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By Claire Noble, New Talent Manager at Cadent

here is a very real challenge engineering as a career in a few years’
facing our industry. time. That’s not meaningful.
The latest predictions for So, our strategy is to work with a
the wider engineering sector small number of schools with an age
T indicate we will need to recruit range of 13-19. We build a relationship
200,000 people a year, at advanced with them and go back, time after time.
apprentice level or above (according to This builds the pupils’ knowledge of
Engineering UK, 2018). Cadent and what a career at Cadent
Net of current supply, there’s a can look like. We encourage them to
predicted shortfall of 59,000 people think about their choices at school and
each year. how that can impact the rest of their
In our business, we know that a third lives (without scaring them too much).
of our workforce will retire within the Stimulating interest early means
next 10 years. Skills requirements are school students are better placed to
changing too, particularly with the make informed decisions and take
drive to achieve a net zero vision for accountability for their future.
the UK energy market within just a
couple of decades. In our business, we know that a
We simply have to inspire a new third of our workforce will retire
generation, to sell the opportunity – and
I want to explain how we’re doing that within the next 10 years
at Cadent, to build resilience for the
future needs of our company. The first element of our school
I’m responsible for two linked outreach programme is STEM
strategies – our education and skills enrichment. We have built some specific
strategy, and our new talent strategy. lesson plans and games, connected to
These support how we get new people curriculum topics, which showcase
into our organisation and how we what a gas distribution network like
encourage pupils in schools to take up Cadent is there to do. This includes one
science, technology, engineering and on the energies of the future, as well
mathematics (STEM) subjects, with a as a game about the challenges that lie
view to pursuing a career in our sector. behind diverting a gas pipe, including
The strategies have three priorities: the number of roles (engineering and
Education and skills outreach broader) required to do it safely.
programmes: STEM enrichment, Our second approach is careers
careers inspiration and careers inspiration. This is about general
experiences careers advice, interviewing skills, CV
New/entry-level talent programmes: writing, getting young people to think
apprentices, engineering students and about their potential careers. Our
graduates people are critical to making this work.
Collaboration with sector employers When we go into schools, colleagues
and government to share the from across the organisation can talk
challenge and influence education about their own experiences until the
We’ve recognised that education cows come home – and that is what
outreach is a critical intervention that lands with students. Our ambassadors
employers can make by engaging guide pupils through exercises, but also
with youngsters to build a common explain what the life of work has meant
understanding of STEM and how it can to them. I get such a buzz from talking
lead to viable long-term careers for them. to young people and seeing the cogs
My own personal experience of whirring in their heads as they think
careers advice at school was that it about the possibilities for the future.
was poor. Employers can, and should, The final arm of our education
massively help here. We can’t expect programme is careers experiences.
schools to do it all on their own. We provide two weeks of meaningful
Our strategy is about having work experience, both engineering and
meaningful conversations with pupils commercial, to show pupils what they
in schools. We make sure we see lots of can do. They get hands-on experience,
children, without falling into the trap including how to manage and put out
of creating a box-ticking exercise or a fire. I have a vision to extend this
boasting about the number of schools to all our training centres across the
we have been to. Because going into a country over the next few years. I often
school once, for an hour, and seeing 30 see some of the individuals who have
CADENT'S TONY MOLONEY (CENTRE) AND CLAIRE NOBLE children does not mean they are going joined us on work experience join the
RECEIVE THE YOUTH FRIENDLY CERTIFICATION to remember who Cadent are or choose organisation a few years after.

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