BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT

We’re constantly informed that one of the major barriers to delivering a low carbon economy is the lack of skilled workers. You only have to read the Government’s (past and present) plans to de-carbonise the economy to understand that smart grids, electric vehicles and digital upgrades would suggest that we are going to need many, many more highly skilled people than we currently have. Who is going to design and build these new wind farms, nuclear power stations and carbon capture projects?

Having recently listened to James Smith, Chairman of Shell UK and current President of the Energy Institute speak, it isn't just engineers that are required. We’ll need economists, business development and marketing professionals. In fact all types of technical and professional engineers and managers will be sorely needed.


The obvious way to fill this future skills gap is to nurture recent graduates. So why is it then that these same graduates are treated with such disregard by our leading companies? Two years ago undergraduates working on good degree courses were feted by blue chip companies. Enticed to these events by the promise of a good dinner and generally given the correct impression that they have a bright future.


Oh, how things have changed. These same blue chip companies now have their pick of graduates. You’ll be lucky if you get a Big Mac. A recent graduate told me about his experience. He responded to an advert for graduate positions, carried out an online selection process, attended an interview, which was a pretty robust affair involving 4 to 5 separate discussions over a day. He was then invited back to make a presentation on a topic he’d been given. All pretty reasonable, but the surprising thing is that this graduate found out that the potential employer had not decided how many candidates he was going to employ - if any. So our candidate got from 300 applications down to the last 3 after weeks of effort and he was told they would be in touch.


An anxious wait ended with an e-mail blandly stating that he had been unsuccessful. A brief ‘thank you’ for participating and that's it. A follow-up e-mail asking for feedback why he had been unsuccessful was ignored. This is an oft repeated tale coming from graduates and is, not surprisingly, very demoralising for them.


But I think this kind of behaviour is incredibly short sighted of these companies. Not only will they lose their competitive edge by having a skills gap in the future, but these bright people, who now happen to be unwanted, will certainly become successful in the years to come. In all likelihood, they’ll be in positions of influence, with a long memory and a dim view of their uncaring treatment. With little or no effort the process of finding a the successful candidate out of many bright young things could be carried out more humanely. How difficult is it, for instance, to be courteous and to offer feedback on the process and how well the applicant did? Instead you get a Simon Cowell style contest that is every bit as brutal as the X Factor.


If you are considering employing someone you have a duty of care to all that apply. You need to be honest and upfront about how many you are likely to recruit, keep unsuccessful candidates informed and offer feedback. The Human Resource staff are supposed to be professional and surely they should adopt consistent, open processes that do not demean the participants.


Every country has a need for smart graduates for their low carbon economies. We are currently treating many with disdain.


Britain's got talent. It's time we started to recognise it and treat it with respect.

The Tyranny of the Trade Counter

I was in a plumbers' merchants yesterday there were 6 people in the queue. I counted 5 members of staff in view yet only 2 were serving customers. There was a sign on the door informing us they would be closed on Friday and Saturday for a stocktake ... are you selling the stock or counting it?

The merchant suppliers should be a place where expert knowledge of product can be used to the benefit of the installer and the customer. The suppliers are, after all, able to advise on the most appropriate product, correct methods of installation, suitable installers and likely pitfalls. They should be able to do with and offer a competitive price.

What you get instead is a sigh and a condescending look. My wife tells me if you happen to be a woman you might as well forget it; unless of course you're blonde and wearing a miniskirt.

You get expert help only if you pass muster; this requires having your list written on a broken piece of plasterboard and the ability to pass a short verbal exam testing your knowledge of the equipment you wish to purchase. If you are not “trade” forget it, it's not their job to help you out.

As for the genuine tradesman, you join the queue, even if you have the foresight to pre-order. This waiting time is clearly recognised by the suppliers because they've introduced coffee machines and TVs to entertain you during your wait. How many productive hours are wasted every day while queuing at trade counters?

Staff are as adept as Parisian waiters at avoiding your eye. They do very important work for UNESCO or whatever it is they do rather than serve you.

While I was waiting, about 30 minutes in all, I applied my mind to why there was a need for a trade counter. DIY stores function without one, yet they sell similar products. Why can't the branch (note they are called branches not stores) be open plan with a trade counter for those that need expert assistance?


Tradesmen who know what they want can help themselves and check out. The “amateur” can seek assistance with their purchases.

I can browse and to a large degree inform myself rather than stand at a counter and display my ignorance for all in the queue to see.
The whole process as it stands is manifestly inefficient, with an obvious physical barrier: the counter. Without the counter you can remove the queues, increase the productive working day for tradesmen, and enable the staff at the suppliers concentrate on offering expert advise where it is needed, not fetching a carrying.

The message to the merchants is clear, remove the tyranny of the trade counter and liberate your customers.

Breaking Strain of a Warm Mars Bar

The race is on to find the “cookie cutter” product that will revolutionise the way we manage energy in our homes. At the recent Ecobuild show there were a plethora of gadgets designed to offer new ways to control energy consumption.

But I don't believe all these new products are going to deliver remarkable reductions in energy usage for one very simple reason – we are intrinsically lazy. The majority – that is the silent majority - can't be bothered to do what it takes, i.e. be consistent.

Take me. With the breaking strain of a warm Mars bar I will do only those things that are easy and don't significantly disrupt my lifestyle. Of course I'll tell you that I re-cycle everything including my toe nail clippings because it will make me feel good. But in reality no one's looking, so what the hell.

Some 75% of consumers form the sustainable mainstream and are happy to buy a “sustainable product”, provided that it doesn’t cost more and performs as well as a standard product So many products require you to make a sacrifice and give something up. This hairshirt approach wants you to give something up to save the world. But it has a limited appeal. I might have a go at something for a while but once the first flush of enthusiasm has passed, my interest will fade and I'll revert to my former (bad) habits.

Too many developers of energy reduction products assume that the first thing I think about in the morning is how I can save energy. Energy prices for consumers (with the notable exception of those mired in fuel poverty) are too low and not a significant proportion of incomes to matter.

The systems that will succeed will be very simple to operate, almost certainly on a PC, i-Phone or i-Pad type device. It will set up easily and will learn about your preferences and habits. Adjustments will be one or two touch and will be able to be carried out from any location. Crucially we will value these products for the things they do, other than energy management

The false industry mantra is, that if you give consumers information about energy, they'll modify their behaviour accordingly.

A smart meter does not however make a smart consumer.

Frankly, we would rather watch Celebrity Shopping Trolley Racing from Dubai on Sky Sports 17 than study endless graphs showing a 80p rise in our energy consumption. What we do want is a gadget that is in a familiar format, one that advises us if our consumption is higher than normal and one that tells us of any potential actions to reduce it (automatically obviously, we are couch potatoes after all). That gadget could also tells us that if we delay using the dishwasher until the middle of the night we can half the cost.

Now we’re interested.