15 April 2021         News

Andy Holmes, the brains behind our hugely successful Women in Utilities programme, recently spoke to Ollie Darvill on Erewash Sound Radio about the ongoing problem of gender diversity in the utilities industry.

In case you missed it, listen to the recording here.

What is the Women in Utilities Success Programme?

The programme is designed to accelerate the careers of women in the utility industry, provide advocacy and mentoring to support pathways to leadership roles, as well as strive to create a culture of empowerment.

In a nutshell:

• An advanced programme of training, networking and mentoring for women in the utility industry.
• The programme will provide qualifications relevant to the individuals sector/job role through 15 days of training (Valued up to £15k – at no cost to the participant).
• The programme will provide participants with a high level of skills including an understanding of the challenges the industry faces, global perspectives from various industry leaders.
• A network of mentors among leading women in the industry.
• Provide companies with a solution to training and CSR through this high level programme.
• Helps companies in the sector to identify talent and reach gender equality benchmarks.
• Become part of a network of alumni to then support the next generation of participants by becoming mentors of the programme.

   25 March 2021         News

Develop Training is seeing the first signs of success from a national training programme designed to champion women in the utilities industry.

The Women in Utilities success programme initially offered free places to eight female candidates keen to progress in this traditionally male-dominated industry.

Administrator to Contracts Manager on gas holder demolition sites

Now, the first woman to be accepted on the programme last year, Annie Thompson (29), is celebrating a major promotion from her administrative role with Northern Gas Networks to managing contracts on gas holder demolition sites.

While she still has further days scheduled for completing her training, due to delays caused by the Covid pandemic, Annie believes her promotion would not have been possible without the excellent support provided by Develop at its Derby training centre.

Squashing male-female stereotypes

And, after starting her new dream job earlier this month, she is urging any women with similar ambitions in any industry sector to go and do it.

“We need to squash these male-female stereotypes in this day and age,” she said. “It might feel daunting for many women to enter a traditionally male-dominated world – but it’s certainly not like it used to be any more.

I’ve had absolutely no negative reactions on site – quite the opposite in fact. And even with me being less than five feet tall, often tumbling out of those big vans, nobody bats an eyelid.”

The support from Develop has been second to none

“The training from Develop has been amazing, and the fact that they are willing to support women getting into these roles is just fantastic.”

Develop Training, part of the JTL Group, is one of the UK’s leading providers of compliance, technical and safety training. Based in Ascot Drive, Derby, it also has dedicated training centres in York, Romford, Swindon, Manchester & Linlithgow in Scotland.

Increasing diversity and inclusion in the utilities industry

The brainchild behind the Women in Utilities success programme was Andy Holmes, business risk and assurance manager at Develop Training, who recognised the importance of increasing diversity and inclusion in the utilities industry.

Just 17 per cent of the workforce in the utilities sector is female

This followed a study from the Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership which found that just 17 per cent of the workforce in the utilities sector were female, and 99 per cent of “craft” or technical roles were held by men. This compares with a UK workforce average of 47 per cent women.

Andy said: “Our Women in Utilities success programme is the first scheme of its type that we have undertaken.

“Straight away, we realised how important it was, not only for the eight women who agreed to take part, but also in the way it has helped us to re-evaluate our own training practices, to ensure they are as inclusive of as many people as possible.

“Everyone at Develop Training is delighted to hear that our programme has enabled Annie to get the job she really wanted within Northern Gas Networks. We wish her every success in the future.”

   22 March 2021         News

Develop extends a warm welcome to Sarah Fox who joined the Administration team earlier this month.

Based at the Derby training centre, Sarah’s main responsibilities include processing delegate certificates, liaising with various awarding bodies, and applying for cards.

Starting out in the hospitality industry

Sarah began her career at Derby University where she studied catering. Post-graduation she landed her first job in hospitality management at Derby-based, Mickelover Court Hotel, where after several successful years she unfortunately found herself being made redundant at the very outset of the Coronavirus pandemic.

After several temporary roles over the past 12 months, Sarah was thrilled to join Develop and continue progressing her career,

“Like many people in the hospitality industry, it’s been a really difficult few months due to the pandemic, but I’m beyond excited to start my new role at Develop; it’s a real change of scene from working in a hotel and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into a new challenge and working with some new people”, she explains.

Changing with the times

Sarah continues, “Everyone has been so welcoming and although it’s been challenging to learn the ropes whilst many people are working remotely, I’m quickly getting the hang of it all!

Something that’s been really interesting for me to see during my first few weeks is how Develop has pushed through the challenges of the pandemic and successfully adapted their training delivery in order to keep both staff and delegates safe, and still keep delivering industry essential training.”

Socialising and a spot of DIY

Outside of work Sarah enjoys spending time with her partner, Aiden, with whom she moved in with in 2019.

Together they enjoy fixing up their house with a spot of DIY, visiting garden centres, and socialising with friends and family (in non-pandemic times!).

   18 March 2021         News

Develop Training is delighted to confirm the promotion of Matthew Gray formally Operations Manager to the new role of Head of Operations and Training.

Matthew – who joined Develop in 2018 as Operations Manager – has a wealth of experience in the sector and has held roles of Electrical Training Manager and National Curriculum Manager, whilst beginning his career as an Electrical Lecturer.

A highly experienced operational background

Matthew has a proven track record and is an extremely experienced Operations Manager, skilled in strategic senior leadership and management as well as a high level of experience and skills in coaching, lecturing, training, electrical engineering, Matthew graduated from the University of Derby in 2010.

Matthew said:

“I joined Develop Training as I knew the Operations Manager role would expose me to every aspect of the business and therefore was the perfect match for my skills in the operational side of the business.

It also provided me with the opportunity to continue to work on the improvement of the customer journey as a whole, especially around the quality of training and to ensure every single touchpoint for our customers is of the highest quality, allowing us to be more responsive to their needs.  It is this whole operational and training ‘journey’ that has helped me to develop my existing skills and to create many new ones.

There has been further opportunity to make a real difference and to help support the business growth following the acquisition by JTL Training in October 2019, and this has allowed a broader approach with lots of further opportunities to share best practice across the whole group, which has been extremely beneficial.

In my new position as Head of Operations and Training, I will focus on continuing to develop the operational side of the business, further enhancing the quality and range of our courses and the way in which we deliver them through innovative methods, whilst continuing to build an incredible team.”

Supporting the overall strategic plan for the future

Develop’s Managing Director, John Kerr, said:

“The Operations and Training Manager is a new senior role we have introduced, which not only supports the business growth but importantly recognises the impact Matthew has made throughout the business. The role will also support Develop’s strategic plan for the  business over the coming years.

With the future, dare we say, starting to look very positive again and with the pandemic causing us to accelerate plans for taking more courses online, Matthew has been instrumental in this area as well as leading on the creation of Develop’s innovative blended learning courses aimed our sectors to meet demand from customers.

“Matthew’s contribution during his three years at Develop has been exceptional and demonstrates the pedigree of our team to flourish in their specialist areas. I am delighted to congratulate Matthew on his promotion and look forward to seeing his further development.”

   08 March 2021         News

Chris Parker has worked at Derby-based Develop Training for 15 years – and as she pushes on into her 70s, beyond what many might consider to be retirement age, she is keen to make sure that women are made aware of the opportunities in what has traditionally been seen as a man’s world.

Starting out in the Utilities industry

She said: “I personally started out by doing a temporary role in gas pipeline construction in the mid 80s. When a technical on-site vacancy emerged, the Project Engineer said it was a role I would be suitable for, so I applied, got the job and never looked back!

“Of course, there were very few women on site back then and there remains a clear imbalance in terms of women in the industry today. But I had previously spent ten years working face-to-face with young offenders, so I certainly wasn’t intimidated by that!”

Only one in six utilities workers is female

Nearly 40 years later, employment figures from the utility sector continue to corroborate Chris’s experiences. According to the Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership, only one in six utilities workers is female and only around one in a hundred technical roles is currently held by a woman. That compares to a nationwide average, which sees women accounting for 47% of the UK workforce, so it’s clear that the disparity remains extremely stark.

‘Women in Utilities’ Success Programme

As one of the UK’s leading providers of compliance, technical and safety training, with seven dedicated training centres throughout the UK, Develop Training is in the ideal position to help combat that. At the start of 2020, it embraced the ‘Women in Utilities‘ success programme with a view to helping address the gender imbalance, open up opportunities and change the profile of careers in classically male disciplines like gas, electricity and water – and it seems that the impacts of that are already being felt.

Utilities is no longer just a ‘man’s world’

Chris said: “It does feel like things are improving. There are noticeably more female apprentices than in the past and there are also more graduate trainees.

“In fact, I’m currently working with a couple of women on a new IOSH Safety, Health & Environment for Construction Manager’s course and it’s great to see. They know they need the skills and I guess the fact that they see me delivering the programme also helps validate and encourage their career choices.”

But as International Women’s Day approaches, with its annual celebration of the social, economic and cultural achievements of women, Chris warns that more still needs to be done.

The range of careers for women needs to be recognised and publicised

She added: “The utilities sector can offer a wonderful range of careers but we need that to be recognised and publicised. In place of isolated initiatives, we need a concerted campaign in schools that enables the idea to really take root in people’s minds – because the imbalance will only ever change when women themselves decide to make it happen.”

International Women’s Day 2021

Listen to Chris Parker speaking on Erewash Sound for International Women’s Day here.

   15 February 2021         News

The Safe Control of Operations (SCO) training programme is an initial training programme for individuals new to SCO and a renewal training programme for those individuals with existing and current SCO registrations whose registrations are nearing expiry.

EUSR have recently updated the SCO programme to a new modular scheme, and with this have changed the course codes and content.

SCO courses are now modular

There are 5 modules in total, and each module is delivered as a separate registered course. The candidate sits the required ones to achieve their Competent Person (CP) or CP/Authorising Engineer (AE) status. There are also two renewal courses available.

SCO Modules Explained

All learners must sit Module 1: Core. Following this learners will also need to sit Module 5: ‘Form of Authority’ if they require registration as a CP or AE to issue/receive Form of Authority for access to operational sites to carry out non-hazardous work.

If individuals need to apply for registration to give or receive permits to work and/or forms and authority as per the previous SCO 1 & 2 registration then they must sit Modules 1, 2 and 5 – AE’s will sit a different assessment to CP’s for Module 2 but can still attend the same course.

For any CP or AE candidates wishing to be registered to authorise or prepare and/or receive Routine Operational permitry, they must complete Modules 1, 2, and 4.

For any CP or AE candidates wishing to be registered to authorise or prepare and/or receive Routine Operational permitry and Non-Routine Operational permitry they must complete Modules 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Individuals will also need Module 5 Forms of Authority if they are going to need to issue as an AE or receive this permitry as a CP.

Converting current SCO registrations to the new SCO Scheme

Holding an in-date SCO 1 and 2 means an individual is eligible for:

• SCO Renewal Module 1: SCO Core, Module 2: PtW and Module 5: FoA.

Holding an in-date SCO 4 means an individual is eligible for:

• SCO Renewal Module 3: NRO.

Holding an in-date SCO 5 means an individual is eligible for:

• SCO Renewal Module 4: RO.

N.B. where the existing registration is not in date, or if the individual wants to add an endorsement, then they will have to take the initial programme, not a renewal.

Eligibility for SCO Renewal Modules 3 and 4 assumes an individual is holding an in-date SCO 1 and 2 as well as SCO 4/5.

The following table explains the changes:

   11 February 2021         News

Transform your business with our brand new Leadership & Management modules.

We’ve overhauled our Leadership & Development offering and have developed a diverse portfolio of interactive, blended learning modules created to inspire and enable managers and team members to be the best they can be.

Flexible & practical leadership training

Our mission is to ensure our learners engage, learn, remember and act. We provide creative and innovative training solutions combining academic, evidence-based psychology and learning theories with practical workplace applications to maximise the after learning impact.

Our ‘menu’ of managerial, leadership and personal effectiveness modules have been designed to:

• promote ‘growth mindsets’ and self-reflection
• enhance behavioural changes leading to improved performance
• inspire and motivate our learners to achieve more
• enable our learners to adjust to change

Online, in-centre, or on-site – it’s up to you!

We have extensive experience of evaluating individual and business training needs and can, therefore, adjust and expand our current modules to address your specific business needs. Our modules can be structured and timetabled according to your workplace requirements, and can be delivered online, at one of our centres or, to minimise employee ‘downtime’, on site at your premises.

   03 February 2021         News

A warm welcome to Daniel Butcher who joined Develop’s Finance Team last week as a Payables Controller.

After the departure of several temporary colleagues, Daniel joins the team in a permanent capacity and is set to add a fresh perspective to the department.

His role will largely entail reviewing & verifying invoices, processing expenses, monitoring accounts to ensure payments are up to date, assisting with month end closing and maintaining accurate historical records…amongst much more! Phew!

A wealth of customer-facing and finance experience

After a varied career in retail, including a stint as an Assistant Store Manager at Next, Daniel’s career path took a turn almost a decade ago and he was able to follow his true passion; accounts.

In recent years, he has worked in numerous finance-based roles in order to build up his experience alongside undertaking the relevant accountancy qualifications, including a Finance Team Leader for the Co-op and most recently a Purchase Ledger Clerk at Repton School.

Congratulations are also in order as Daniel has recently passed his AAT Level 2, and is soon due to commence Level 3 – a fantastic achievement and great start to becoming a qualified Accountant!

It’s not all work and no play

Daniel has lived in Derby since 1997, and shares his home with his wife Lyndsay and their cat, Oliver. Outside of work he can generally be found pounding the pavements, with his goal for 2021 to partake in his first ever marathon! He’s even keen to run the hour-long route into the Derby office once we’re all allowed back in!

If that all sounds a bit too energetic, you’ll be pleased to know that Daniel is also partial to indulging in some down-time with a good book or video games.

Furthermore, Daniel also spends one evening a week volunteering at local charity, First Steps ED, where he helps people to understand how mental health & eating disorders can affect their finances.

   13 January 2021         News

Develop Training has pledged to play a full and active part in helping increase diversity in the industry during 2021 after it delivered the first free training days of a ground-breaking programme set up to help women take the next step in their careers.

Derby-based Develop Training, which is part of the JTL Group, described the issue as having moved to centre-stage during 2020 in the wake of a series of reports which recognise how the sector’s diversity is below the UK average for gender, BAME and disability, with one study from the Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership finding that just 17% of the workforce in utilities are female, with more than 99% of employees working at craft level being male.

This compares with to a UK workforce average of 47%.

15 days’ worth of training for women working in utilities

Last year Develop launched its Women in Utilities success programme, where it offered eight women working in the industry the opportunity to access high quality training, mentoring and support for free, giving them 15 days’ worth of training in any sector and any discipline, to be taken whenever they wanted.

COVID-19 delayed start of the programme

Develop sent out a call for applicants last March, but due to the lockdown it wasn’t until October that the first learner, Annie Thomson, Regional Customer Operations Administrator at Northern Gas Networks (NGN), was able to access her training days.

She chose a two-day Core Domestic Meter Installation & Commissioning (Limited Scope) course, where she learned the basics of how to install and commission domestic gas sized meters that are sealed off at the meter outlet fitting.

A few weeks later Charlotte King, Contracts and Procurement Manager at WK Engineering Services Ltd in Weston-Super-Mare, took up five days of free training on Develop’s Service and Mainlaying Skills for Managers course.

Aimed at agents, supervisors and network managers, the course offers entry-level experience of working in a utility environment, and is ideal for managers with no formal qualifications in gas networks.

Charlotte chose the course because she has been involved with the operational side of the business for six years and wanted to gain a more thorough understanding and awareness of the technical elements of upstream and downstream gas networks.

Re-evaluating how Develop offer training

Andy Holmes, Develops H&S Manager, who had the initial idea for the programme, said:

“Our Women in Utilities success programme is the first scheme of its type that we have undertaken and it was frustrating to have to wait until towards the end of the year to get it underway because of the coronavirus restrictions.

“However, straight away we realised how important it is to undertake something like this, because of the way in which it will help us to re-evaluate how we offer training to make sure that it’s inclusive of as many people as possible.

“We’re very grateful to all eight women for agreeing to take part because while we’re helping them, we know that we will learn a lot from their participation and how they feel about everything about the training right down to the minutiae like PPE and welfare issues.

“All of these things are important if we are to play our part in addressing the skills gap by making the industry as accessible and welcoming as possible in order that we widen the pool of talent that we recruit from.”

Helping women in utilities get hands-on experience

Annie applied for the course because she wants to be a site manager, but felt she needs hands-on experience of the practical side of the work in order to be taken seriously.

She said: “I feel that women in the gas industry have to work incredibly hard to prove themselves and gain respect, purely because it’s such a male-dominated industry.

“I wanted to be a part of this programme because of the exposure it’ll give me to different areas of the business and the knowledge it will allow me to gain that I would never normally have the opportunity, or access to, in my day to day administrative role.”

Supporting all women to engage in the utilities sector

Chris Adair, Training Manager at Northern Gas Networks, said:

“We are proud to support, not just Annie, but all women to engage in our sector. Women working in Utilities make up a small percentage of not just our workforce but across the entire Gas Distribution Network.

“Annie is keen to progress and she is an ambassador for both women and NGN.”

Charlotte added: “My goal by the end of the Women in Utilities programme is to understand not only what the operational teams are doing, but also why.

“Having this knowledge will be really empowering as it’ll not only build my confidence when I’m coordinating projects, but I hope it’ll also help me gain respect from my colleagues.”