Tom Sawyer is the CEO of the Port of Milford Haven, the UK’s largest vitality port and an necessary characteristic within the maritime historical past of Wales. As a key determine within the improvement of Pembrokeshire’s renewable vitality transition, Tom discusses the growth of expertise and coaching alternatives across the space in an age of multidimensional sustainable development.
With a shift to extra sustainable vitality options, and freeport standing on the horizon, the Port of Milford Haven and its surrounding areas are poised for an epoch of giant financial progress and alternative for companies and communities alike. Not solely will this contribute in direction of the Internet Zero goal, however it is going to additionally permit Pembrokeshire and its surrounding areas to profit from a wealth of employment alternatives for native individuals of all ages and ability ranges.
Tom recounts his personal transfer to the world, having beforehand labored all around the world. He explains:
“I began work as an assistant lighthouse keeper, answerable for marine security earlier than becoming a member of the Royal Air Pressure. I used to be within the RAF for nearly 30 years, and I beloved it, however I wished a profession change, so I transitioned into defence, safety, intelligence, and know-how earlier than shifting to Pembrokeshire final 12 months for my present function.”
As CEO of the Port of Milford Haven, he now leads on offering knowledgeable options in marine operations, connecting the dots of his earlier expertise. He explains:
“Basically, all of my jobs have been about management Taking comparatively advanced issues and making sense of them so I can clarify them to others in a understandable method and giving readability to organisations in order that they will transfer ahead with a way of objective and mission to attain a objective.
“In management, no matter whether or not the organisation is massive or small, you’ll have a cluster of stakeholders within the type of workers, communities, prospects, purchasers, and companions that sit round you and must be taken on that journey as properly.”
Because the UK’s largest vitality port, the product that comes ashore on the Port of Milford Haven is used to energy the UK and might journey by North Sea interconnectors to energy Europe.
Summarising its present enterprise and eventual trajectory, Tom mentioned:
“We preserve the UK’s western vitality gateway open and working in a secure and efficient method. We be sure that the lights keep on, autos preserve shifting, properties are heat, and the lifeblood of our financial system retains flowing by our waterway.
“The most important a part of our enterprise in the mean time is the pilotage of vessels out and in of the port. We transfer 30 million tonnes of cargo a 12 months which we are able to count on to extend considerably over the subsequent 20-40 years.
“We stand on the brand new daybreak of renewables, hydrogen and floating offshore wind arrays, which can create nice alternatives for our enterprise and for the communities across the waterway.”
Discussing the inflow of financial progress anticipated to occur on account of the transfer in direction of these vitality sources, Tom mentioned:
“When main builders win the contracts to construct these arrays within the Celtic Sea, they are going to rapidly be in search of locations they will put their amenities.
“Our Celtic Freeport bid – a public-private partnership we’ve shaped with Pembrokeshire County Council, Related British Ports and Neath Port Talbot Council – will unlock billions of kilos of funding in trendy, inexperienced applied sciences. This transformational mission goals to ship the widest doable alternatives for Wales by accelerating innovation and inspiring vital funding. Half 1,000,000 kilos of retained enterprise charges can even fast-track trendy expertise improvement inside the Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire freeport areas.”
However to the Port of Milford Haven, sustainability is about greater than how we energy the nation. As Tom explains:
“Sustainability is one in every of our core values, however NetZero is simply a part of a a lot wider sustainability effort. There’s a actual ardour right here to make sure we’re nice custodians of the place we’re answerable for. We absolutely intend to be sure that we hand it on to future generations in a greater situation than once we took it over.
“For us, sustainability covers quite a lot of issues. It contains long-term aspirations for the those who stay and work right here in addition to sustainable enterprise environments. We provide a social and group profit to those that stay close to the waterway. The place we generate sturdy income, we are able to reinvest that in ourselves and our communities for good.
“On account of the Freeport coverage and transitioning inexperienced vitality improvement within the space, as much as 16,000 jobs will likely be created. Our imaginative and prescient is for these jobs to go to native individuals, in addition to attracting new expertise to the world. The proposition of nice jobs, a terrific atmosphere, and a terrific life right here in Pembrokeshire is a part of that sustainability mannequin for us.”
The upcoming financial growth received’t solely entice younger individuals and new expertise to the world however can even enrich the present group and create extra alternatives for individuals with conventional trades. Tom explains:
“It is not only for scientists and engineers in any respect. Folks in quite a lot of different industries from hospitality to manufacturing can even reap the advantages of this progress. Industrial data and expertise will likely be important for a few of these renewable vitality contracts, however advanced downside fixing and system stage considering are additionally wanted. We should tackle how we combine the brand new vitality sources with the present infrastructure, and that can require a diverse workforce with a variety of expertise and expertise.
“We have now the chance to diversify the alternatives out there in Pembrokeshire so individuals right here turn into much less reliant on the general public providers and tourism industries for work. We may help to diversify that blend and tackle some basic issues when it comes to retaining expertise which were an actual problem right here previously.”
The Welsh Authorities gives quite a lot of recruitment and coaching assist schemes by Enterprise Wales for employers seeking to entice new expertise and retrain their current workforce.
Certainly one of these is Wales’ extremely profitable Apprenticeships programme:
“Apprenticeships are one factor we’re seeking to develop on the port, they’ll be massively necessary in creating the very particular expertise we want right here to develop and benefit from future alternatives.
“And since we’re investing considerably in our workforce, we would like these individuals to need to keep and preserve working with us. We recognise that we have to present a possibility for a 30-plus-year profession the place vivid younger individuals can come out of schooling at no matter stage and take up the alternatives which might be current right here.
“We need to excite them, entice them, and retain them over the long run so we have now that multigenerational buy-in, experience and dedication to this waterway’s future.
Discussing what expertise will likely be wanted to assist this transition, Tom advises:
“We merely want individuals to be literate, numerate, purchase a ability, do a related qualification course the place doable however essentially be attention-grabbing and engaged. Say sure to alternatives, take dangers and see the place there are enterprise alternatives for brand spanking new start-ups and endeavours to thrive right here.
“There will likely be a long-term requirement for conventional expertise, and it’ll proceed to be that method. However there will likely be an entire bunch of expertise to be taught that can current younger individuals with new and thrilling alternatives in Pembrokeshire.”
Enterprise Wales Recruit and Practice gives a variety of assist to assist employers to create alternatives for younger individuals and adults to enter the office, resembling Apprenticeships and Jobs Development Wales+.
Go to Enterprise Wales | Abilities Gatweay to seek out out extra.