Exceptionalism: A Barrier We Need To Challenge

Silos, Ego and Hubris is Damaging Retrofit - Let's Fix That

My son completed careers interviews at the end of the summer term. An erstwhile volunteer from the Parent Teacher Association sat down with him and practised what it's like to have a job interview.

The briefing for his day involved much discussion about presentation techniques, active listening and working out how to speak properly and confidently to demonstrate you are employable - and can communicate.

When he got home I discussed with him if he'd heard of any of the roles in this document;

Deep in the incredibly well researched document is a list of the roles that are required in retrofit. You can read the list;

You can see roles amidst the more well known careers that, just 5 years ago would not have existed.

That is exciting for new entrants to the 'green economy'. A barrier to entry which we urgently need to overcome stands in our way.

Experience Versus Enthusiasm

Chatter on social media matters. It shapes peoples perceptions.

In the land of Reddit, LinkedIn and Facebook, closed groups debate the world and finesse ideas, closed away from scrutiny. It is on platforms like these that ideas of the 'other' emerge. In echo chambers.

And it's not healthy.

The reason why is this.

The next heat pump engineers, the next installers, are right now - taking a break from sitting on school buses and filing into exam halls.

They are possibly at the job centre, or staring longingly down the aisle from checkout No22 at the tradey who's just got out of their van, immaculate coveralls primed for saving another home from heat loss, and gas fumes.

These people are the future of retrofit, and construction at large.

So they need to be encouraged and brought on.

Like my son, they have a future to look forward to which we have a responsibility to build for them.

Their enthusiasm is pure, and burning bright.

But they do not have the advantage of experience. Of the artisan skills required to know that a certain piece of the puzzle they will encounter on a project has possibly just one solution.

We know that drop out rates from apprenticeships in the construction industry are high, but that is being worked on.

So one of the areas existing engineers, installers and managers can work on is their messaging. Instead of decrying the failure of systems, the inadequacies of new recruits and the botches and mistakes made. A more informed, encouraging ethos needs to develop.

This can only be done when 'old hands' use their wisdom in the most gracious and humble of ways, and hold out a hand.

Advocacy and Mentorship

Pack mentality on social media provides ample opportunities for a 'pile on'. Last month, one young man happily posted he had managed to, at the prime age of 19 to achieve his Retrofit Coordinator qualification through Elmhurst Energy. It would have taken him hours of work and assessment from the great team at Elmhurst.

Unfortunately, a few, notably the CEO of a leading training organisation - suggested that the qualification was not suitable for someone so young. That a lack or experience on site denied this young man the ability to successfully conduct his role.

This was a dismissive attitude to a talented young man.

But let's get some perspective. In HM Forces, they trust young men and woman at aged 16 to pilot aircraft on their flying scholarship schemes.

In the demolition industry, I've personally witnessed incredibly talented young site managers with far better attention to detail and leadership qualities than their older more experienced peers.

In fact in many sectors, young talented individuals are selected and groomed for management and coordination roles.

And yes they are limited by their experience.

But they are pretty damn good.

And they travel through their career with mentors and advocates that guide and project them forward.

Mentors and guides are essential to bring everyone up that we need to rise through the ranks of retrofit.

If we can, we need to bring everyone up.

The Future

With ambitious plans from the current government to push through retrofit at a national scale.

I look forward to September, the end of the holidays, and the start of work for many new entrants to retrofit. Make sure your company is part of the solution.