Traffex’s Post

A positive trip to Traffex...     In May, I got the opportunity to travel up to Coventry to attend Traffex at the CBS Arena. Their mission is to deliver better roads for a better tomorrow by providing the knowledge, products and connections to drive innovation, efficiency, safety and sustainability across the road network.     Invited to join a panel, we discussed how existing/emerging methods and materials within highway maintenance could be supported in future. The main areas of discussion were:     > What local authorities, regional and national bodies are doing to unblock innovation in this area.  > A look at how lane rental schemes can be used to fund innovation and improve the quality of reinstatements.  > Routes to improving the quality or accessibility of records about the location of underground pipes, wires, and other apparatus.  > Analysing the importance of quality control throughout the maintenance process and the need for strong regulation to ensure this.     It was positive to hear across the broad range speaking, key themes on decarbonisation, data, collaboration, innovation and government/regulator policy to support. These themes were also present across the broad range of company stalls in attendance. They will prove vital in meeting the challenges of today, as well as those of tomorrow, particularly as we transition to net zero in the coming years.     Personally, I was super excited to see this narrative build in momentum. The journey to zero will require everyone to get involved because, as they say, many hands make light work! Only by working together and sharing ideas, knowledge and data, can we accelerate our transition.    That’s why projects like HAUC(UK)'s Road to Net Zero, which looks to develop a collective strategy for transition across the UK’s street and road works sector, are so important. Currently in the final delivery phase, the project will produce an online decision support system, to aid decision makers in making these vital choices. It will be made up four key components, optioneering, carbon calculator, consequences calculator and reporting.    While it’s essential that we reduce our emissions as soon as possible, we want to avoid creating other adverse unintended consequences to society, the environment and economy as a result. The other key factor is to provide consistent reporting across the sector so we can track our collective progress through anonymised data.    You can find out more about the project via the website: www.roadtonetzero.org.uk. If you’d like to get involved, please sign up to the charter which is also available on the website.    Because, as I always say, we are better together😊   #bettertogether #roadworks #streetworks #innovation #netzero #climateaction #traffex #UK #policy     David Capon Simon Bailey Chris Rogers David Mills CEng MIET Benjamin Taylor CEng, Alison Williams,  

On the 23rd of May, I had the pleasure of speaking at Traffex on behalf of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT). The panel subject was "How can we attract and support young professionals to the industry?" and it was great to discuss the matter with Sharad D Kerai, Ashik Mohammed Nazar, Steve Spender, Ann Carruthers, Kane St Quintin and Alistair Gollop FIHE MIET. It was agreed that there are presently a number of barriers to attracting young professionals into the industry in both the private and public sector. However, discussions also highlighted the various tools at our disposal to both attract and retain new talent. Some examples included: ⭐ Refresh the job application stage - job applications could look visually more attractive and appealing to younger audiences. Social media platforms other than LinkedIn should be considered for advertising opportunities. ⭐ Better promote the wide range of roles within the industry, and skill sets desired. It isn't all "hard hats and hi vis", there is a place for everyone. ⭐ Empower individuals from the moment they enrol to enhance retention. Reverse mentoring schemes enable young professionals to share the digital skills our sector urgently needs with their team while simultaneously acquiring "on the job" skills. ⭐ Though typically the first to be cut in times of financial uncertainty, protecting training budgets and establishing clear training pathways reassures young professionals that they have the opportunity to flourish and grow their careers in the industry. I'm hopeful that these suggestions will have a positive impact on attracting and supporting young professionals into the transport sector!