www.bfpa.co.uk 45 feature digital technology.. This is the rig Josh is helping to design. Once this goes live, we will be able to use the kit for training and demonstration purposes. We will use the rig regularly on a wide range of projects, but it will also be a sales tool to show to customers this is what it can do. Moreover, once we have this technology up and running, we will continue to develop it. So, we need to continue this roadmap of adopting cutting-edge technology and ensure our engineers understand how it works so they have the confidence to sell it on to customers in our target markets – OEMs, production and power generation companies etc. It’s not uncommon for there to be a feeling of threat when there are changes in the workplace. However, we feel the future of engineering is in adopting technology to support working practices and make work smarter. For example, maintenance engineers, through the use of predictive maintenance technology, could receive an alert to their phone without the need to even be onsite and can instruct next steps. We’re excited by the possibilities of technology and want to ensure that we stay ahead of the curve when it comes to the adoption of this technology. Sustainability strategy As well as being an important priority for a growing number of companies, I believe by adopting a sustainability strategy firms make themselves more attractive and position themselves as an employer of choice and therefore can attract and retain the best talent and build a motivated workforce. In our case, we are aiming to become paperless within a short timeframe and we already reuse or recycle all packaging. As we become paperless and adopt more handheld devices, we will be looking to the more tech savvy members of our workforce to champion these changes and help those who may need more support in using the technology. The renewable sector, including wind turbines, is thriving in our area. If you look at the new projects taking place in Teesside and at the Teesworks Freeport, you’ll find it’s all heavily focused around new clean energy. Jobs in sustainable industries will be the future. Indeed, Teesside is also building carbon capture plants and hydrogen production plants. There are also plans to build monopiles for the wind farms at Dogger Bank. These initiatives set a fine example to companies such as IMH and challenge us to keep track of the activities of these larger modern companies, spurring us to be even more digitally minded, modern thinking and sustainable. New premises Until relatively recently, we, like many other companies, were more focused on the engineering and technical side of the business and were happy working in a 1980s building. The engineering side is of course important and everyone in the company has a lot of pride in what they do. However, to attract new talent LF2coming into our industry, we need to be able to offer a more attractive working environment, such as digital capabilities and a newer open-plan office environment with lots of natural light. The activities on the shop floor could well spark considerable interest, but I’m the first to admit that the design and layout of our current building is rather behind the times. However, we are delighted to report that we will soon move to new premises near to our current site in Middlesbrough. From a renewable perspective, we will also look to improve the energy efficiency of the facility through initiatives such as installing solar panels, or more environmentally friendly heating systems. Together with our digital transformation strategy, this should not only ensure we are equipped and ready for the future, but also that we are a company our employees will take pride in working for. Josh Bearby is currently in his third year of study as a Maintenance & Operations Engineering Technician apprentice with IMH and is currently working towards his NVQ Level 3.
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