From Scarcity to Growth: A Practical Approach How Grid Operators Can Recruit and Retain Technical Talent

From the working groups, cooperation was further developed, resulting in a supported concept, in which new target groups are recruited, candidates are exchanged, training facilities and best practices are shared.

Customer - Dutch Grid Operator

Our client is a leading grid operator committed to creating a reliable energy supply 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Grid Operator is responsible for the construction, maintenance and management of transmission and distribution networks for electricity, gas and heat. Its main task is to ensure that electricity and gas are available anytime and anywhere at the push of a button, with high security of supply.

To do all this work, much of it is outsourced to contractors. These contractors deploy their people to build, maintain or replace new grids.

The Grid Operator has its own training and education centre, several methods and measures are used to ensure the technical competence of employees. This also includes contractor employees.

Issue

The energy transition is demanding more and more from both grid operators, and their contractors. Projections indicate that at least 17,500 extra technicians will be needed from 2030 onwards to make the energy transition a reality. If we all want to keep Netflixing, charging our cars and taking nice hot showers, these technicians will have to be prepared to replace and reinforce the grids in the Netherlands.

However, the labour market is very tight and the ageing population will increase in the coming years, leading to a contraction in skilled employees, rather than growth. There is also a scarcity in training and coaching capacity. This calls for creativity, creating the need for a partnership between network operators and contractors. This partnership should be focused on three pillars:

• Recruit new target groups;
• Retaining employees in underground infrastructure;
• Increase training and mentoring capacity.

Approach

Improven has been asked to set up a collaboration with network operator chain partners.

The choice was made to conduct a needs assessment among the chain partners wishing to work together. After which a design was made to ensure that the motivations, wishes and needs of all partners were known. From there, a pragmatic project organisation was set up in which members from all partners contributed to developments in the areas of:

• Training and coaching
• Cooperation and governance
• Recruit

From the working groups, cooperation was further expanded, resulting in a supported concept, in which new target groups are recruited, candidates are exchanged, training facilities and best practices are shared. Here, laws and regulations are safeguarded, including competition law, AVG and HR-related legislation.

Thanks to the pragmatic approach, the project went live in a relatively short time (net 7 months).

Result

The cooperation is enshrined in the Infra Talents foundation and has produced nearly 20 new apprentice mechanics after one year. Growth ambitions are to move towards 70 new apprentices in the second year. There is intensive cooperation with social partners in the region and with national industry associations....