We have collaborated with a number of businesses in the Humber region  to create a video aimed at educating children about the industry’s commitment to a sustainable future. Titled ‘what is decarbonisation?’ the video explains various technologies that will help to transform their region over the coming decades, such as carbon capture, lower carbon hydrogen and biomass, emphasising their crucial roles in helping industries reduce carbon emissions and produce lower-carbon products.

The video also aims to inspire children by showcasing the diverse career opportunities available in the industry, from accountants to engineers, technicians, HR professionals, and more. Decarbonisation projects are expected to create new jobs, strengthen supply chains, and contribute to a robust economy.

The video, created by CATCH, Drax, Equinor, Harbour Energy, Phillips 66, SSE Thermal, and VPI, highlights the importance of collective action among Humber businesses in tackling climate change. By bringing together resources and expertise, these companies are not only advancing their own carbon emission reduction goals but also contributing to a larger movement towards a more sustainable future.

The Humber region presents one of the largest opportunities for industrial decarbonisation, as it is the UK’s largest industrial emitting cluster, making it essential to decarbonise if we are to achieve UK net zero goals.

Katie, Hedges, Director of Membership & Low Carbon Strategy at CATCH said:

Decarbonisation is an opportunity to inspire the next generation. By showcasing the innovative technologies and diverse career paths in our industry, we aim to empower children to envision a sustainable future and their role in it. The Humber region is at the forefront of this transformation, and together, we can achieve our net zero goals while driving economic growth and job creation.

View the video here –  https://youtu.be/hMi6Z9SFvOA

Melanie Onn MP and Martin Vickers MP today opened the new facility at CATCH’s Skills and Apprenticeships Centre. The opening represents a significant milestone in CATCH’s commitment to fostering the green skills needed for the energy transition whilst helping to deliver economic growth locally in the Humber, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire regions.

During the visit, Melanie and Martin met students, tutors and local businesses and reiterated that skills and green jobs are at the forefront of this government’s agenda.

Following the opening, Melanie Onn, the Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, said: “Investment in green initiatives like this is vital as we work to grow North East Lincolnshire’s economy. It’s great to see so many businesses putting funding into our area, and I look forward to seeing how things progress as the Humber Skills Plan unfolds.

This new facility is really exciting in particular. It will provide so many new opportunities for young people across the region, helping to get more of them into STEM careers.”

The expansion was made possible by a £1.5 million funding investment from sponsors in the region. These include Viking CCS members Phillips 66 Limited, Harbour Energy, Drax and ABP together with Air Products, Uniper, the ECITB and Humber Freeport.

CATCH is poised to play a pivotal role in steering more young individuals towards STEM careers, as part of the broader Humber Skills Plan to increase training output by tenfold by 2029. This latest funding initiative has had a substantial impact on its facility:

• More than doubling the entry capacity, CATCH will increase its intake from 100 to approximately 220 apprentices.
• Tripling the welding and grinding bay capacity to 80 bays, which have been identified as critical skill gaps needed to power the UK’s energy transition.
• The facility has already welcomed a new cohort of apprentices this September 2024.

The project is also supporting the local businesses with all contract work executed by local specialists and within their teams, including apprentices from three different trades. The construction was completed in 53 days, amassing over 10,000 hours of work.

Following this first phase of funding, CATCH has an ambitious expansion plan to develop a new £60 million National Net Zero Training Centre by 2029, aiming to deliver education to 1,000 learners a year, targeted at the skills needed by net zero projects. The Centre will fill the skills gaps which exist in sectors such as Carbon Capture and Storage, green steel, gigafactories, and hydrogen.

David Talbot, CATCH CEO, said: “To advance the decarbonisation journey, we urgently need more pipefitters, platers, welders, and fabricators. No single company can do this alone, which is why collaboration has been key in addressing the ever-growing skills gap in these crucial trades. And this collaboration is unprecedented; no other UK cluster has come together to narrow the industrial skills gap so proactively. CATCH has always been at the forefront of industrial skills development, and this is just the beginning.”

Graeme Davies, EVP CCS at Harbour Energy, says: “The UK’s net zero goals will only be realised if we have thousands of skilled workers, from welders and pipefitters to process engineers. CATCH’s Skills and Apprenticeships Centre is a fantastic opportunity to build a strong and prosperous workforce for the future and support leading projects such as Viking CCS. We are very happy to play a leading role in this significant expansion of CATCH, helping to provide the skilled workers the major projects in the region will need in the coming years.”

Paul Fursey, Lead Executive UK and Humber Refinery General Manager says: “To build the infrastructure required to deliver net zero for the UK, we need to invest in creating the skilled workforce of tomorrow. CATCH’s new welding and fabrication training Centre will become a hub of excellence, demonstrating how the UK can increase the knowledge and skills needed to deliver the net zero targets. Through support from Phillips 66 Limited and our fellow delivery sponsors, local industry support, and local schools and colleges, we believe we can make a powerful difference to inspire the next generation of welders, pipefitters, mechanical fitters, platers, scaffolders and much more.”

Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) CEO Andrew Hockey says: “The ECITB was delighted to support CATCH as it continues to develop a pipeline of trained, skilled workers for major engineering construction projects in the Humber region. We know from our Labour Forecasting Tool (LFT) that the labour demand gap for new workers in the engineering construction industry will get wider with an estimated shortfall of 40,000 workers by 2028. Our £300,000 investment through our Regional Skills Hubs funding will support the training of more skilled workers as part of ambitious expansion plans to support the UK’s largest industrial cluster contribute to the country’s net zero goals.”

• Plant + Paddle partners include Target NEL, North East Lincolnshire Council, Ebb+Flo Collective, The Canoe River Cleaner and Sandringham Estate’s former Head Gardener & Learning and Engagement Coordinator
• Created to support NELC children’s services and community engagement across Grimsby
• Events actively encourage young people to explore the world of marine environment, habitat and biodiversity all connected to Renewable Energy
• On and off-water activities proactively immerse children in the natural world and nurture their curiosity

Plant + Paddle will launch on August 12th at Alexandra Dock in Grimsby following a successful pilot session which took place on Friday, August 2nd.

Six children met at Projekt Renewable, where the Plant + Paddle delivery team took them through a guided paddleboarding and planting activity day. Sponsored by The Crown Estate, the concept was created to engage local children and actively encourage them to learn more about the world that the renewables sector relies on.

From the mini-ecosystems on our doorstep to marine biology and life on the water’s edge, how the natural world impacts us and how we prioritise it for the conservation of the planet are big topics – but nevertheless are topics Plant + Paddle aims to discuss. In order to make the leap from these big environmental challenges to the world of renewables, and relate it back to the day-to-day lives of the local community’s younger members, an expert team has been assembled at Projekt Renewable.

Projekt Director, Richard Askam, commented: “Talk about Avengers Assemble… We are delighted to bring Plant + Paddle to the children of Grimsby and even more delighted to have such a talented bunch of people on board to deliver it! This is really what Projekt Renewable is here for, to let children discover things they didn’t know about marine conservation, biodiversity and renewable energy by getting their hands dirty and their feet wet!”

Paddle Power

Managing the on-water side of the sessions is Toni Buckle of Ebb + Flo Collective and James Elliott aka The Canoe River Cleaner.

Toni Buckle from Cleethorpes representing Ebb + Flo Collective, said: “As soon as Projekt Director, Richard, got in touch about Plant + Paddle it piqued my interest. But it was the team that was involved, as well as the well-documented benefits of activity and blue spaces on people’s well-being and more people being able to access these, that sealed the deal for me.

“Myself and the team behind Ebb+Flo Collective CIC had long recognised that there are certain barriers preventing many individuals from accessing the sea and its benefits – financial hardship, poverty, and physical disability to name a few. Breaking down these barriers is exactly why Ebb+Flo Collective was established.

“This project is so exciting! Grimsby is a very underutilised town in terms of activity and well-being, with so much beautiful wildlife to connect to and explore. It’s an area with so much potential and hopefully, this will be the start of real change that inspires and broadens the horizon of everyone involved. It only takes a small seed for something beautiful to bloom and I hope the project lives up to this.”

James Elliott, The Canoe River Cleaner, added: “You may have seen me on my travels, cleaning our river, and leading nature-based activities to shine a positive light on the beautiful watercourse that snakes its way through our town.

“After recording a recent episode for the latest series of The Podkast, I found myself part of their upcoming Plant + Paddle project which almost sums up my dream day out! Canoeing along our river, teaching children about wildlife, and then increasing biodiversity by planting correct plants along the riverbank. There’s lots of good people about, I’m really proud to be working with some of them.”

Planting A Seed

Back on dry land, and with big thanks to Crowders of Horncastle who supplied all the planting materials and foliage at cost, it was over to Hannah Woods. Coming to Plant + Paddle from Sandringham Estate having recently moved to Lincolnshire, in her role as a Learning and Engagement Coordinator Hannah has been delivering workshops and forest school sessions to those visiting the Royal Estate. With a unique approach to learning all about our natural world, together with her husband, Martin, the former Head Gardener at Sandringham Estate, Hannah brings a wealth of experience to the team.

“I am incredibly excited to be involved with Plant + Paddle sessions with Projekt Renewable, giving children different and interesting opportunities that they might not normally get,” said Hannah. “As a qualified teacher, I know the real importance of outdoor learning which deepens nature connection and supports mental health, boosting confidence, self-esteem and improving social skills, which is what I know the Plant + Paddle event will do for the children who participate in this wonderful series of sessions.”

When it comes to onsite session management, hosting and bookings, the Projekt team is thrilled to be working with Joanne Lord, founder and CEO of Target NEL CIC (Taking Action Raising Grimsby’s Emerging Talents). Having teamed up with Joanne during the Festival of the Sea earlier this year, her positive impact is already being felt across the activity taking place at Projekt. Joanne explains how she came to be involved.

“After speaking with Richard at Projekt, it became clear that we share the same vision for our young people: to raise awareness about the future of renewable energy within our community and to connect this knowledge to their career aspirations,” said Joanne. “My work focuses on developing programs and projects that put children at the forefront, helping them see how their current interests can evolve into transferable skills for a career in this growing industry.

“When I was invited to collaborate with Projekt on the Plant + Paddle, I knew right away that I wanted to be involved. Plant + Paddle offers an exciting opportunity to introduce children and young people to activities they might not typically have access to, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

“New projects such as this one are exciting for both us as a growing collaborative team as well as the community. The Projekt initiative helps to build strong, positive relationships with local residents while promoting the long-term goals of promoting sustainability and renewable energy opportunities locally. For the community, projects like Plant + Paddle offer children and young people access to experiences they might not otherwise have, encouraging them to explore new interests. These activities can spark curiosity, foster a sense of adventure, and develop critical life skills such as teamwork, resilience, and environmental stewardship.

“By blending hands-on activities with education, we hope to show young people that the future of energy can be both exciting and accessible, opening their eyes to the possibilities that lie ahead.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about Plant + Paddle, would like to support or sponsor the programme of events at Projekt Renewable, or would simply like more information about how your children can take part, please get in touch with the Projekt team at info@projektrenewable.com or Joanne Lord at jlord@tragetgy.co.uk

The CATCH approach to training has always been “real world” meaning when you train at CATCH as an apprentice or an adult learner, we will replicate industrial practices as closely and safely as we can.

Our apprentices based in Stallingborough, are with us full-time for the first year of their apprenticeship, before heading into their respective companies, supported by a CATCH assessor. This first year of training cumulates with a real shut-down of the CATCH facility, in the last week of their full-time training.

The performance of our 2023-2024 cohort has been exceptional.

Using a permit and authorisation system, the EC&I apprentices have serviced, maintained and repaired every panel, motor and instrument on the tank farm and in the reactor building!

Some genuine faults were found such as:

• Phasing motors
• Burst diaphragms on pressure sensors
• Non-working panel isolators
• Incorrect overload values (on every motor)
• Snapped wires on field bus connections
• Inaccurate calibrations on many instruments

Our process apprentices helped prepare and isolate the plant to be ready for shutdown. They assisted in deisolation and starting the plant to test and run the processes to ensure it all functioned and operated correctly.

Our mechanical apprentices stripped down and repaired pumps and then reinstalled and laser aligned the pumps using techniques they had learnt in the classroom in a real-life situation. They also stripped down flanges and renewed gaskets and seals on pipes and valves where leaks had been reported on the plant. Next, they tested what they had done to ensure all ran correctly.

In each case, the apprentices applied themselves to the work required and made real improvements to the plant and its operation. Many of our apprentices stated how much they enjoyed the shutdown week and wanted to prolong the experience.

Thank you to all our tutors and support staff who made the shutdown such a fantastic experience for our learners.

In 2023, Grimsby Community Energy (GCE) successfully raised £270,000 from a mix of large and small investors. These funds were used to install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on two sites: CATCH, where 308kW of solar panels were installed across three buildings (over 700 panels in total), and YMCA Humber’s 1 Orwell Street, which received a 30kW solar installation. This initiative allows CATCH to benefit from affordable, clean electricity provided by GCE whenever the sun is shining, helping them advance their decarbonisation plans without any upfront cost and saving money.

Building on this success, GCE has launched their latest community share offer in 2024. Full details are available on their website. The offer is open to anyone over the age of 16, as well as businesses, which will receive public thanks on GCE’s LinkedIn and other social media platforms. The target interest rate for investors is 5%. The first project under this new offer is scheduled for October, aiming to install an additional 161kW of solar PV on two buildings at CATCH.

GCE is a community benefit society registered with the Financial Conduct Authority. Since 2016, they have been supporting local decarbonisation efforts. They own and operate solar PV systems on ten community buildings, helping organisations like E-Factor, St Andrews Hospice, and the Rock Foundation to reduce costs and carbon emissions.

Dr. Vicky Dunn, Managing Director of GCE, said, “If you care about cutting carbon emissions and want to be part of a community effort to achieve great things, consider becoming a member of Grimsby Community Energy. It’s a great local, ethical investment – our 110 members can keep in touch with the good things they have helped to fund and see the projects when they travel about town.”

Paul Snowden, Head of Operations, added, “The Grimsby Community Energy Group is a fantastic organisation for companies looking to start or continue their sustainability journey. We have benefited from their expertise and investment on-site and are very grateful for all the support. So far this year, we have generated 174 MWh, saving 33,630.35 kg of CO2 emissions. We are delighted to embark on our second project with them to install solar PV on our Scaffolding and Welding and Pipefitting Hub buildings.”

For more information on how to invest, please visit the Grimsby Community Energy website – https://grimsbycommunityenergy.coop/

Eastern Airways welcomed the new Director of Education and Training at CATCH to discover how Eastern Airways could enhance student and apprentices’ industry experience.

CATCH, based in Stallingborough, is a leader in engineering skills, apprenticeships and competency, driven by industry members within Northern Lincolnshire and further afield.

As a key aviation and engineering employer in Lincolnshire, Eastern Airways, headquartered at Humberside Airport, is looking to inspire the next generation to explore opportunities in the sector.

Operating domestic, international and private charter flights to thousands of passengers a year; Eastern Airways’ recent route expansion in partnership with KLM has facilitated a recruitment drive to support its growth; engaging with new talent from Further Education providers forms part of this strategy.

Head of Training and Education, Paul Robinson, was offered a bespoke tour around Eastern Airways’ facilities by Head of Brand and Marketing Emma Turner and Commercial Director Roger Hage.

Emma Turner said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to engage with CATCH and welcome Paul on site to explore the opportunities that exist within Eastern Airways for both staff and students, specifically focusing on how we could work in partnership to develop engaging STEM activities linking to CATCH’s existing provision.”

Roger Hage, adds: “We welcome the opportunity to showcase the business to education providers in all of our regions, as we feel we have some amazing complementary industry experiences to offer to both staff and students to support their industry CPD and develop the employability skills of those hoping to enter the industry in the future.”

Paul Robinson,  said: “I was honoured to be invited in to be shown around their operations and discuss training. It’s an asset to the area having Eastern Airways on our doorstep and to gain an insight into the aviation industry training requirements”.

This is the first of a series of visits to Eastern Airways over the summer from education providers in East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire, to support development of a new talent network from September 2024 to put Eastern Airways on the map and support new talent into the industry.

CATCH hosted their Major Hazards Group on 17 July which focused on the topic of cyber security.  The group chair, Dan Rawdin from SSE, welcomed over 25 delegates who joined in person and via teams.

The first speaker was Paulo Oliveira, Director of Consulting – DEKRA Organisational & Process Safety, who gave a presentation on how safe and secure systems are at the centre of integrity in operations.  Paulo highlighted the importance of understanding the risks and how we can design systems that are safe and secure.  The challenges include how functional safety guidance and approach is different to how cyber security professionals look at the situation.  Paulo explored how we can establish a framework to look at the problem together, and avoid starting from different points, using different guidance.  It is important to open dialogue and keep sharing learning as the sector progresses and matures.  The group discussed how HAZOPs, for example, will one day include cyber security specialists, but this competency needs to develop and grow over time.

After a break, Andy Scott from SSE gave a site operators experience of maintaining industrial control systems against compromise from cyber-attack.  Andy highlighted the regulatory framework that SSE are operating in including HSE and DESNZ.  The sector has moved on from the domain of a C&I engineer into security and cyber security.  Andy shared some of the most recent cyber attacks and the impact they’d had and shared lessons learned from these, including Stuxnet virus, TRITON Malware, SolarWinds.

Andy described the common characteristics of an attack and how to manage an attack framework to include corporate infrastructure, Distributed Control System(s), SCADA, Protection System(s) & Intelligent end devices.  Andy went on to describe how to implement a defence in more depth to include multiple layers of protection, some procedural, some behavioural and some technological.  Working with suppliers is becoming increasingly important to avoid weaknesses and the supplier landscape is under more scrutiny from regulators.

Paulo and Andy took questions.

The next Major Hazards Group meeting will be held at CATCH on 14 November.  For more information about CATCH network groups please contact katie.hedges@catchuk.org

CATCH is pleased to acknowledge the contributions of Richard Stansfield, CEO, Singleton Birch, who chaired his final board meeting on 21 June 24, marking the end of a 7-year tenure on the Board with 4 years as Chair.

Richard’s steadfast support and leadership have been instrumental in positioning CATCH for its forthcoming expansion projects. During his time on the Board, Richard oversaw several milestones, including stewardship throughout the challenging COVID-19 period, the development of CATCH Apprenticeships, the launch of the Welding and Pipefitting Hub, and the key regional programme of the Humber Industrial Cluster Plan Project

David Talbot, CEO of CATCH, expressed his gratitude: “From a personal perspective, I would like to thank Richard for his sage counsel and unwavering support to CATCH over the past 7 years, and longer as a Member of CATCH. His contributions have been invaluable in the development of CATCH and in preparing us for the next stage in our evolution, and I wish him all the best for the future in his retirement.”

The CATCH Board comprises 25 Member organisations representing public and private sectors and academia. For further information, please visit www.catchuk.org.

CATCH held their Human Factors Network on 19 June.  The focus for the session was Shift Management with Julie Bell from Human Factors Expertise Ltd and Rob Crossman and James Lloyd Davies from Optashift.  Chris Marron from Yara chaired the meeting which was attended by 25 delegates online and in person.

Adam Goodman from P66 kicked off the session with a Human Factors safety moment on safety critical communication.

Rob highlighted why shift work matters, it is critical to business performance, cuting across most departments and can be subject to changing external factors.  Julie explored the legal duty of employers to manage risks posed by shift working arrangements and the impact of fatigue on shift working and overtime.  James, Rob and Julie reviewed the 5 areas of focus underpinned by guidance on Human Factors and how active controls can be established to manage fatigue and avoid ‘overtime heroes’.  The five areas are:

1. Assessment
2. Policy
3. Solutions
4. Monitoring
5. Guidance

Rob described a range of design options for shift patterns and how these work in different environments and the impact of hourly patterns on fatigue.  James gave examples of different tracking/monitoring systems including wearable monitors to help manage shiftwork and overtime hours, less passive systems are being deployed alongside actions such as encouraging workers to look after each other too.  ESG (environmental & social governance) aspects are becoming increasingly important to ensure the experience of staff on shifts matches business ESG stated ambitions.

Julie, Rob & James took questions and comments from the group.

The next meeting will be held at CATCH on 23 October.  For more information about the range of CATCH networks and events please contact katie.hedges@catchuk.org

CATCH is proud to announce that we have been awarded the contract to deliver the technical certificate of the JTL Electrical Installation apprenticeship in the South Humber region. This significant achievement underscores our commitment to addressing the skills gap in the engineering construction industry and supporting the transition to a net zero future.

JTL is one of the largest work-based learning providers in England and Wales, working with over 3,800 businesses and training almost 9,000 apprentices in the building services engineering sector. JTL were looking for a partner in the South Humber region due to a lack of available local provision. This contract will see 18 learners start at CATCH in September for a day release programme with the rest of their time being spent with a sponsoring employer in industry.

James McIntosh, Chief Commercial Officer at CATCH, commented: “We are thrilled to have been chosen to deliver the Technical Certificate as part of the JTL programme. This opportunity allows us to make a substantial impact on the engineering construction industry by training new entrants who will play a crucial role in achieving our industries net zero ambitions. Our dedicated team is committed to providing high-quality training that meets the needs of both apprentices and employers in the Humber region.”

The JTL Electrical Installation apprenticeship is designed to provide apprentices with a comprehensive understanding of electrical systems, safety protocols, and the latest industry standards. It includes a spectrum of sustainable and energy-efficient technologies, reflecting the skills needed for the UK’s transition to net zero. Through hands-on training and theoretical instruction, apprentices will gain the competencies needed to thrive in their careers and contribute to the region’s economic and environmental goals. It is one of six ‘gold standard’ apprenticeships that were awarded the Coronation Emblem in 2023 because it contributes to a low carbon economy and helps to build a workforce that is equipped with the skills needed for a green future.

As part of our commitment to excellence, CATCH will leverage its state-of-the-art facilities and experienced instructors to deliver a training program that is both rigorous and supportive. We believe that by investing in the education and development of future electricians, we are not only addressing current industry needs but also laying the foundation for a sustainable and prosperous future.

If you are an employer and would like to consider recruiting a JTL Electrical Installation apprentice, please contact stuartmiller@jtltraining.com or eve.mcintosh@catchuk.org