The podcast "More power faster" with Pia Kristensen Moe, discusses recruitment and safety in the energy industry after the Energy Commission's report. In this episode, Silje Strand, project manager and course manager at StS-ISONOR, is a guest and shares insights about challenges related to staffing and training in the industry.
Summary
The podcast "More power faster" with Pia Kristensen Moe, discusses recruitment and safety in the energy industry after the Energy Commission's report. In this episode, Silje Strand, project manager and course manager at StS-ISONOR, is a guest and shares insights about challenges related to staffing and training in the industry.
Recruitment is critical
The energy industry is facing a recruitment crisis with a shortage of labour.
There is a need for a national learning centre: Silje proposes the establishment of a national learning centre to standardise training and make it more attractive for young people to choose careers in the industry.
StS-ISONOR Experience
Silje also talks about our experience in getting young people into work after completing short courses. AMO course: At that time, it was an industry initiative, so the Federation of Norwegian Industries took up with NAV, and we got something that they call an AMO course, and then we trained more than 100 people. After completing the course after 3 months, 84% were in work.
Collaboration in the industry is a success factor
Cooperation between industy players is important to solve recruitment challenges and develop standards for safety and training.
Qualifications for rope access technicians
Silje explains that rope access technicians must have a trade certificate and relevant experience, and that the industry needs people with practical experience.
Safety at height
There is a great focus on safety in the work with rope access, and regulations are needed to avoid accidents.
Balance between recruitment and safety: Maintaining security while increasing recruitment to meet the needs of the industry is a challenge.
Here is a video of the podcast along with text below.
Introduction to the podcast and the topic
Pia:
Hello and welcome to the podcast. "More power faster". My name is Pia Kristensen Moe and in this podcast we talk about the consequences of the Energy Commission's report "more of everything faster", what does this mean for the first line, the environment and safety? We discuss opportunities, challenges and how to find solutions without compromising health and safety.
I'm now in Bergen, and just so you're aware. My name is Pia.
And I am a Level 1 Access Technician.
And for this here is something that I was challenged on in 2024 by my guest who is here now. So my guest today is now Silje Strand, project manager and course manager here at StS-ISONOR- you were so incredibly nice that you challenged me.
Silje:
Very exciting and vigorously done to receive. Congratulations on level 1 access techniques, tough
Pia:
1000 heartfelt thanks!
About Silje and her role
Yes, I have worked with rope access since it started in the industry, before that it was scaffolding.
And then it became rope access, and then we have been involved throughout and when it began to spread out in the industry.
Then we helped build a framework around it and make some regulations for how to do this in a safe way. So, the first meeting the industry had together, it was probably around 2000 to get together and create an industry body.
Pia:
Yes, you are on the board of soft, is that so? Yes, how long have you been sitting there?
Silje:
Yes, I do.
I have set this term for 4 years.
And then I have set them a four-year period before that, and then I have been involved when they started with the standard in 2010.
What does your working day look like?
Pia:
Hey, I have another question too. After all, you are the project manager and course coordinator. What does your everyday life look like?
Silje:
Well, I get to challenge myself on what I'm passionate about. It's recruitment to the subjects, safety, training and bringing out the best in people in a good way, I think.
I also run some career guidance and make sure that everyone gets in on the right track.
Everything from private players who want career guidance, and then we have a lot of companies that book the courses
About recruitment challenges and measures
Pia:
You touched on it a bit when you started here, so now it mentioned recruitment and it is not a secret that the entire energy industry lacks executing hands.
Silje:
Yes, you have to apply, you have started to get the experience.
No, what do we do that has been a great success, it was during covid when it occurred, we lost all our guest workers. Stood in an industry without people to work in it.
Then it was an industry initiative, so the Federation of Norwegian Industries took up with NAV, and we got something that they call an AMO course, and then we went through a lot of courses, we had a contract over a four-year period and we trained more than 100 people.
And, of which 84% of these after completing the course after 3 months, 84% were in work.
And started in our industry, and this is because we have a lack of school measures and a lack of training measures in the public sector.
Pia:
And why isn't this done all the time then? Yes, I don't understand that or so ok we have to, it was such a measure during a crisis, you could say, and it's a crisis now.
Silje:
Yes, and until the public sector is prepared for narrow subjects, the recruitment challenge that we have will not be overcome.
Recommended measures – national learning centre
Pia:
But what is your recommendation? Now you have a very good experience on this AMO course here, It is energy installers that are being screamed for now, especially against the grid industry here like that. So, what is your recommendation for this industry?
Silje:
No, it must get either a school course started, and then I think for small subjects, no matter what subject it is, there should be a national learning centre. We are such a small country that we cannot sit at our own hubs and believe that we can run large educational courses for all places in Norway. Then had a national learning centre that would have made it attractive to get in and get the very specific education. And then they finished packing everything they needed before they entered the industry.
Pia:
But who is it that should be responsible for that national learning centre is it like the state?
Silje:
Yes, that instead of a vocational line in which they must have far too small classes to be able to complete it, so therefore they take it away instead. So if they had made a big school instead, which included all smaller subjects.
Qualifications – Get to Work!
Pia:
When you are looking for people, what specific kind of qualifications are you looking for?
Silje:
It is entirely a question of what position we should occupy.
Pia:
Let's say rope access technicians.
Silje:
Yes, they must have a subject at the bottom then, they must have a vocational subject, rope access, it is only an access method, so they have to perform something in these ropes, and then they must have yes, one or more subjects at the bottom. So I tell that to those who want to work in rope access, but who, for example, come from the restaurant industry and do not have any special education in the industry
Fastest way to industry
The fastest way to the industry that we know in our business, is if you have a rigging course and a scaffolding course, and then you can combine it with rope access. So, I'm not so much looking for those with good grades from school. I'm looking for someone who will simply want to work. Yes, get a job.
How to get to know our subjects? We need to light a spark!
We are on all these platforms online that most people use, but we also do a lot of outreach activities, so we facilitate professional days for secondary schools and for high schools and invite them in here, and then they get to try out a day in the course centre or outside to build scaffolding or.
It's something we see that we must sow a seed much earlier, because there aren't that many, especially sixteen-year-olds, who get a pat on the back and hear from mom and dad if they come home and say I'm going to be a scaffolding builder.
We must light a spark in the young people, so that they see that this is a viable path for them.
Be the best company to work in. Listen, be present!
Pia:
The energy industry, or at least with grids, for example. They have "stolen", now I put it a bit like that in quotation marks and such, stolen energy installers and from the likes of Nettpartner and these companies here and now, BANE NOR is on its way to stealing the energy installers from the grid companies again, and that is the part of the energy industry. How is it with you?
Silje:
It's exactly the same. We can never avoid people changing overalls.
Because they do, and it's optional where you want to work. We just must make sure to be the best company that people want to work here so and then you must facilitate good training. We must see the employees, we have to listen to them, we have to have a presence, so I think that the best win by keeping their employees.
We take care of the employees!
Pia:
But how do you do it? If you also want to come up with some secrets, it is like you who are a leader like you are a person who is very active in other forums as well.
So, what is it that you do that is different?
Silje:
I don't know if I do much differently, but I think that we take care of the employees. We don't have a closed door, they don't have to write and apply for an audience, we have an open door, come in and listen to the people. We talk to them, and we show ourselves in the projects to see the work they put in.
Most Responsible Employer! Culture bearers are important.
Silje:
But I do think that those who may be taking the lead who are the most responsible employer and offer a course where they stand for good training, and they feel taken care of. They feel that safety is taken care of, and that there is active operational management that it is perfectly fine with culture.
Culture bearers are important. I think that if they are taught in good cultures, and get it rooted in the employees, then this spreads.
Many are approaching retirement age - we need a replenishment of younger workers!
Pia:
If we are to look at your company, then how big is your long-term staffing needs? How many people do you need, because there are people who are going to ask you to contribute and come up with people.
Silje:
Our biggest challenge is that all these people here who have seniority that is well over 30 years now, they are starting to approach a retirement age. It is a huge challenge, and if we do not get replenishment from the younger ones, we will struggle within a 5-10 year period, then we will have a real challenge.
So, we have to make the right moves to get the young people in now.
Pia:
I'm very fascinated that it's so much that you're so on the supply side to be kind of at the forefront of this thing that has to do with recruitment.
Silje:
Yes, and then we have the industry together then, had to promise that we will welcome so and so many people into our companies when they are ready to get out to work. Now there is a lot of theoretical training and training in the workshop first, as this is on the insulator subject.
And when they are ready to start working, we have committed to receiving them.
Recruitment is not related to the desired development needs!
Pia:
The altitude conference I have like a theme line I can almost call it, which is called "more power faster without deaths" - when I say it to you, what, what do you think then?
Silje:
It's difficult because recruitment is not linked to the desired development needs, so I think that for us to manage that pace, without it being at the expense of more accidents or safety or such, you must be regulated. And if you have monopolists around all the power companies, I think it's more difficult to do than private companies that take the initiative together, and we run a broader industry collaboration.
