SUCCESSION PLANNING: IHEEM ROUNDTABLE


Ensuring a well-trained workforce for the future


On taking up the IHEEM Presidency just under two years ago, Pete Sellars set out five key areas on which he promised to focus during his tenure – among them being to champion bringing new talent into a sector which, like much of UK engineering, is currently experiencing serious skills shortages. In line with this goal, June’s Hospital Innovations 2018 event saw the year’s second IHEEM roundtable to date focus on NHS apprenticeships, with a particular emphasis on ongoing work by NHSI, in conjunction with the professional institutes, to establish a national engineering apprenticeship for healthcare engineers. In this issue, HEJ reports on the first half of the discussion, while September’s edition will cover the second.


Entitled ‘Developing NHS Apprenticeships’, this second IHEEM roundtable in the Institute’s 75th Anniversary Year took place on the afternoon of the one-day Hospital Innovations 2018 event, held at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health at University College London. The proceedings were chaired by Pete Sellars. The other participants were: n John Thatcher, CEO of healthcare training establishment, Eastwood Park Limited.


n Phil Wade, director at nurse call, bedhead trunking, and fire alarm specialist, Static Systems Group.


n Geoff Neild, associate director of Estates at North Staffs Combined Healthcare, and National Council vice-chair and west Midlands Branch chair at HefmA.


n Patricia Behal, Technicians & Apprenticeship executive, Engineering Council.


n Kim Phillips, director, and Mark Cunningham, Electrical Design engineer, at consulting engineers, Eta Projects.


n Fiona Daly, National Sustainability and EFM workforce lead, NHS Improvement.


n Chris Parker, IHEEM’s Membership Development manager.


Setting the scene


Setting the scene, Pete Sellars explained that IHEEM had committed to nationally raise the profile of apprentices within the Institute as part of its ‘strategic vision’, with the initial drive having focused on ‘raising awareness of the need to encourage apprentices into our industry, and specifically the NHS’.


IHEEM had already established and identified ‘key partners across the sector’ to help with this work, including NHS Improvement, IHEEM Company Affiliates, training providers, HefmA, and the Engineering Council, all keen ‘to actively


32 Health Estate Journal August 2018


n How we can create a programme together.


n What we need to do to gain support from Government.


n The next steps in taking this agenda forward.


Profile-raising work


Healthcare Estates 2017 saw IHEEM President, Pete Sellars (left), and TBA director, Terry Canty, launch the Apprentice of the Year Award – the first such award will be presented at this year’s event in Manchester.


take forward and develop the next stages of the national apprenticeship offer for the NHS’.


The roundtable discussion would thus consider: n ‘Where we are’ with apprenticeships. n The work currently being undertaken in the sector.


n Examples of existing best practice.


Pete Sellars initiated the discussions when he said: “To set the scene, I think that, over the past two years, IHEEM has quite effectively raised the profile of the need for apprentices. We now have apprentices joining the Institute, having made it easier to get in – including by offering free membership places. We have also created the space at Healthcare Estates for apprentices to present, and I know that this initiative was hugely successful in 2017.” The IHEEM President said the Institute was now keen ‘to know what the industry really wants’. He noted that John Thatcher and his colleagues at Eastwood Park were currently developing new apprenticeship standards, while Eileen Bayles continues to manage the highly successful


Eileen Bayles, who manages the highly successful apprenticeship programme co-ordinated by the Northern & Yorkshire NHS Assessment Centre, speaking on the ‘Apprentice Today, Leaders Tomorrow’ theatre at Healthcare Estates 2017.


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