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What motivated you to join Executive Committee?
I am proud to be part of a family business that has been involved in construction for 50 years, in fact we will be marking our 50th anniversary in 2023. I grew up around diggers and plant all my life so I suppose you could say it’s in my blood! My father founded Sibbald back in 1973, initially hiring out plant machinery to the construction industry. As an owner-operator of plant, he struggled to find good quality training for his operators and established the training business. Over 30 years later, Sibbald Training offers over 200 training courses and qualifications.
I put myself forward to join the Executive Committee at the SPOA to give something back to the industry and I’m passionate about getting young people into the industry because I know there are great career opportunities for them.
Is it challenging to attract young people into the plant industry?
It is a challenge to bring young people into the industry and it all starts with the most basic of issues which is that the plant industry is simply not on the radar of young people at school. Unless, like me or President Callum Mackintosh, you have grown up around plant and diggers, you won’t have been exposed to the industry and it certainly doesn’t feature in conversations in schools about career paths in the same way as other professions in the construction industry like joiners, electricians, builders and painters and decorators.
Therein lies the opportunity for the SPOA and the plant sector of course. I think it’s down to us to really shout about the industry and the opportunities for young people and that’s what I’m trying to do along with Callum.
The plant sector is no different to any other sector within construction at the moment in that there is a skills shortage. I believe that a lack of awareness is driving that skills shortage and that’s what we need to address.
At the SPOA, we are trying to get as much engagement with new and existing apprentices as we possibly can. We regularly visit the National Construction College at Bircham Newton to meet each new cohort and get to know the apprentices and understand their experiences. We also engage with employers who are supporting the apprentices to understand their perspective.
By meeting the apprentices and their employers, it informs the process. We want to make the whole experience as good as it can possibly be for all parties so that we can encourage other businesses and members of the SPOA to take on apprentices and that other young people can be inspired to forge a career in plant. Currently, I’d say there is a lack of awareness among businesses of the advantages of taking on an apprentice and the support available.
As a trade association, we need to be nimbler and adapt to changing circumstances and apprenticeships is a good example of that. The National Construction College at Bircham Newton has the capacity to take on more plant operator apprentices but it’s a different story with plant mechanic apprentices who are trained at Inchinnon where the course is over subscribed. The SPOA is currently working with the CITB to recruit another lecturer which will increase capacity and allow us to train more plant mechanics.
What else do you see as the big challenges for the industry?
Without doubt, our challenges lie in decarbonisation and the transition to green fuels. Again, I’ll use the example of plant operators and plant mechanics. With decarbonisation comes new technology. As we see with the cars we drive as consumers, a change in technology doesn’t present problems for the driver but it’s a different story for the mechanic who has to effectively start again to understand the changes to the engine. It’s exactly same in the plant industry and over the next few years, plant mechanics will need to increase their knowledge base and do additional training to service new equipment.
In the short term, of course, there are economic challenges presented by decarbonisation and the SPOA has been very vocal on the transition from red diesel and will continue to drive that agenda.
What would you say to anyone thinking about standing for the Executive Committee?
I’d say go for it! I do believe that the next two years at the SPOA will be exciting. We plan to bring a lot more value to the membership of the SPOA through the recruitment of a full-time person which will transform the support we provide.
The Executive Committee is made up of volunteers and is a good cross-section of the plant industry. The wealth of knowledge and experience is invaluable, and it is a privilege to be part of that team.