- Scunthorpe MP Nic Dakin returns home to Leicestershire to learn about the energy industry
- Hinckley-based gas network Cadent opens its doors to show its crucial role in keeping British homes safe and warm
- Award-winning EmployAbility supported internship scheme is showcased
Senior MP Nic Dakin returned to Leicestershire, where he grew up, to learn more about Britain’s energy industry, courtesy of local gas distribution network Cadent.
Cadent opened the doors of its Hinckley Operations Centre to Mr Dakin, MP for Scunthorpe, and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Skills and Employment.
Mr Dakin, who grew up in Cossington, before pursuing his teaching and political careers in Lincolnshire, was given a unique, behind-the-scenes glimpse into how Cadent staff are helping to deliver the nation’s energy supply.
As one of Hinckley’s biggest employers, some 1500 employees work at Cadent’s Brick Kiln Street site, transporting gas to 11 million homes and businesses from the Thames to the Lake District in a 24-7 operation. The site is also home to the National Gas Emergency Service, where staff deal with more than 2 million calls a year, including calls about gas escapes and deadly carbon monoxide leaks.
The fact-finding mission was organised by Industry and Parliament Trust as part of its Fellowship Programme, an educational programme that enables parliamentarians to gain an in-depth understanding of key aspects of UK business.
Mr Dakin said: “This was a fascinating glimpse into how a major energy distributor keeps people warm and safe and keeps the wheels of British industry turning. I was interested in how Cadent develops its employees and how it is looking to tackle climate change by exploring low carbon gases, such as hydrogen and biomethane, to heat homes in future.
“As MPs, we deal with many different issues. Visits like this one, organised by the Industry and Parliament Trust, offer an invaluable insight into areas of industry that touch the lives of millions of British people, in both our own constituencies and beyond.”
Cadent Chief Executive Chris Train said: “We were honoured to welcome Mr Dakin to our Hinckley Operations Centre and to show him the critical role Cadent plays in keeping the energy flowing to Britain’s homes and businesses.
“Our employees keep millions of people safe and warm. They are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to improve the service to our customers and leading the way in the use of ‘green’ gases to heat our homes without warming the planet.
“We were especially proud to showcase our award-winning supported internship scheme which is giving young people with learning needs and disabilities the chance to shine in the workplace.”
On a tour of the site, Mr Dakin discovered how gas is transported from coastal terminals to homes and businesses and learnt how Cadent engineers keep people’s gas supplies safe and reliable. He witnessed, first hand, the work of the staff operating the National Gas Emergency number, as trained operators calmly and professionally handled gas emergency calls.
Mr Dakin learned how the homes of the future may be heated as energy experts at Hinckley lead the exploration into greener, low carbon alternatives to natural gas. These include hydrogen and bio-methane – gas made from food waste, crops, household waste and even sewage.
Mr Dakin also met Cadent employee Matthew Kehoe, among the first of 38 students from Midlands special schools to join Cadent’s award-winning EmployAbility supported internship scheme.
The scheme, a partnership between education and business, gives young people invaluable work experience. It has seen 73% of students landing a job at the end of the scheme, compared with national figures of just 6.8% of people with learning disabilities* and 16% of people with autism**.”
Although now living and working in Lincolnshire, Mr Dakin has retained strong links with his home county. As Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pancreatic Cancer, Mr Dakin was in Leicester in November to deliver the keynote address at the Pancreatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland’s Annual General Meeting.
Cadent shift control manager Phil Gaskell (right) shows Nic Dakin MP how Cadent keeps gas flowing to 11 million homes and businesses across its network.