National industrial action in France today – normal service at the Port of Dover has resumed

For Maritime UK Week 2022, the Port of Dover is spotlighting the wide range of careers available within the maritime industry. From school leavers and new grads to those changing careers, there’s a huge amount on offer. Each day this week, we’ll be sharing a profile of an individual who works at the Port of Dover to provide an insight into what everyday life is like within a maritime-focused role and the experiences and opportunities on offer.

Kenny – Junior Energy Manager (Apprentice)

What made you want to join this industry? 

I decided to start my career in this industry as I believe it is a very forward-thinking apprenticeship given the rising energy costs and supply issues looming over the country. Doing so at the Port of Dover introduces unique challenges, as the harsh maritime environment acts as a catalyst for the degradation of various electricity-consuming elements, impacting energy efficiency port-wide. 

What do you enjoy most about your role?

Part of what makes this role exciting is the dynamic and varied environment in which I work. One day I could be looking at metering various bits of equipment associated with ferry berths the next it could be office heating and lighting – no two days are the same! 

What would you say to someone who wants to join the industry?

Don’t hesitate – the challenges are what make everything fun. 

What are your strengths that make your job in this industry stimulating? 

• Communication – In the early stages I had to complete a lot of work attaining data from various sources and people to paint the whole picture, and for understanding the vast task at hand.
• Analytical thinking – My role consists of lots of graph analysis; picking out anomalies, unusual trends etc and attempting to make reasonings/investigations into why they have occurred (e.g., electricity consumption increasing upon arrival of a ship).
• Adaptability – When coming into this role I never expected to pick up the skills I have done, from having no electrical or mechanical background to understanding electrical line diagrams, meter wiring, switchboard panels, heating and cooling plant etc while also developing computers such as Excel and Access tools.

Kenny’s Typical Workday 

8:30AM – 9:00AM: Check overnight data imports worked successfully, check Building Management System (BMS) alarms and consumption patterns for overnight to look for anomalies

9:00AM – 11:00AM: Continue work on validating meter data and migrating our new BMS system onto our online data analysis tool

11:00AM-12:00PM: Potential CPD hour. (Internal/External training and or research)

12:00PM – 12:45PM: Lunch

12:45PM – 2:30PM: Work on creating, amending, monitoring and updating dashboards with relevant consumption data at various levels

2:30PM – 4:00PM: Time spent working with other fuels (Gas, Gas oil, and water consumption)

4:00PM – 5:00PM: College hour – use what I learnt today/recently to complete assignments in line with my training plan

If you are interested in a career at the Port of Dover please contact us at recruitment@doverport.co.uk or take a look at our vacancy page at https://www.doverport.co.uk/about/recruitment/