Training for the Future

Acquiring and Training Forecasters at MetService NZ

MARK SCHWARZMetService NZ LTDschwarz@metservice.com

POWERFUL WEATHER INTELLIGENCE.

What is the Future of Forecasting?

Drivers for change:• NWP performance, cheapness, availability

• Customer expectations- Convenience- Performance

• Multiple providers- Competition (Commercial or Govt

funding)- Confusion (Multiple messages)

POWERFUL WEATHER INTELLIGENCE.

Options for Weather Services

Don’t change…and become irrelevant

OR

POWERFUL WEATHER INTELLIGENCE.

Options for Weather Services

Separate:

• Low-value Services- Cheap, convenient, attractive- Largely Automated

• …from Premium Services- Accurate, Effective, Accountable- Customisation, Quality, Advice

(FORECASTING)

POWERFUL WEATHER INTELLIGENCE.

What are Premium Services?

• Warning Services (natural hazards)Or

• High-end Commercial

• Must reflect customer need- Customised- Ever-changing

• Accurate & Effective

POWERFUL WEATHER INTELLIGENCE.

What will be required of Forecast Staff?

• Market/Client Knowledge

• Communication skills (verbal, written, video)

• Adaptive, Resilient, Proactive

• Striving to learn/develop/improve

• Much more than pure Met! What of this can be ‘taught’? What cannot?

POWERFUL WEATHER INTELLIGENCE.

How does this affect Staff Acquisition?

• What cannot be ‘taught’ must be innate

• These are personal characteristics:- communication skills- team work- adaptive & strives to improve

• Role is changing e.g. Shift work?

• Not just A-grade students

POWERFUL WEATHER INTELLIGENCE.

How does this affect Training?

• Need to extend personal characteristics- communication skills- team work- adaptive & strives to improve

• Understanding NWP - its interpretation, not operation- new tools

• Market/Client Knowledge

• Culture of organisation & individuals

POWERFUL WEATHER INTELLIGENCE.

Training for the Future

THANK YOU, KAMSA HAMNIDA

MARK SCHWARZMetService NZ LTDschwarz@metservice.com