Opinion
A good engineer does not equal a good
manager and we ignore this truth at our
peril, says Nick Mead
H
ere is the news: we have a skills gap. OK, I level strategic vision to see challenges coming or to know
hear you say, so what’s new about that? But how to plan properly for them.
I’m not referring to technical skills here – The fact is that without quality leadership and
although there’s no doubt we have a pretty management training, our industry lacks the ability to
glaring shortage in a number of disciplines – but to our adapt and survive. This damages our prospects, makes
shortage of management or leadership skills. it diffi cult to attract and retain quality individuals and
As a former director in the building services industry, harms our productivity. So, we have a ‘leadership
I’m willing to put my hand up fi rst – I was conscious of problem’. What should be done about it?
my own defi ciencies in the role but can also claim in my Some have tried to address the issue,
own defence that I sought to address them. The problem is but the general experience of building
that we like to promote the best engineers into positions of services firms with outside ‘experts’
leadership – and that is not always the best strategy. is not a happy one, according to Prof
Here’s a startling statistic from the building services Thomas. He estimates that about 80 per
sector skills council, SummitSkills: 60 per cent of cent of the management training courses
companies in the sector do not see it as a problem if commissioned by building services fi rms
their management has not had any formal management are of little or no practical use to them.
training. The implication being, at least for a signifi cant Gareth Vaughan, of the Heating and
number of firms, that the best person to manage a Ventilation Contractors Association,
building services engineering fi rm is a good building believes that the problem lies in “the
services engineer. While that might work for many plethora of courses and providers”, which
companies, it is also a glaring weakness in others. causes confusion and makes the problem
We are also told that, even before the recession worse. “If we can get the right management
diminishes our resources further, contractors do not have and leadership skills, we will be able to cope
the right level of technical skills to cope if the renewables more easily when new technologies come
market grows to anything like the extent it must to meet along,” he says.
our low-carbon goals. We need something that will both appeal
“The sector’s engagement with skills competence to employers in this sector and suit their
in environmental and renewable energy technologies particular needs. And, with that in mind, the CIBSE Patrons
remains very low,” according to Tony Thomas, professor of – a membership group of companies and organisations in
work-based learning at London South Bank University. building services – aims to work with CIBSE to champion
“Most firms wait for market development or and help take forward a management training programme
government intervention before considering investing specifi cally tailored to our industry.
in renewables and low-carbon training,” he adds. “Failure We would welcome any feedback from people within
to engage in the renewables market will damage the our sector about the specifi c management challenges they
industry’s profi tability and encourage foreign competition face as this will inform the content of our programme.
to enter the market. We will fall further behind foreign You may not agree with any of the above – perhaps you
competitors as our craft operatives become less skilled are one of the 60 per cent who feel lack of management
compared with their overseas counterparts.” training is not a problem – if so, both the Patrons and this
Yet, fewer than 50 per cent of employers are prepared magazine will be pleased to hear from you. ●
to release students for college-based training because of
short-term thinking. This leaves the growing renewables Nick Mead is chairman of CIBSE Patrons.
market at the mercy of ‘rogue traders’ because, I would
Contact the Patrons via their co-ordinator Chris Brown,
cbrown@cibse.org
argue, across the whole sector we have not had the broad
26 CIBSE Journal February 2009
www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEfeb09pp26 Opinion Mead•rev yudu.indd 26 13/2/09 12:11:28
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88