Industry insight
www.heatingandventilating.net
A new approach in an antiquated industry
Andrew Jones, technical director, Axair Fans UK Limited, suggests that working collaboratively with suppliers and manufacturers is the key to overcoming the challenges of “an antiquated industry”
B
ased on data 90% of large, and more than two thirds of small-medium enterprises are facing skills shortages in engineering. In our
industry the problem is far more specific; it’s an in-depth knowledge and application of physics to understand pressure development, air movement behaviour, the infinity fan laws around power, pressure and volume, and a basic awareness of chemical properties, these are the common things that our customers in particular struggle with. In education, this type of knowledge is typically taught only in theory, yet the application of that theory used to problem solve and apply, is a skill that is more difficult to ascertain. As a child I was born with what the industry calls “the knack”, a natural ability to understand and apply concepts quickly and easily, but my formal education was in no way suited to the skill set I had.
This brings me on to qualifications and skills being different. These transferable skills are so specific that companies simply cannot get that experience from looking at employee’s formal qualifications, or by making hires based on statements on paper. Especially, as with my experience, people sometimes don’t find their feet until later due to a lack of direction. As the technical director of a fan business, I’m pleased that we have a forward-thinking approach, removing the barriers that can obstruct people from entering the profession, allowing them to reach their potential
Left: Andrew Jones, technical director, Axair Fans UK Limited
“New graduates often struggle with the ability to apply their theory to actual problems as their education has not been geared towards problem solving. This leaves that seismic shift when experienced engineers at the top are replaced with new engineers.”
and rise to the top. We hire on ability, through having conversations and interpreting their understanding and approach to problem solving, we quickly determine if the knack is there. Out in the field there are striking gender differences, especially on more technical roles. I’m proud that we have an equal balance of male and female employees. Comparably,
our team is getting younger, going against the grain on the issue of an aging workforce in the field. Today’s industry employment reports show that 19.5% of engineers working in the UK will retire by 2026, exacerbating the skills shortage. The continued challenge for manufacturers is evident, with 98% of companies expressing concerns that their business will suffer if they can’t hire the right engineers or technical biased employees. New graduates often struggle with the ability to apply their theory to actual problems as their education has not been geared towards problem solving. This leaves that seismic shift when experienced engineers at the top are replaced with new engineers. That’s where collaboration with suppliers and manufacturers is key, the new approach in an antiquated industry. It’s ignorant to think that companies should have an inhouse team that make technical calculations, designing in isolation with the desired outcome of delivering the best system that performs at the optimal level for the customer project. Minimising disruption by working with external experts in niche areas is one way to make an instant positive impact to your business, with no training or recruitment required. Incredibly valuable if those businesses are working on time-sensitive projects or need to avoid any impact on production delays.
It’s a matter of adapting or perishing for businesses that rely on their technical product selection teams. Adapt by working collaboratively and utilising the skill sets of other businesses, businesses such as Axair that can understand the industry needs and anticipate solutions, suggesting potentially creative business enhancing fan components that could create opportunities for greater market share and customer satisfaction, or perish by losing competitive advantage through falling behind on technological advancements and relying on inhouse teams that lack the application knowledge without giving them the support from these experts. At the end of the day, no one ever beat a competitor by staying the same, speed and adaptability is the new key performance indicator in today’s economy. The antiquated approach of we’ve always done it this way simply doesn’t hold weight.
www.axair-fans.co.uk 16 May 2024
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