graduates from our excellent Universities and Colleges, have been badly affected and are finding it increasingly difficult to find sustained and meaningful employment.

The future growth of the City Region will be determined by the way in which we create and shape opportunities now. Clearly, our local economy will be influenced by both national and international factors such as global commodity prices, consumer confidence and the crisis in the euro area.

However, independent economic forecasts make clear that a coordinated local response to local issues, additional private sector funding for investment and a more innovative use of specialist funding schemes are some of the measures that could make a lasting difference to our economy.

We are not fighting for our economic survival as the City Region is in a far stronger position, but we are working hard to maximise the City Region’s economic potential in the future. Just over a year ago, our proposal for a Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was one of the first to be approved by the Government.

Our vision was for the Sheffield City Region to make a greater contribution to the UK economy by having a local economy less dependent on the public sector, providing conditions for businesses to grow and by giving the nation its prime centre for advanced manufacturing and materials and a focus on other key sectors where we are already ahead of the game. We want the Sheffield City Region to remain a great place to live, work, invest, and visit. From the start, we were determined that our LEP would be one of the pioneers and one of the best run and feedback from many observers suggests that this is the case.

During this first year, we have established a board, which represents a genuine collaboration between the public sector and local business leaders.

This is a new and innovative partnership and not simply the private sector being invited into existing public sector structures. Working with government, we have secured an Enterprise Zone on a series of sites along the M1 corridor, which will stimulate growth in the modern manufacturing and technology sectors and secure a long-term source of investment through the local retention of business rates. As announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn statement, we have creatively used £7 million of our £12.3 million national Growing Places Fund to leverage a further £13 million of match funding from the European Union. This will give us a total of £25 million to unblock stalled local infrastructure projects, create jobs and promote sustainable economic growth.

However you measure it, this is a great start for the Partnership. We are clear about the challenges we face and our priorities going forward. These include supporting existing businesses to increase their competitiveness and productivity, developing the Sheffield City Region as the area of choice for private sector investment and reinvestment and creating the workforce of tomorrow by developing an employer-led approach to delivering the skills that the economy really needs. We are also taking steps to put in place the right conditions for growth, which includes improving important transport connections and unlocking the potential of key centres, economic sites or development areas.

We believe we also need a strong two-way partnership and dialogue with government to achieve our aspirations for the City Region. Government is beginning to realise that growth can only be achieved by harnessing the economic power of areas like the Sheffield City Region and is committed, as never before, to working with areas like ours to secure that growth. For our part, we will continue to develop proposals for growth which are well-argued, well-evidenced, brave and bold. We will demonstrate to government that the investment of money, incentives or new powers in the Sheffield City Region, will yield a significant return.

* James Newman is the first chairman of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) established in November 2010. James has a career spanning more than 35 years, including senior roles in manufacturing, services and utilities.

A former Master Cutler and deputy chairman of Sheffield Hallam University, James is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and is currently chairman of Finance Yorkshire and a non-executive director of a number of public companies.

* Employment figures drawn from Nomis: www.nomis.co.uk (October 2011 compared with October 2010).

* Over 3000 or the 6,500 more claimants are aged 16 to 24) (October 2011 compared with October 2010).

View the original article here

The Star Business Survey 2012: Sheffield City Region creates opportunities - VIDEO - The Star

Published on Wednesday 18 January 2012 12:54

THE Star Business Survey 2012 is out today and Sheffield City Region (LEP) chairman James Newman reveals how hard work to counter a tough 12-months will maximise future economic potential.

VIDEO: Read his full comments below and click the play button to watch Mr Newman in conversation with The Star’s Business Editor Bob Rae.

The Star Business Survey 2012, in association wuith Lambert Smith Hampton, is a 44-page supplement in which business leaders take a close look at the shape of the region’s industry, manufacturing, innovations and training.

It is a FREE pull-out in The Star on Wednesday, January 18, 2012.

Mr Newman tells how Sheffield City Region is creating opportunities. Here’s his article in full:

Undoubtedly, the last 12 months have been tough for both the national and local economies,

At a national level there has been only sluggish growth, an increase in unemployment – particularly amongst younger people – and a reduction in both business and consumer confidence.

These trends have also been felt within the Sheffield City Region where, for example, over 6,500 more people are claiming job seeker’s allowance compared with the same time last year. Young people, including many graduates from our excellent Universities and Colleges, have been badly affected and are finding it increasingly difficult to find sustained and meaningful employment.

The future growth of the City Region will be determined by the way in which we create and shape opportunities now. Clearly, our local economy will be influenced by both national and international factors such as global commodity prices, consumer confidence and the crisis in the euro area.

However, independent economic forecasts make clear that a coordinated local response to local issues, additional private sector funding for investment and a more innovative use of specialist funding schemes are some of the measures that could make a lasting difference to our economy.

We are not fighting for our economic survival as the City Region is in a far stronger position, but we are working hard to maximise the City Region’s economic potential in the future. Just over a year ago, our proposal for a Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was one of the first to be approved by the Government.

Our vision was for the Sheffield City Region to make a greater contribution to the UK economy by having a local economy less dependent on the public sector, providing conditions for businesses to grow and by giving the nation its prime centre for advanced manufacturing and materials and a focus on other key sectors where we are already ahead of the game. We want the Sheffield City Region to remain a great place to live, work, invest, and visit. From the start, we were determined that our LEP would be one of the pioneers and one of the best run and feedback from many observers suggests that this is the case.

During this first year, we have established a board, which represents a genuine collaboration between the public sector and local business leaders.

This is a new and innovative partnership and not simply the private sector being invited into existing public sector structures. Working with government, we have secured an Enterprise Zone on a series of sites along the M1 corridor, which will stimulate growth in the modern manufacturing and technology sectors and secure a long-term source of investment through the local retention of business rates. As announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn statement, we have creatively used £7 million of our £12.3 million national Growing Places Fund to leverage a further £13 million of match funding from the European Union. This will give us a total of £25 million to unblock stalled local infrastructure projects, create jobs and promote sustainable economic growth.

However you measure it, this is a great start for the Partnership. We are clear about the challenges we face and our priorities going forward. These include supporting existing businesses to increase their competitiveness and productivity, developing the Sheffield City Region as the area of choice for private sector investment and reinvestment and creating the workforce of tomorrow by developing an employer-led approach to delivering the skills that the economy really needs. We are also taking steps to put in place the right conditions for growth, which includes improving important transport connections and unlocking the potential of key centres, economic sites or development areas.

We believe we also need a strong two-way partnership and dialogue with government to achieve our aspirations for the City Region. Government is beginning to realise that growth can only be achieved by harnessing the economic power of areas like the Sheffield City Region and is committed, as never before, to working with areas like ours to secure that growth. For our part, we will continue to develop proposals for growth which are well-argued, well-evidenced, brave and bold. We will demonstrate to government that the investment of money, incentives or new powers in the Sheffield City Region, will yield a significant return.

* James Newman is the first chairman of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) established in November 2010. James has a career spanning more than 35 years, including senior roles in manufacturing, services and utilities.

A former Master Cutler and deputy chairman of Sheffield Hallam University, James is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and is currently chairman of Finance Yorkshire and a non-executive director of a number of public companies.

* Employment figures drawn from Nomis: www.nomis.co.uk (October 2011 compared with October 2010).

* Over 3000 or the 6,500 more claimants are aged 16 to 24) (October 2011 compared with October 2010).

View the original article here