Adorian calls for apprenticeships

The access industry is not doing enough to attract high quality engineers and risks a serious shortage of expertise in the coming years, said Paul Adorian, the past managing director of the IPAF (International Powered Access Federation), writing in this issue of AI page 45.

Mr Adorian, who is now managing director of Powered Access Certification (PAC), an EU-notified body that provides expert advice to the access industry, said; “The world is desperately short of [engineering] skills and as international competition grows fiercer, so [does] the need to ensure the availability of qualified engineers in the future...

“[The access industry] has done little to promote itself as an exciting industry to young people. This problem needs tackling now on an international basis and needs the cooperation of manufacturers and major rental companies”.

Mr Adorian said IPAF was best placed to take the “urgent action” that was needed; “if we, as an industry, don't take this matter seriously now, we will pay dearly for our inaction in the future.” He called for IPAF to establish a student sponsorship programme.

Tim Whiteman, current managing director of IPAF, told AI that he welcomed Mr Adorian's contribution to an issue that was already receiving attention at the organisation. He said IPAF member Roger Bowden, chairman of Niftylift, had been looking into options for engineering apprenticeship schemes for the past year and that he would be submitting proposals at IPAF's council meeting in April.