Explore: Environment

Founder & CEO
Buckingham Futures (environmental health recruitment)

info Issues viewing the video?

accessibility Video accessibility options

00:00:07:08 – 00:00:10:10
Hi, I’m Ketan, I’m the owner and founder of Buckingham futures

00:00:10:21 – 00:00:13:13
specialist Environmental Health Recruitment Agency.

00:00:13:13 – 00:00:15:15
So prior to starting Buckingham Futures,

00:00:15:15 – 00:00:19:01
I worked for two companies and I’ve helped set up divisions

00:00:19:13 – 00:00:21:18
within existing recruitment businesses,

00:00:21:18 – 00:00:23:23
setting up environmental health recruitment divisions.

00:00:23:23 – 00:00:26:22
And then in 2013, I set up on my own.

00:00:27:05 – 00:00:30:20
Having done it for other organisations previously.

00:00:30:20 – 00:00:33:19
We cover the length and breadth of the UK, over 120 people

00:00:33:19 – 00:00:38:11
working for us in all areas of environmental health, contaminated land, air quality,

00:00:38:11 – 00:00:42:16
food safety, private-sector housing, pest control, licensing, etc..

00:00:43:19 – 00:00:46:03
School wasn’t for me.

00:00:46:19 – 00:00:48:15
I failed miserably in the school system,

00:00:48:15 – 00:00:52:05
I sort of dropped out at quite a young age.

00:00:52:06 – 00:00:54:19
I had a truancy officer assigned to me.

00:00:55:14 – 00:00:59:02
However, I was very an avid reader and I loved reading

00:00:59:02 – 00:01:02:08
and I loved reading about nature, about the environment.

00:01:02:15 – 00:01:05:13
And I spent a lot of time whilst not at school

00:01:05:13 – 00:01:08:16
following the curriculum in the library – in the local library

00:01:08:19 – 00:01:10:22
reading books about the environmental sector.

00:01:11:21 – 00:01:15:00
I left school without any qualifications whatsoever,

00:01:15:01 – 00:01:17:18
and I did some odd jobs

00:01:18:11 – 00:01:22:20
thereafter, primarily working in markets, cash in hand type of work

00:01:23:18 – 00:01:26:03
did that for about three years.

00:01:26:03 – 00:01:30:10
Then there was a pivotal moment in my life where under the guide of the probation

00:01:30:10 – 00:01:33:03
service, I had to undertake some community work

00:01:33:11 – 00:01:36:12
which involved clearing of hedgerows and pathways

00:01:36:12 – 00:01:40:06
and dealing with environmental crime issues such as littering, litter

00:01:40:06 – 00:01:43:07
picking, removal of graffiti. We were clearing some hedgerows

00:01:43:07 – 00:01:46:05
and I actually discovered a newt and immediately recognized it as

00:01:46:08 – 00:01:49:17
a great crested newt from the books that I’ve been reading in the library, right?

00:01:49:18 – 00:01:55:14
So I told my supervisor this this endangered species is a great crested newt

00:01:56:23 – 00:01:58:10
and everyone laughed at me.

00:01:58:10 – 00:02:02:00
So the local library have a museum, had a museum upstairs

00:02:02:00 – 00:02:05:08
and I told them that I’ve seen a great crested newt colony

00:02:06:01 – 00:02:11:00
in an area where they got involved, and it was a big thing in the local papers

00:02:11:00 – 00:02:13:08
that they couldn’t develop on that land, et cetera,

00:02:13:08 – 00:02:16:03
because an endangered species had been found.

00:02:17:10 – 00:02:22:10
So once I did the practical work under the guidance of the Probation

00:02:22:10 – 00:02:26:08
Service, I went to the local college wanting to do GCSEs.

00:02:26:09 – 00:02:30:09
And at this point, I wasn’t sure whether I actually wanted to go to university.

00:02:30:09 – 00:02:33:23
I was because I didn’t know anyone who’d actually gone to university.

00:02:34:02 – 00:02:35:02
Just such a big word.

00:02:35:02 – 00:02:38:08
No one in my estate had gone to university, I didn’t know anyone.

00:02:38:13 – 00:02:40:23
But, you know, I feel I won’t fit in, et cetera.

00:02:41:09 – 00:02:43:07
And the head of science,

00:02:43:07 – 00:02:45:06
Dr Theoconja, said to me,

00:02:45:06 – 00:02:47:12
You definitely, you’ve got the right credentials,

00:02:47:12 – 00:02:50:23
you’ve got the right abilities and you need to go to university .

00:02:50:23 – 00:02:52:08
So he encouraged me to apply.

00:02:53:14 – 00:02:54:04
I did,

00:02:54:04 – 00:02:57:05
and I got a number of offers, but I stuck to my original choice

00:02:57:13 – 00:03:02:11
of London South Bank University, offering the environmental biotechnology course.

00:03:03:05 – 00:03:07:06
I graduated with a degree,

00:03:07:15 – 00:03:10:11
did a master’s degree in environmental planning and management.

00:03:12:04 – 00:03:14:12
What makes a good entrepreneur is resilience,

00:03:14:16 – 00:03:19:03
tenacity, opportunities, but you’ve also got to be an empathetic.

00:03:19:04 – 00:03:21:14
Sometimes you’ve got to put your hand up and admit you’re wrong,

00:03:21:14 – 00:03:23:22
so you’ve got to be able to pivot quickly as well.

00:03:23:22 – 00:03:26:19
If you see an opportunity pivot, you’ve made a decision

00:03:27:00 – 00:03:29:03
like I fail quickly, I fail often.

00:03:29:03 – 00:03:32:16
Take lots of chances and I make lots of little failures

00:03:33:00 – 00:03:34:16
and then I make big wins.

00:03:35:20 – 00:03:38:03
School certainly isn’t for everyone,

00:03:38:03 – 00:03:40:19
but it’s just finding what you’re passionate about,

00:03:40:19 – 00:03:44:10
and there are lots of different routes to reach your goal.

00:03:44:16 – 00:03:46:07
Not necessarily academic.

00:03:46:07 – 00:03:50:05
There’s lots of vocational routes, so it’s about finding your passion.

“School certainly isn’t for everyone but it’s just finding what you’re passionate about and there are lots of different routes to reach your goal.” Ketan left school without any qualifications. After undertaking community service, he was inspired to return to education and went on to gain a Master’s degree in environmental planning and management. He then went into environmental health recruitment and now runs his own agency.

More information about Human resource managers and directors

Data powered by LMI For All

£57,200

average salary

The UK average salary is £29,813

average weekly hours

There are 37.5 hours in the average working week

34% male

66% female

The UK workforce is 47% female and 53% male

Future employment

Future employment?

Description

? Human resource managers and directors plan, organise and direct the personnel, training and industrial relations policies of organisations, advise on resource allocation and utilisation problems, measure the effectiveness of an organisation’s systems, methods and procedures and advise on, plan and implement procedures to improve utilisation of labour, equipment and materials.

Qualifications

There are no pre-set entry standards, although entry is most common with a degree or equivalent qualification. Off- and on-the-job training is provided and professional qualifications are available. NVQs/SVQs in relevant subjects are available at levels 3, 4 and 5.

Tasks

Determines staffing needs;
Oversees the preparation of job descriptions, drafts advertisements and interviews candidates;
Oversees the monitoring of employee performance and career development needs;
Provides or arranges for provision of training courses;
Undertakes industrial relations negotiations with employees’ representatives or trades unions;
Develops and administers salary, health and safety and promotion policies;
Examines and reports on company and departmental structures, chains of command, information flows, etc. and evaluates efficiency of existing operations;
Considers alternative work procedures to improve productivity;
Stays abreast of relevant legislation, considers its impact on the organisation’s HR strategy and recommends appropriate action.