We recently spoke with Michael Vernall, the Health, Safety, and Environmental Manager at Hydro Aluminium UK, who shared his experience of studying our Level 3 Energy and Carbon Management qualification and how it supports his role.
In early 2024, Michael Vernall embarked on a new chapter in his career by beginning an apprenticeship in Energy and Carbon Management. With a background in health, safety, and environmental management, Michael’s role at Hydro Aluminium UK Ltd has evolved over the three-and-a-half years to encompass a wide array of responsibilities whilst focusing on the government targets for net zero.
Managing environmental performance
My role at Hydro Aluminium UK involves me overseeing the health, safety, and environmental performance of the Bedwas site. I advise senior management on legislative matters and I liaise with external bodies such as Natural Resources Wales and local authorities about our environmental performance. As such my role requires me to have a good knowledge and understanding of current laws and practices in health and safety as well as environmental conservation.
A commitment to professional development
I began my career way back in 1977! When I left school I didn’t sit any exams, I didn’t see the importance of it at the time. I was one of eleven children and the encouragement wasn’t to stay on in education but for me to leave school and earn money.
It was whilst working at Aiwa I was introduced to health and safety responsibilities, which sparked a keen interest and led me to pursue further education and qualifications within the field. Since then, I have gone on to earn the NVQ Assessors Award, the NEBOSH General Certificate, and the AIEMA qualification (Associate Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment), among others. Throughout my career I have remained committed to professional development and learning.
Pursuing an apprenticeship
My decision to undertake the Level 3 Energy and Carbon Management apprenticeship was driven by the evolving demands in my role and the broader industry to focus on sustainability. With Welsh Government’s ambitious Net Zero targets for 2030, I recognised the importance of being well-versed in energy performance monitoring and sustainability strategies. The apprenticeship not only equips me with the necessary knowledge and skills but also aligns with the company’s key performance indicators for reducing carbon emissions by 2025 and 2030. The program is already proving beneficial as it has enabled me to better manage the site’s energy performance and contribute to the company’s sustainability goals. We are now looking to install solar panels on our roof and we have reduced our waste on site by 98%.
Balancing Work, Study, and Life
My trainer coach, Suzanne Evans has been fantastic and much of my success is largely down to her. We regularly meet over Microsoft Teams to discuss the tasks and assignments and how I should approach them. We agree a deadline for when the work should be submitted and when our next meeting will take place. Sometimes my work takes me overseas and I have been unable to meet the deadlines. On those occasions, Suzanne has been flexible and agreed a longer time span in between our sessions and has adjusted the deadlines for me. This makes it more achievable. Like many, I work full-time and have a busy home life. For me personally, I tend to stay on late at the office one or two evenings a week to work on my coursework and tasks. I know that Suzanne is available at the end of email or the telephone if I need any further help. This support has allowed me to stay on top of my studies and progress through the various modules.
Future plans
I am looking to retire within the next three years when I will be able to spend more time with my family and I’d like to do something in my retirement to keep me occupied. It has always been a goal of mine to study and achieve a masters qualification. I haven’t been able to do this with a busy work schedule and home life but this is something I feel I can work towards in my retirement.
We’d like to wish Michael the best of luck with the remainder of his qualification and his future plans.
Study Energy and Carbon Management here
