00:00:02 My name's Tim Fifoot, I work for E.ON here at Ratcliffe on Soar power station. As Boiler Team Leader I'm responsible for a team of E.ON engineers, who oversee the operation and engineering of the boiler. We also oversee the maintenance, and carry out any repairs. So the piece I'm responsible is the boiler, that is the section in the middle of the diagram here. We receive the coal from - it comes in by train, or road, we burn the coal, it generates steam from the water it heats up, and then we pass that steam through to the lads - or through to the turbine, where obviously the spinning of the turbine generates the electricity.
00:00:42 I applied for the role here with E.ON a little over three years ago. I joined E.ON after having spent the rest of my working career, working in the coal mines of North Nottinghamshire. I think I'd reached a point in my career where I recognised that there was a need for a change. If I wanted to develop again as an individual I needed to make a change in my career, and I found it was an opportunity that came up, I applied for the role and was fortunate enough, after interview, to be offered the role.
00:01:14 It was a career I chose from completing my A levels at school - was to go into the mining industry. Whilst studying for A levels I took the opportunity - at the time the National Coal Board, as it was, offered the opportunity to go and do a two week residential course with them, which gave you an insight into how they operated, and how they combined the aspect of study with the practical side of learning a business. I did a course in Mining Engineering, and then that was supplemented by - at the end of it I had to do a statutory qualification, which gave me a ticket of competency, to allow me then to become a mine manager.
00:01:55 Turning points in my career then, I suppose it's important, I set objectives of where I wanted to be. The first one was to get my first position where I was responsible for both the operations and the health and safety of the people carrying them out. But I always set out as well to become a colliery manager. Which I achieved towards the end of my time in the mining industry. And I suppose having achieved that goal, it was then to find another job that would challenge me in the same way. Coming to this role, again I've set myself targets. Yes, and I'm still learning a lot now about the power generation industry.
00:02:33 A number of people have influenced me, I think. I always take the opportunity to learn from people. You look at experiences that you work through and live through, and perhaps I take a little bit from a large number of different people. I'm always prepared to listen to other people, and learn from them. I think it's important that anybody does that, you never ever stop learning, it's important to listen to others, seek advice, and ask them on feedback on how you're then performing. So there's nobody specific, it's a number of people that I've learnt from.
00:03:07 I'm a family man, I've got two daughters, so they take up the vast majority of my time. But my own personal interests would be - I like all sorts of sports, though I've moved on to being a spectator rather than a participant. And play a bit of golf, as and when the opportunity provides itself. There's a gold course on site here which is a marvellous facility, and a large number of people on site take the opportunity to use that - after work, and at weekends. And it's another - another good aspect for people to get to know each other.
00:03:39 I think success is important. I think it's also important though that you give other people the opportunity to have success, and I think now it's important for me to help other people to develop. I think it's key that I develop a strong team, that can carry forward the work that we're doing here. It's important to make sure that succession is well managed so that, wherever you work, you know that the team of people around you will carry forward the job that you've started and finish it off.
00:04:08 ENDS
Tim Fifoot
Tim Fifoot
My name's Tim Fifoot, I work for E.ON here at Ratcliffe on Soar power station. As Boiler Team Leader I'm responsible for a team of E.ON engineers, who oversee the operation and engineering of the boiler. We also oversee the maintenance, and carry out any repairs. So the piece I'm responsible is the boiler, that is the section in the middle of the diagram here. We receive the coal from - it comes in by train, or road, we burn the coal, it generates steam from the water it heats up, and then we pass that steam through to the lads - or through to the turbine, where obviously the spinning of the turbine generates the electricity.
I applied for the role here with E.ON a little over three years ago. I joined E.ON after having spent the rest of my working career, working in the coal mines of North Nottinghamshire. I think I'd reached a point in my career where I recognised that there was a need for a change. If I wanted to develop again as an individual I needed to make a change in my career, and I found it was an opportunity that came up, I applied for the role and was fortunate enough, after interview, to be offered the role.
It was a career I chose from completing my A levels at school - was to go into the mining industry. Whilst studying for A levels I took the opportunity - at the time the National Coal Board, as it was, offered the opportunity to go and do a two week residential course with them, which gave you an insight into how they operated, and how they combined the aspect of study with the practical side of learning a business. I did a course in Mining Engineering, and then that was supplemented by - at the end of it I had to do a statutory qualification, which gave me a ticket of competency, to allow me then to become a mine manager.
Turning points in my career then, I suppose it's important, I set objectives of where I wanted to be. The first one was to get my first position where I was responsible for both the operations and the health and safety of the people carrying them out. But I always set out as well to become a colliery manager. Which I achieved towards the end of my time in the mining industry. And I suppose having achieved that goal, it was then to find another job that would challenge me in the same way. Coming to this role, again I've set myself targets. Yes, and I'm still learning a lot now about the power generation industry.
A number of people have influenced me, I think. I always take the opportunity to learn from people. You look at experiences that you work through and live through, and perhaps I take a little bit from a large number of different people. I'm always prepared to listen to other people, and learn from them. I think it's important that anybody does that, you never ever stop learning, it's important to listen to others, seek advice, and ask them on feedback on how you're then performing. So there's nobody specific, it's a number of people that I've learnt from.
I'm a family man, I've got two daughters, so they take up the vast majority of my time. But my own personal interests would be - I like all sorts of sports, though I've moved on to being a spectator rather than a participant. And play a bit of golf, as and when the opportunity provides itself. There's a gold course on site here which is a marvellous facility, and a large number of people on site take the opportunity to use that - after work, and at weekends. And it's another - another good aspect for people to get to know each other.
I think success is important. I think it's also important though that you give other people the opportunity to have success, and I think now it's important for me to help other people to develop. I think it's key that I develop a strong team, that can carry forward the work that we're doing here. It's important to make sure that succession is well managed so that, wherever you work, you know that the team of people around you will carry forward the job that you've started and finish it off.
ENDS
Influenced by a successful 2 week placement with the National Coal Board, Tim went straight into the mining industry after A levels. Self driven to achieve his goals he suceeded in qualifying as a mine manager. Several years later, to find new work challenges, Tim moved to E.ON where he now manages the boiler maintenance and repair team. He values learning, developing skills in others and a little bit of golf!
External links
Skills Council for the Energy and Utilities Sector
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