Our very own Jan Rieche, Global Head of Renewable Energy and Infrastructure, was a guest speaker at La Camara’s Infrastructure Forum on 13 September 2018 in Sydney.

 

The Forum, held annually by La Camara (the official Spanish-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry), focused this year on Transforming the Future of Australia’s Infrastructure Sector.

Core topics covered procurement process, skills and capacity building, tunnelling and bridges, and infrastructure growth in Western Sydney.

Jan joined the panel on Skills and Capacity Building: How to meet the challenges of delivering successful projects, discussing how contractors are implementing strategies to address the current skills shortage in the infrastructure sector.

Over the next 25 years, A$82 billion will be invested into infrastructure in Sydney alone. To best utilise this PPP funding, one burning question became clear: Who is going to build all of this infrastructure?

The short answer is that human capital is key. The consensus of Jan and the panel was that we must recognise and support the people who are going to make this happen.

Indeed, money is not the only resource at hand. There is a full cycle to consider here – the process begins before hiring, develops during hiring, and continues onward even once employees are placed, as we understand why those employees are working for that particular company and sector.

Jan and his fellow panellists agreed that employer branding, employer brand positioning, working on projects and engaging with the local community, training, and strengthening of the company’s HR function are all integral aspects of this strategy.

Amongst the Forum guest speakers were a number of representatives from high-profile stakeholders in the industry, including the Sydney Motorway Corporation, Rail Projects Victoria, Sydney Metro, Western Sydney Airport, and Greater Sydney Commission.

 

As host of these Forums, La Camara operates as a central point of reference for business between Spain and Australia and aims to bring together leading Spanish and Australian expertise representing both the government and private sectors.

Jan’s contribution to the Forum was a reflection of his extensive experience in staffing and managing renewable energy, environment, energy efficiency and infrastructure projects.

A thought leader in the renewable energy sector, Jan is also the founder of Spark Club, a Thinktank supporting start-up businesses in the Australian Energy industry.

As a representative of The Polyglot Group, Jan also took this opportunity to strengthen ties with “existing Spanish clients and potential newcomers”, “position[ing] Polyglot Group as a trusted partner for international – and, in particular, Spanish – companies.”

 

Jan’s aim is to continue to make Australia more aware of the importance of utilising renewable, clean energy and sustainable planning for the future.

Jan

About the Author:

Jan is Polyglot Group's Global Head of Energy & Infrastructure. Jan’s aim is to continue making the world more aware of climate change & the importance of utilising renewable energy for a better tomorrow.
Read more about Jan Rieche.