SKILLS GAP - OTHER INDUSTRIES
FROM RAF AND RETAIL TO ICE RENEWABLES’ TEAM
Two new members of the ICE Renewables’ team have shown how skills obtained in retail and the RAF can be transferred to the wind energy sector.
VERITY NASEBY
25-year-old Verity Naseby has joined leading medium wind turbine specialist, ICE Renewables in Northallerton, as Operations and Maintenance Co-ordinator after holding roles in both retail and hospitality.
JOHN PRESTON As ICE Renewables continues to expand the operations and maintenance team they have also appointed staff from the Royal Air Force, including John Preston.
John, now Operations and Maintenance Manager at ICE, enjoyed a 27-year career with the RAF progressing to Chief Technician, responsible for maintaining the RAF’s eye in the sky the AWACs, which took him and his teams around the world.
RESPONSIBILITIES
At ICE Renewables John is responsible for ensuring the right resources are in the right place at the right time to carry out essential maintenance and repairs. He liaises with clients to ensure they are happy with the service provided, and maintains service records.
John commented, “I wanted to work within the renewables industry after leaving the military. I like doing my bit for the environment - and trying to secure a safer, healthier planet for our children’s children.
“The company believes that as a business it’s not just about installing a turbine, it’s about how that turbine is serviced and maintained and the relationship we develop with the customer.
“All of the skills I learnt through the military have been transferable. A nut is a nut, whether it’s on a multi- million pound aircraft or a wind turbine. The hydraulic pitch system, although
basic compared to an aircraft hydraulic system, carries out the same basic functions.”
In a newly defined role, Verity will be the main point of contact for clients and engineers, providing support and advice on maintenance and repair appointments. She is responsible for client communication, engineer co-ordination, turbine monitoring and is involved with the FIT accreditation process.
Verity says: “Renewables is still a relatively new industry. I felt as though I had gone as far as I could go in retail management and I needed a new challenge.”
ICE Renewables has been operating for six years and is co-owned and managed by one of the industry’s leading wind experts and Chair of Renewable UK’s Small and Medium Wind Strategy Group, Julian Martin.
ICE Renewables
www.icerenewables.com Click to view more info
ED’S NOTE - We will be continuing to feature ICE Renewables & the role of medium wind
WORKING WITH WEYMOUTH COLLEGE TO RE-TRAIN WORKFORCE
MEETING THE NEEDS OF NAVITUS BAY WINDFARM The SCA Group, specialist access and maintenance provider from Wimborne, working with Weymouth College, have developed a number of training schemes which will bridge skills-gaps and enable local workers to assist in maintaining the Navitus Bay windfarm proposed off the Dorset coast. The training scheme is being submitted as part of a bid to try and secure £1m of UKCES funding for new employer-led training courses.
who provide guidance and support as well as quality teaching.
THE SCA GROUP The SCA Group offer expertise in high level maintenance from ropes, and with limited training facilities in the UK for offshore work. Both parties are hopeful that funding will be granted in order that people local to Navitus Bay can be employed.
WEYMOUTH COLLEGE
Weymouth College provide facilities for over 7,000 students from across Dorset and the rest of the UK, as well as from overseas, offering a diverse range of courses, excellent facilities and a team of highly dedicated and experienced staff
22
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
Rex Witts, Director of Construction and Engineering at Weymouth College, commented:
“Weymouth College can become a centre of excellence for wind farm training programmes. In addition we have specialist stonemasonry, engineering,
electrical installation and electronics provision. Working with the SCA Group will mean we can train our teams to carry out all of these functions at height.”
Mike Unsworth, Navitus Bay Wind Farm Project Director, said “Many different skills will be required to operate the Navitus Bay wind farm, and the sooner these skills are honed the better. One of our main aims is to keep as much of this work as local as possible, and we are delighted to see such a wave of local support from companies such as SCA.”
Weymouth College
www.weymouth.ac.uk
The SCA Group
www.thescagroup.com
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 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108