Utility Week - People Latest News

One Minute Interview: Liz Reeder, Russell Taylor Associates

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Name
Liz Reeder

Age
36

Company
Russell Taylor Associates

Job
Business development manager

Career
I've worked in the recruitment industry for more than 12 years. I help to sustain growth in the business, and develop new relationships with co...

Points of view

Wed, 9 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

In an occasional series, managers discuss the challenges of recruiting and retaining utility employees, while new starters give their first impressions.

Points of view

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

In an occasional series, managers discuss the challenges of recruiting and retaining utility employees while new starters give their first impressions

Q&A: Duncan Hogget, Interim Partners

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Name

Duncan Hoggett

Age

Company

Interim Partners

Job

Head of energy and utilities practice

Career

Moved to Bilbao in northern Spain after university. Spent two years teaching business English at an academy and un

Recession makes training more important, not expendable

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The temptation during a recession is to slash training and development budgets, but in fact it's smarter to do just the opposite, says Martin Clarke.

Q&A: Simon Hyams, Galliford Try

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Name

Simon Hyams

Age

Company

Galliford Try

Job

Renewables director

Career

Joined the civil engineering business of Galliford Try in 1989, rising to senior engineer. Transferred to Galliford Try Communications as

Q&A: Johanna Dow, Business Stream

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Name

Johanna Dow

Age

Company

Business stream

Job

Finance director

Career

I trained as an accountant working in private practice, and then I made the move into industry. I worked first with Scottish and Southern E

Number of apprentices doubles

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The number of people completing an apprenticeship has doubled over the past four years, despite claims that careers advisers are unaware of apprenticeships.

There were 112,600 apprenticeships completed in 2007/08, compared with 49,300 in 2003/04. There was also a record number of new appren

GMB to ballot staff at Thames Water over strike

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

GMB will ballot for strike action from 23 March at Thames Water, amid claims that chief executive David Owens suggested a union organiser should leave the firm.

The strike ballot relates to union claims that workers employed at the company's call centre in Swindon were told their jobs would

Q&A: Claire Heywood, Denny Executive Resourcing

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Name

Claire Heywood

Age

Company

Denny Executive Resourcing

Job

Divisional utilities director

Career

Claire's career within the recruitment industry began with a generalist firm before she moved on to her current

Economic crisis heralds the return of top graduates to the engineering sector, says MWH

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The current downturn has some unexpected silver linings . Two directors from environmental engineering consultancy MWH reveal what these are.

*Andrew Cowell, director of operations*

People may have stopped talking about the skills shortages facing our industries,

Q&A: Andrew Diplock, UES

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Name

Andrew Diplock

Age

Company

UES

Job

Managing director

Career

Graduated as an electrical engineer and trained with Swalec in

distribution. Moved to more

commercial roles mainly in power generatio

Q&A: Phil Roberts

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Name

Phil Roberts

Age

Company

Utilisoft

Job

Professional services manager

What are the best and worst parts of your job?

Best is the variety of work and people I meet, the worst is having to live out of my car -

Cutting jobs may not be enough for companies to survive the recession

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In recession, job cuts may not be enough . A focus on 12 "people cost areas" will help utilities survive, say Michael Rendell and Mark Hughes.

Q&A: Neil Kemble

Wed, 4 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Name: Neil Kemble

Age: 48

Company: Hyder Consulting

Job: Sector director for water and ERI (energy, industry and resources)

Career: Started with John Taylor & Sons in 1981 and moved to British Waterways until 1984. In 1991, returned to Hyder Con

Centrica leads the way on flexible working

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Firms in all industries are tuning in to the benefits of flexible working, but in the utilities sector Centrica is blazing a trail. Annabel Andrews reports.

Flexible working should not be seen merely as a concession given to help employees with families. In fact, it can increase staf

Eon UK opens Engineering Academy

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Skills secretary John Denham has opened Eon UK's Engineering Academy. The academy is a training centre open to applicants from across the industry and will offer training from entry level up to foundation degrees.

Eon UK chief executive Paul Golby said: "We are investing billions of pounds

GMB union lobbies Parliament against 'attacks' on pensions

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The GMB union last week demonstrated at the House of Commons against what it called "recurring efforts by Ofgem to undermine pensions" of energy workers. The union also lobbied against Conservative and Liberal Democrat "attacks" on pension schemes.

GMB national secretary Gary Smith said: "I

Q&A: Steve Brown, IMServ

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Name: Steve Brown

Company: IMServ

Job: Managing director

Career: I spent seven years with Thomas Cook, latterly in the corporate finance team. I started with IMServ in 2001 as the strategic development finance manager, and was promoted to finance and corpora

Despite the recession, utilities still suffer skills shortages

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The government and the industry are jointly funding an academy to address power sector skills shortages . Annabel Andrews reports on the initiative

As other sectors announce redundancies and recruitment freezes, the electricity sector is in the middle of a skills shortage. In fact, r