Helping you make a career in Chemicals
It is a career that has taken Adrian Wallis around the globe and involved him in some amazing projects.
Working at the heart of one of the world’s major pharmaceutical companies, not only does his work change lives, but it also helps to save and prolong them.
Yet a realisation that fewer and fewer were following in his footsteps set up one of the biggest challenges he has faced.
What is happening today is the first step towards conquering his very personal and passion-fuelled quest in his adopted home town of Grimsby. Together with fellow professionals in the vibrant petro-chemical industry, Mr Wallis has helped ensure that not only are the physical requirements for learning in the 21st century available, but they are here at the heart of an area that is now the most profitable chemical cluster in the UK.
Mr Wallis is head of engineering at the Novartis plant near Grimsby, working with managing director John Clarkson for the Swiss company that is a leader in its field, and has a huge operation on Moody Lane.
That in itself is a major responsibility, but for the past 10 years he has also chaired Impress, an organisation set up to encourage more young people into the industry.
He said: "For us and our contracting industry that supports us, all the facts and figures tell us - and they have done for six or seven years - that we are not putting enough young people in as we are losing through retirement and promotion.
"What we have been doing is all about sustainability. If we cannot have a labour force available to us then all of the companies will find it more and more difficult to expand and develop. One of the drivers for the Impress organisation was to try and redress this balance."
Key people from key companies on both sides of the Humber got together, and today's events are a culmination of the hard work and extra hours that forward-thinking industry leaders have put in.
Mr Wallis said: “We established Impress in 1996, and it was generally there to encourage more young people into the industry. Aside from the new facility it has been very, very successful - we have increased the number of apprentices year on year, and this year 40 apprentices would not have been in the industry had it not been for Impress.
"But the overlying goal was to try and establish a state-of-the-art training facility that as closely matched industry as possible. As far back as 1997 there was a longer-term goal to establish this facility that is now CATCH. It allows us to be at the forefront of modern training."
While apprentices and upgrading and adding skills to existing employees in the industry will be the thrust of what the centre is about, Mr Wallis believes such an eye-opening facility has real potential earlier on.
“Typically kids make decisions a long time before they are 16 as to what path to go down,” said Mr Wallis. “There isn’t the level of interest in going into manufacturing or engineering as there was 20 years ago, partly because there isn’t the exposure to what the careers can offer. It is seen as a dirty, difficult and dangerous environment, but if we can encourage young people in to CATCH we can expose them to how exciting and interesting it can be, without the risk.”
This is possible through the use of safe fluids and solids in the various systems in use at CATCH rather than potentially dangerous chemicals. But everything else is replicated, from the permits at work and turnstile access, to safety equipment and rigorous security checks.
“CATCH seeks to address not only training for graduates having made a decision about a career, not only supplementary training for existing employees, but the whole issue.
“It is something that drives me, I am passionate about getting young people into the business.”
Mr Wallis added: “One of the things about people who are born and bred in this region, is that they sometimes find it hard to leave. I am pretty confident if you can get local young engineers in the industry you can give them sound training and get them apprenticeships. There are world-class companies down the Humber bank all seeking to employ people directly or through contractors. How much more opportunity could you want?”
It is a career that has taken Adrian Wallis around the globe and involved him in some amazing projects.
Working at the heart of one of the world’s major pharmaceutical companies, not only does his work change lives, but it also helps to save and prolong them.
Yet a realisation that fewer and fewer were following in his footsteps set up one of the biggest challenges he has faced.
What is happening today is the first step towards conquering his very personal and passion-fuelled quest in his adopted home town of Grimsby. Together with fellow professionals in the vibrant petro-chemical industry, Mr Wallis has helped ensure that not only are the physical requirements for learning in the 21st century available, but they are here at the heart of an area that is now the most profitable chemical cluster in the UK.
Mr Wallis is head of engineering at the Novartis plant near Grimsby, working with managing director John Clarkson for the Swiss company that is a leader in its field, and has a huge operation on Moody Lane.
That in itself is a major responsibility, but for the past 10 years he has also chaired Impress, an organisation set up to encourage more young people into the industry.
He said: "For us and our contracting industry that supports us, all the facts and figures tell us - and they have done for six or seven years - that we are not putting enough young people in as we are losing through retirement and promotion.
"What we have been doing is all about sustainability. If we cannot have a labour force available to us then all of the companies will find it more and more difficult to expand and develop. One of the drivers for the Impress organisation was to try and redress this balance."
Key people from key companies on both sides of the Humber got together, and today's events are a culmination of the hard work and extra hours that forward-thinking industry leaders have put in.
Mr Wallis said: “We established Impress in 1996, and it was generally there to encourage more young people into the industry. Aside from the new facility it has been very, very successful - we have increased the number of apprentices year on year, and this year 40 apprentices would not have been in the industry had it not been for Impress.
"But the overlying goal was to try and establish a state-of-the-art training facility that as closely matched industry as possible. As far back as 1997 there was a longer-term goal to establish this facility that is now CATCH. It allows us to be at the forefront of modern training."
While apprentices and upgrading and adding skills to existing employees in the industry will be the thrust of what the centre is about, Mr Wallis believes such an eye-opening facility has real potential earlier on.
“Typically kids make decisions a long time before they are 16 as to what path to go down,” said Mr Wallis. “There isn’t the level of interest in going into manufacturing or engineering as there was 20 years ago, partly because there isn’t the exposure to what the careers can offer. It is seen as a dirty, difficult and dangerous environment, but if we can encourage young people in to CATCH we can expose them to how exciting and interesting it can be, without the risk.”
This is possible through the use of safe fluids and solids in the various systems in use at CATCH rather than potentially dangerous chemicals. But everything else is replicated, from the permits at work and turnstile access, to safety equipment and rigorous security checks.
“CATCH seeks to address not only training for graduates having made a decision about a career, not only supplementary training for existing employees, but the whole issue.
“It is something that drives me, I am passionate about getting young people into the business.”
Mr Wallis added: “One of the things about people who are born and bred in this region, is that they sometimes find it hard to leave. I am pretty confident if you can get local young engineers in the industry you can give them sound training and get them apprenticeships. There are world-class companies down the Humber bank all seeking to employ people directly or through contractors. How much more opportunity could you want?”
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