Lee Elwell

Innovative electrification companies have no option other than to bring in people with transferable skills. We have found time and again that the marketplace cannot offer enough candidates with direct, relevant sector experience because the industry is still in its infancy. This is heightened by a chronic skills shortage across UK engineering and manufacturing, which means employers must think creatively to attain the skills they need to grow their business. Electrification is an area of rapid growth, with UK energy targets to decarbonise driving the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) and having far-reaching implications for energy infrastructure. The UK currently has over 16,000 public charging points, and the government has established a £400m fund to finance a much needed expansion of the network, if targets outlined in Road to Zero Government strategy are to be met. This planned network overhaul presents an exciting employment opportunity, as well as the chance to upskill the existing workforce. Electrical engineering university courses specialising in renewables have become common place in the UK over the past few years, however, businesses are having to tap into parallel sectors to attain experienced power electrical/electronics engineers, design engineers, project managers and commercial managers to bridge the immediate skills gap. There is a clear lack of people with like-for-like experience and a significant number of businesses are finding it hard to recruit the right skill-set and experience. The majority of potential employees are already in work and not actively seeking a change of role. Employers need to be flexible, creative and proactive in their approach to attracting the talent they need to fill business critical roles. In the short to medium-term, at least, it will be vital to utilise candidates with these transferable skills. It is the only way businesses will be able to grow. I have seen first-hand successful examples of people transferring from traditional energy spheres into electrification. Some businesses will naturally be cautious about transferable skills, but we have seen people from utilities and power move into EV charging – an area of huge growth – and they have performed fantastically well. Similarly, people with traditional automotive design skills are often suited to other product design roles. While many sectors face uncertainty in post Brexit Britain, electrification is bucking the trend with robust government backing and capital investment facilitating growth. Even traditional petroleum companies have acquired electric charging network businesses in a bid to safeguard their futures as demand for cleaner vehicles soars, with BP acquiring Chargemaster last year and Shell NewMotion in 2017. Electrification has a sustainable future, and employers can leverage its stability to attract highly-skilled people. The industry is also at the early stages of adoption, making it an exciting time to be a part of; it’s not hard to sell a move into the industry for those wanting a new challenge, involvement in special projects and the opportunity to innovate in unmanned territory. The UK may not be a forerunner in EV adoption, but there is a comprehensive strategy in place and multiple start-up companies emerging. This all means there will be some exciting opportunities on offer – and a genuine chance for people to think about how their existing skills could be used to branch out into other sectors. We provide contract, interim and permanent recruitment solutions covering the full project lifecycle within five dedicated areas: electrification, renewable energy, water, power and nuclear. GET IN TOUCH For more information, call me on 01384 446154 or email me.

Jonathan Lee Recruitment is building on its heritage of providing high calibre professionals to the energy sector with a new, strategic focus and team revamp, led by Lee Elwell as Principal Consultant. Formally named power generation, the new energy division has been created as a direct response to the significant demand and changes taking place in the UK energy sector, with many businesses seeking engineering, technology and digital skill-sets in order to quickly adapt to the dynamic market conditions. Lee has specialised in energy recruitment at Jonathan Lee Recruitment over the past five years and within that time has built a deep understanding of the sector, forming long-term relationships with businesses and candidates alike. To further strengthen the team, Rob Johnson, Consultant (left), has been appointed, joining Lee (middle), whilst complementing our established asset management division, headed by Les Hines – Associate Director (right). The new energy divison will focus on five core areas; electrification and infrastructure, renewable energy, water, power generation and nuclear, covering the entire project lifecycle. Lee explains: “There are significant changes taking place in the UK energy sector. UK energy targets to decarbonise, low commodity prices, the emergence of disruptive technology such as cloud and robotics combined with complex regulation and policy changes make it a challenging environment. “It is an exciting time for the industry. We are working with a number of innovative start-ups and new entrants who are developing novel ideas and products - and really shaking up the energy sector. “The development of electric vehicles (EV), in particular, is having far-reaching implications for UK energy infrastructure. Technology is evolving rapidly and in order to achieve the expansion goals for recharging/green infrastructure, highly skilled programme managers, project engineers, design & development engineers and software & controls professionals are required. “I am thrilled to welcome Rob to the team – he brings a wealth of experience in sourcing engineering, manufacturing and commercial professionals across the energy sectors. I wish him the best of luck in his new role.” To find out more about the energy division and to view the latest jobs click here.