Seán McKirdy, Mechanical Engineering Director of RB Plant, will be driving skills forward as the new Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) Regional Chair for South England and EDP* companies.
The ECITB appoints Regional Chairs to ensure the needs of employers in that region are represented in decisions around skills and workforce development programmes and enable the industry-led organisation to forge closer connections to businesses in those regions.
Seán has over 20 years’ industry experience working in various roles, including project management, within multidisciplinary teams. He started his career in 2003 as an indentured apprentice mechanical services engineer and has worked within the rail safety, oil & gas and metals industries.
He joined RB Plant Construction, in Maidstone, Kent, in January 2017 as Senior Projects Mechanical Engineer and became Mechanical Engineering Directorin 2018.
He believes apprenticeships are key to driving the workforce growth needed to meet demand for future projects.
He said: “We have an excellent graduate programme here at RB Plant, but we are finding that the pool of high-calibre graduates is getting smaller each year. Engineering companies are all competing for good calibre graduates – and it’s the same across Europe.
“In addition, senior managers who have followed an apprenticeship route tend to have a broader understanding and more practical knowledge on the physical aspects of the job, such as welding or maintaining equipment.
“We are looking to start a new apprenticeship programme at RB Plant to drive the next generation of engineers. We have also visited Richmond College to meet some of the ECITB Design and Draughting scholars. The scholarship programme creates a good pipeline of new talent to industry.
“We need stronger engagement across the industry to showcase engineering as an exciting and rewarding career option – and this effort must begin at an earlier age.
“To achieve this, it is crucial to embed engineering and technology within the school curriculum. At present, too many schools lack these opportunities, limiting young people’s awareness of the potential career paths available to them.
“RB Plant has striven to do this through encouraging our engineers to actively engage in STEM activities and initiatives such as Innov8.”
Seán takes over as Regional Chair of the merged South/EDP* region from Gerald Mulvany of Bechtel Energy who served as Regional Chair South since 2023 and Steve Blackman from Schlumberger who held the Regional Chair role for EDP companies since 2018.
ECITB Chief Executive Andrew Hockey said: “I am delighted to welcome Seán onto the ECITB Council and as our Chair of South England and EDP* companies.
“His experience and passion will be a massive asset to drive forward the skills agenda, building better connections with client and contractor companies across the regions and being part of the solutions to overcome skills gaps.
“Forging these close links with industry, through the ECITB’s Board, Council and regional fora, is the cornerstone of how the ECITB operates to ensure we understand the needs of employers across the ECI and determinedly work to meet these needs.
“I would like to take the opportunity to thank our previous Regional Chairs Gerald Mulvany and Steve Blackman for their contributions during their tenures.”
Find out more about the work of the ECITB at www.ecitb.org.uk
*Engineering, Design and Procurement (EDP) – these are in-scope companies whose head office is in the UK but who don’t employ site-based staff.