Diversity is key to increasing recruitment and retention

Women and ethnic minorities represent an untapped talent pool that could address the UK’s labour and skills shortage, says a new report from Energy Systems Catapult. But urgent action is needed to encourage more of these entrants to the workforce.

The report, ‘Increasing diversity in the heating sector to address the skills shortage and meet net zero’, states that women account for only 2% of the heating industry workforce, and only 5% of those in the heating sector have an ethnic minority background.

Topics under discussion include training, ground source versus air source, and standards in the industry.

There will also be panel presentations, covering topics such as the importance of the electrification of heat, and where the industry is heading in both the domestic and commercial sectors. Each panel will open up the floor for questions from the audience. In the afternoon, visitors can attend an exhibition of stands, giving them the opportunity to network. The day begins at 9am and closes at 4pm. The event is free to attend but tickets are limited – for more information and to reserve your place at the event, use the reader link below.

◼ phamnews.co.uk/323/05 and inclusive environment. Such steps, the research asserts, can spur on individuals from an untapped talent pool to enter the sector.

Long-time plumbing and heating industry figure, politician and businessman, Bernard Bateman MBE, passed away peacefully on 26th January at the age of 78, following a year-long illness. He will be remembered for his largerthan - life personality, his enthusiastic support for the UK plumbing and heating industry, his life-long charity work, and political contributions.

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The research focuses on the problem of recruitment and retention, identifying the key needs for women and ethnic minorities to enter and stay in the heating sector. These include increased availability and awareness of fair job opportunities, options to train and work flexibly, and providing an inclusive environment where they feel a sense of belonging.

The report makes a number of recommendations for employers, industry bodies and training providers, such as increasing availability and awareness of fair job opportunities and tackling discrimination to achieve a healthy

Dr. Vivien Kizilcec, consumer research manager at Energy Systems Catapult and co-author of the report, says: “By employing a more diverse workforce, organisations can gain knowledge and extra skills that can help them reach new customers and offer additional services, as well as drive down implicit bias. Increasing the diversity of the workforce will therefore be crucial in the transition towards low carbon heating.”

The researchers interviewed men, women, and ethnic minorities for the report, including tradespeople, professionals with recruitment responsibilities, and industry experts. Read the report using the link below. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/323/06

In his early career he worked at plumbing and heating merchants OBC in South Wales, later to be part of Wolseley Hughes Plc. He went on to being sales and marketing director of Yorkshire Heating Supplies. Bernard also played an important role in the renaming of the brand to Plumb Center in the 1980s and continued to run the sales and marketing function for Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland until 1993. He then joined merchants Harcross as MD, taking them to sale in 1997, and established Geberit in the UK, where he oversaw the purchase of Caradon Terrain in 1999.

Bernard was awarded an MBE in 1988 for his services to the plumbing industry, and twice held the post of national president at the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. He is survived by his wife Linda, their two sons, Liam and Nicholas, and four granddaughters.