Rolec Services is one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Health, Safety, Environmental, and Quality (HSEQ) Manager John Chapman explains how ISEP training has helped him excel in his role.
As an HSEQ Manager, John Chapman is responsible for delivering exceptional environmental standards throughout his company, while also promoting a culture of safety and continuing excellence. John’s role is all the more important considering his company Rolec Services is one of the largest manufacturers of electric vehicle (EV) chargers in Europe, and plays a key role in delivering net-zero emissions for the transport sector. Below, he explains how ISEP’s Foundation Certificate in Sustainability and Environmental Management and Combined ISO Internal Auditor courses have given him the competencies and confidence to thrive.
Tell me more about Rolec Services?
We employ about 150 people based all over the UK, with our main headquarters is in Boston, Lincolnshire. We buy in raw materials and components, and assemble and manufacture them into EV chargers before selling them all over the UK. We’ve been going since 1990,and have seen significant changes within our market place and legislation. We are now owned by a Swedish company called Sdiptech, which have clear visions and values that they want us to achieve.
What attracted you to ISEP’s training courses?
We were working towards two certifications, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, so it was key for me to understand environmental standards in the workplace, and to get qualifications that give me the confidence to carry out my role more effectively within Rolec. Around the same time, Boston College launched an upskilling initiative focused on green skills. As part of this, they promoted ISEP’s Foundation Certificate, delivered by Make UK, recognising it as an excellent introductory course that provides strong baseline knowledge in sustainability and environmental awareness.
How did you find the foundation course?
It was very engaging and thought-provoking, and I learned a lot of new things. There were six of us in the group and we could all relate to each other from our own personal experiences, so the dynamic was very good. It gives you a broad understanding of all the different aspects of sustainability and puts things into context. It was all face to face and classroom based, which helped me because and I like that kind of training best . The multiple-choice exam was great because it made you think; it wasn’t just a matter of an answer definitely being a, b or c. You had to think about the different scenarios they put to you and answer accordingly.
You also did an ISEP auditing course. How was that?
Martin Elliker, Senior Learning and Development Consultant at Make UK delivered both courses, who was absolutely fantastic. He came to our workplace for the internal auditor course, and trained around 10 of us over two days. The feedback from the team was very, very positive. Everybody who went on course has now carried out at least three audits each in relation to ISO standards. We have a great team of auditors now because of the training that was given by ISEP and Make UK.
How else have the training courses helped with your role?
I can show that I’m a competent person to carry out these audits, so that certification has really helped me. I always used to think environmental sustainability was a matter of me sorting the bins out, making sure my plastics are in one bin, my cardboard in another, and that kind of thing, but it’s far more than that. I think my biggest takeaway was, even if I do a little bit, that still helps, and that’s very much what Martin said to us students. It doesn’t matter how small your contribution is, you’re making a difference, and that’s what I now say to my colleagues at work. My career has changed significantly, because from an environmental point of view, I was never involved to the level of detail that I am now.
We are going for three more certifications now; ISO 50001, ISO 27001 and ISO 45001. We will be the only EV charger manufacturer in Europe that has all five certifications. It also helped me integrate circular economy principles into our business. For example, from a recycling point of view, when we sell a charger, we now ask for the old charger to come back and we put it through our defined waste streams and continue to achieve zero to land fill.
What would you say to anyone else who is considering ISEP training?
Straight away, just go for it – it’s never too late to learn.
Is the UK on track to meet the Government’s target to install 300,000 EV charging points by 2030?
People are still wary of EVs, and there are still not many financial incentives to buy them. We have different grants available to installers and contractors that support the installation of EV chargers but there needs to be more focus on chargers in rural areas – outside London and the South East – more rapid and ultra-rapid chargers, more accessibility for people without home charging and for disabled users, and stronger investment and coordination between Government, local authorities, private operators.
Author: Chris Seekings, Deputy Editor, Transform at ISEP.
Image credit: Shutterstock (image 1), John Chapman (image 2)
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