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These 7 skills are going to be essential to getting the transport sector back up and running.

Last week Boris gave us our first hope that life after lockdown does exist. The government’s (somewhat vague) roadmap out of lockdown is a sign that slowly but surely we will be able to carry on with our lives again one day.

 

But what will the ‘new normal’ look like?

 

There is a lot of conflicting advice and information swirling around on how exactly we will be able to resume daily life. But the one thing that everyone agrees on is that there will need to be massive changes to infrastructure in order to keep us safe.

 

This is especially true for the transport sector.

 

Every form of transport from trains, planes to automobiles will be affected by the pandemic, and the ability to transform operations will be critical to getting the country up and running again.

 

Over the past week, we have seen a lot of interesting articles and white papers from industry experts. These specialists have put forward their best predictions for how the industry should react and what changes we can expect to see.

 

I’ve rounded up a few of the ones I found most interesting here:

 

https://www.teneo.com/app/uploads/2020/05/Teneo_UK-Rail_Route-Out-of-Lockdown_12May2020.pdf

 

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-future-mobility-solutions

 

https://www.snclavalin.com/~/media/Files/S/SNC-Lavalin/documents/beyond-engineering/covid-19-transport-white-paper-by-atkins-acuity.pdf

 

https://www2.paconsulting.com/rs/526-HZE-833/images/Covid_19_our_chance_to_reimagine_transport.pdf

 

https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayors-bold-plan-will-overhaul-capitals-streets

 

https://www.teneo.com/app/uploads/2020/04/Airport-operations_vf.pdf

 

Now I’m not going to pretend that we have more of an insight into the transport sector’s post coronavirus strategies than these firms, but there are some recruitment trends that we can highlight based on their research.

 

Here are our predictions for the skills that are likely to be in high demand in the near future…

 

1. Data

There is going to be a much higher demand for Data Analytics and Modelling in order to understand and forecast short-term and long-term changes to travel behaviour and how people will interact in public environments.

 

2. Project Delivery

While use of major transport links is low, it is a great opportunity for some transport infrastructure companies to take advantage of the drop in demand to undertake capex works and enhance infrastructure assets.

The government may also wish to provide stimulus to the UK construction industry at a time when private developers may be considering pausing projects due to uncertainty.

Rail and Roads markets could see projects coming to market quicker than expected, with a corresponding spike in demand for project delivery skills.

 

3. Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation of construction will be accelerated as clients and contractors need to reduce the number of “boots on the ground” on-site to maintain social distancing, delivering a higher proportion of their work off-site. Experts in Digital construction and Design for Manufacture are likely to be in demand.

 

4. Streetscape

Adapting to social distancing means changes to streetscape and transport planning in cities and towns – more cycle lanes and wider pavements. This means there will be an increased need for public realm design, pedestrian modelling, and sustainable travel specialists.

 

5. Transformation/Restructuring

There will be a need for restructuring experts across the aviation sector as consequence of the extreme financial impact on airports and airline business models of this crisis. Consolidation of airlines is undoubtedly expected.

UK regional airports have been impacted by a huge drop in revenue plus the collapse of FlyBe and face an uncertain future.

I also expect that we are likely to see a lot of movement of UK aviation professionals into other industries or possibly overseas to countries where their aviation market recovers quicker than the UK.

 

6. Electric Vehicles

In the short term, while the focus is on getting people around without overloading the roads, we may see a slowdown in electric vehicle adoption. Equally, some regulators and city leaders may relax green regulations to protect car manufacturers temporarily.

Long term however, sustainability will be a critical focus. Evidence from Chinese cities confirms that private cars, walking, and biking have gained the most share since the pandemic began, so electric vehicles will be higher on the agenda that ever before.

 

7. Business Case Appraisal

Funding for major capital projects will become harder to find, and some business cases that made sense two months ago will no longer have strong justifications. Experts in business case appraisal will be needed to review current capex pipelines and recommend which should still proceed.

 

According to the article by PA Consulting, only 9% of the UK public even want us to ‘return to normal’. So just about the only certainty at the moment is that things will, and must, change.

 

How likely is it that you and your companies will start to ramp up recruitment in any of these areas?

By Jim Newsom18th May 2020
Jim Newsom

Author: Jim Newsom

Jim Newsom leads our work in construction and infrastructure having worked in executive search since 1998, recruiting for both public and private sector companies in infrastructure, transport, engineering and construction. Prior to forming Newsom Consulting, Jim spent 11 years working for the one of the UK’s largest independently owned executive recruiters and then two years at a boutique search firm. Jim is a graduate in civil engineering from Liverpool University.

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Over the last few years CAF Rolling Stock UK has worked closely with Jim and Richard of Newsom Consulting to recruit several leadership roles across the business. We have found Newsom to be effective in providing high calibre candidates. We would recommend Newsom for recruiting key leadership roles.

Chief Operating Officer, CAF Rolling Stock UK

Since taking over as the CEO of Crossrail I have put a lot of effort into establishing the right leadership team to complete the project. Newsom Consulting have been a great partner in this work. Together we have worked to assemble a great new team  with the right energy and capability for one of the worlds most complex projects.

Jim and team are a real pleasure to work with; responsive and sensitive to our unique circumstances.

CEO, Crossrail

Heathrow have partnered with Newsom Consulting to recruit several key leadership roles for our Expansion team. On each search they have been successful in providing an excellent shortlist from which we have appointed a high-calibre candidate. Jim has worked with Heathrow for a number of years and has developed a good understanding of our business, and we have recently appointed Newsom Consulting as an executive search partner for the Expansion programme.

Expansion Programme Director, Heathrow Airport
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