Rebuilding the Technical Skill Base of the UK Electrical Power

Sector using Work-Based Learning

Steve Luke

Aston University, Birmingham

NFEC Annual Conference 3rd December 2015

Presentation Content

Context – Skills crisis in the UK Power Sector

Work-Based Learning

Aston Provision

Lessons learnt

Summary

Generate, transmit & distribute power cheaply and effectively

Fulfil customer load requirements

Provide a high quality of life

Allow growth of industry

Create and improve national economics

Uniform regulated supply

The Electrical Generation, Transmission and Distribution Network –

A National Treasure?

The Context

Original Design Philosophy – Based on Centralised Generation

Generation produced in

one location

Transmitted over large

distances to point of use

Max economic

transmission voltage (UK)

- 400kV

Distributed Generation -Operating beyond the design envelope?

“The wide availability of electrical power was

determined by the American Association of

Engineering Societies and the National Academy of

Engineering (NAE) to be the single greatest

engineering achievement of the 20th century. All of

the other significant achievements cited, including

all forms of transport and communications, require

readily available power as a pre-requisite for

success.”

Iain Marchant, former Chief Executive Officer for

Scottish and Southern Energy

Sustainable Development

“Sustainable development is

development which meets the

needs of the present without

compromising the needs of future

generations to meet their own needs”.

World Commission on Environment and Development 1987

Technical Skills Shortages in the UK Power Sector

• Short term economic thinking following privatisation limited the recruitment

of young people to the industry during the 80’s and 90’s

• During the same period, power engineering suffered due to major changes

within the HE sector.

• The industry was slow to promote itself to young people

Existing shortfall of qualified engineers will be exacerbated massively

by retirements over the next 10 years. Losses of up to 40% are expected

Regulator has identified the lack of trained personnel as a major threat

to the industry.

The demographic profile of skilled power sector workers

is highly polarised with a “lost generation” in the 30-45 age-group

The reasons for the formation of this lost generation are complex, but

include:-

Let’s talk numbers!

The sector recognises that it needs 1000 technical recruits

per year for the next 15 years to stand still.

The vast majority of these appointments will need to be at

Senior Technician or Incorporated Engineer levels.

This is almost certainly a very conservative figure as it does

not allow for natural growth in the sector, nor major nuclear

and renewable energy builds.

There are presently in the order of 4,000 undergraduate

places for Electrical & Electronic Engineering within the UK.

Typically less than 200 graduates enter the power sector each

year.

Work-Based Learning Programmes

a quick and sustainable fix!

Level 3 Qualifications

HNC PlusFoundation Degree Senior

Technician

B.Eng Progression Incorporated

Engineer

Additional

Study

Further progression

To Master’s level

Qualification / Chartered

Status

Professional

Practice

Experience

Of Application

Theoretical

Understanding

The Engineering Professional

WBL

WBL

Traditional Undergraduate

Provision

Aston FdEng. - Unprecedented GrowthFirst graduate cohort of 12 in June 2008.

500+ graduates to date, with approximately 20% achieving

distinction level.

140-180 students enrolled on Power Engineering Foundation

Degrees each academic session.

IET Accreditation for both Foundation Degrees and B.Eng

Programmes.

Multiple pathways. New pathways can be developed if

sufficient demand.

Work-based / distance learning B.Eng and M.Sc. Progression

paths available. Approximately 50 B.Eng graduates to date.

The Partnership

Stu

dent

Pool

Engin

eers

Foundation

Degree

Company Selection

Process

National Grid SSEOther Employers

Aston

University

Sterling Power

Training

Inverness College

UH&I

Loughborough

College

Mentoring

Common First Year

Energy Transfer Electro-MechMathematics Electrical Princ.

Electricity Industry Business Env.

Mathematical

Methods

Year 2 Core Modules

Work-Based

Project

Fd.Eng EPE

Substations Protection

Power Ops &

ControlOHL & Cables

Fd.Eng Generation

Thermodynamics

Electrical

Machines

Power Plant

Characteristics

Power Plant

Control

Fd.Eng PSM

Electrical

Machines

Regulation & Pwr

System Ops

Power System

Characteristics

Protection & Pwr

System Mngmt

Aston University Electrical Power Engineering Foundation Degrees

Common First Year

Energy Transfer Electro-MechMathematics Electrical Princ.

Electricity Industry Business Env.

Mathematical

Methods

Year 2 Core Modules

Work-Based

Project

Fd.Eng in Renewable Energy and Embedded Generation

Embedded Generation, Network Power

Quality and StabilityGrid Connection & Protection

Renewable Energy and carbon Footprint

Reduction

Monitoring & Control of Embedded

Generation

Aston University Foundation Degree in Renewable Energy and Embedded Generation

Some interesting data

• Student age range 17 – 55 years

• 49% of students >26 years of age

• 35% of students are already STEM graduates on entry

• 15% of our students Industrial Mentors are our own

graduates

• <3% of our student body are employed by SMEs

C Eng

I Eng

Eng Tech

BEng ProfessionalEngineering

Pathways

Professional Doctorate

MSc Professional Engineering

Aston University EngineeringAcademy

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Level 6

Level 7

Level 8

Independent/self-learning

Formative learning

Foundation Degrees

Lessons Learnt from the Aston Experience!

• Develop curricula based on employer need and continually review.

• Ensure constitution of partnership is clearly understood by

employers from the outset.

• Expect stakeholder dynamics to be very different from traditional

provision.

• Delivery will be challenging, given intensive mode of delivery,

remoteness of students and very broad range of student maturity

and educational background.

• Year round, non-standard delivery can be operationally challenging!

• Be responsive and flexible to employer needs.

• Delivery staff need to be recruited on the basis of industrial credibility

as well as academic credibility

Summary

• The UK Power Sector is already facing very significant skills shortages.

• Impending retirements of circa 40% of technical staff over the next 10

years will inevitably mean that this problem will significantly worsen.

• The UK Power Sector recognises these shortages as a major business

threat and is working towards a co-ordinated strategy to address them.

• Work Based Learning has proven to be an effective component within

this strategy, particularly in respect to the key provision of Senior

Technicians and Incorporated Engineers.

• To become engaged within this activity, universities need to develop

curricula based on the need of the industry they serve, to undertake

continuous review and to show adaptability and responsiveness to succeed.

• Given the recent changes in HE funding, many gifted young people are

seeking for an alternative to traditional university provision.