• • • NEWS • • •


BGEN celebrates record year following rebrand and outlines future plans B


GEN, a specialist, multi-discipline engineering solutions business, is celebrating a record


year following the company’s rebrand and has outlined ambitious targets for the year ahead. In the last financial year, turnover increased by


more than 50% to £191 million and the company has also reported a significant increase in operating profit. John Sugden, executive chair at BGEN. “While


the next 12 months will remain a challenge in terms of the economic climate and industry-wide talent shortage, we’re confident we’ll deliver against our planned people, performance and planet objectives. “We have a strong order book for the year ahead


and a great senior management team in place.” In 2022, BGEN secured contracts with several blue-chip organisations in sectors such as clean


energy, food, heavy-industry and pharmaceutical, and successfully tendered and won 12 strategic utility agreements, including two new awards for National Grid. The company also expanded its sustainability


and net zero service offering and strengthened its technology division through the acquisition of Radway Control Systems. The year ahead will see BGEN continue a major


recruitment drive, looking to expand its workforce from 1,000 to more than 1,300 employees, as the company looks to service its existing client base and expand into new sectors. The company is looking to recruit a range


of positions, including mechanical and electrical engineers, as well as several roles to support its fast-growing sustainability practice, with a number of apprenticeship and


JIB Apprentice Exchange Programme announces winner


announced as the winner of the Joint Industry Board (JIB) Apprentice Exchange Programme and will spend six weeks living and working as an electrician in Brisbane, Australia. The JIB relaunched its


M


Apprentice Exchange Programme last year after it was suspended in 2020 following the outbreak of Covid. As part of the trip, Mr


Pickering will also visit the contractors’ association, union and leading training providers to get a better understanding of how the industry works and


atthew Pickering, of NG Bailey, has been


compile a report on his experiences of the electrical industry in Queensland, Australia. Mr Pickering took up an


electrical apprenticeship having enjoyed the blend of electrical and mechanical engineering in his previous job as a technical support manager for an espresso machine importer. He completed a Level 2


Diploma in Electrical Installations before beginning his apprenticeship. Mr Pickering said: “As time


went on, I felt that I wanted to have the level of understanding I saw amongst my more formally trained peers. I saw the strengths of a complete apprenticeship and how it benefited others in both the practical and theoretical aspects of the job.” Funding for the Apprentice


Exchange Programme is provided by the JIB Skills Development Fund, which will cover the cost of flights, accommodation, wages and associated costs. Richard Clarke, Chair of the


JIB Skills Development Fund Trustees, said: “Matthew will act as an ambassador for the UK electrical contracting industry, learning about and sharing best practice and experiences for the benefit of the electrical community internationally.”


6 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023


graduate opportunities available across the business. Robin Whitehead, chief executive officer at


BGEN, said: “We’re making good progress against our mission to be recognised as an independent market leader in the provision of world class multi- disciplinary engineering solutions for UK and international organisations.”


AGI supports Government report on accelerating EV Chargepoint rollout


T


he Association for Geographic Information (AGI) has supported a UK government report on how location data can drive the rollout of electric


vehicle infrastructure. The AGI recently hosted a roundtable to discuss opportunities for geospatial to


build a chargepoint network that works for everyone, everywhere. The findings of this have now been used to support the Geospatial


Commission’s policy development which has culminated with the publication of ‘Getting to the Point: Accelerating EV chargepoint rollout through geospatial data’. The report proposes that to build a chargepoint network that can work for


everyone, chargepoints must be rolled out where they are needed for today and tomorrow. Joe Cuddeford,


deputy director at the Geospatial Commission, said location data is key to building the right infrastructure in the right places, giving confidence to current and future EV owners that they can efficiently reach their destination. The report identifies how location data can help model future demand, select


suitable sites, create a seamless consumer experience and track rollout. Mr Cuddeford said: “I am grateful to the AGI for convening a diverse mix


of stakeholders to help us understand the role of location data in EV chargepoint rollout. “The geospatial sector has a crucial role in delivering the UK’s vision of an EV


chargepoint network that works for everyone, wherever they live, work and travel.” Adam Burke, chair of the Association for Geographic Information, said: “As an


independent industry body, we are uniquely placed to bring together organisations that are charged with delivering EV charging infrastructure with organisations who have access to the data, technology and know-how to model demand and identify suitable locations. “The geospatial sector also has an integral role to play in making chargepoint


data more findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable, improving the customer experience, and providing metrics for tracking its rollout and use.”


electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk


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