Denis Hird, the newly appointed chief executive of JTL, hits the ground running as he takes over the helm of the industry's preferred training provider. We join him at work.
Monday
My day starts with the trill of my alarm clock at 3·30 am. After ten minutes of exercises, I get ready and set off at 4·30 am for my drive over the rolling Yorkshire countryside and down to our head office in Kent.

While travelling down the A1, I ponder my new position as JTL's chief executive and the fact that I am now responsible for a £25 million turnover, 8000 apprentices, 300 staff, and the needs and expectations of the industry in which we endeavour to serve. It is a huge job and I look forward to getting stuck into the challenges it will bring.

I arrive at 8 am and immediately check and action any e-mails, read the BBC's education web site news pages to keep abreast of latest issues, then put together my thoughts – and papers – in preparation for our fortnightly senior managers' meeting that starts at 9 am.

These meetings look at the strategic issues affecting the business. Today's agenda includes a focus on the new Technical Certificate that underpins the apprenticeship scheme and our liaison with City & Guilds, the awarding body. The aim is to ensure the seamless transition from the existing, interim certificate to the new one in September. We also discuss the additional funding we are trying to negotiate for the plumbing apprenticeship.

With the meeting drawing to a close, I take a quick bite to eat then go into a planning meeting for JTL's annual College Conference in May.

Tuesday
Not such an early start today as I'm now settled for the week in Kent. The working day begins at 8 am and I have a busy morning liaising with one of our customers, Stuart Dickie from SGD & Baynton in Cardiff.

We are arranging my attendance at the Cardiff Employers' Training Forum (ETF), an employer group that provides a platform for discussion and influence on local and national training issues, which is supported and funded by JTL. We agree a date and I am now scheduled to attend the next ETF dinner and meeting. I look forward to meeting the employers in the area and engaging with them on the broader industry issues at a grass roots level.

The afternoon saw me liaising with Iain Macdonald, the ECA's head of education and training. We discuss the future activity of the agency labour working group and how to encourage major contractors to take on apprentices. I then head to a meeting with JTL's chair, Bob Harris, to discuss a number of strategic business issues. Our meeting carries on over dinner and I eventually return home at around midnight.

Wednesday
Today is another busy day. It starts with several employer site visits in Oxford to discuss training needs and provision. After travelling back to the office, I enjoy a lengthy discussion about the training and productivity issues affecting apprenticeships with my union colleague, Lynn Williams from Amicus. This is followed by a number of internal staff meetings.

The last main task of the day is to write a presentation for the interim findings of the Equal Opportunities Commission's (EOC) General Formal Investigation into Occupational Segregation. I am due to present to the attendees of the event, jointly hosted by the EOC and SummitSkills.

The main focus of my presentation highlights JTL's efforts to encourage the industry to embrace equality and diversity. JTL strives to make employers aware that, by recognising the need for equal opportunities, it will enable them to attract a higher calibre of candidate.

Thursday
Today I am in Edinburgh and attend a meeting with SummitSkills' Ian Stirrat and Trevor Hill. I then meet with Alan Ross, chief executive of the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust and Ronnie Geary, chief executive of the Electrical Training Trust – JTL's sister organisations in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. We meet regularly to discuss the strategic role of training to ensure that there is continued transfer of labour across the UK.

Friday
Back in the head office today and the agenda is full. I spend time with Dave Rogers, JTL's retiring chief executive, making plans to meet with JTL staff based at our offices in South Yorkshire and North Wales. I also set up individual meetings with our 12 field teams of training officers across England and Wales.

After ensuring I've dealt with all urgent issues that occurred throughout the week, and making sure that I have no outstanding correspondence, I bid farewell to the office and make it back home to Yorkshire.

Hird: the story so far

Denis Hird is the newly appointed chief executive of JTL. With 19 years experience in training, he was previously chief executive of National Electrotechnical Training (NET), a National Training Organisation (NTO) and head of education and training at the ECA. Prior to his appointment at NET, he spent six years as a NTO director and was md of a national training provider. He started his career as an engineering apprentice and management trainee. He went on to hold a number of senior management positions at various Yorkshire sites. As an engineering honours graduate, Denis is a chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development, an Incorporated Engineer with the Engineering Council and a Fellow of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy. His JTL business priorities are:
  • to finalise the strategic and company business plan for the 2004/05 contract year;
  • to secure funding and finalise the Learning and Skills Council and Education and Learning Wales contract;
  • to ensure the seamless introduction of the Technical Certificate for the electrical and plumbing disciplines;
  • to brief the sales, field and marketing teams on the apprentice and employer recruitment drive for September.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor