December 1, 2016, by Postgraduate Placements Nottingham

A unique opportunity to access knowledge and university talent

This week Christopher Nankervis, Owner & Scientific Director of Weather Logistics, tells us why he chose to offer a placement opportunities at his company.

Weather Logistics’ vision is a new product that tackles the energy trilemma of sustainability, affordability and security. As the CEO, my proposed solution was a household energy demand tool that employs pre-existing weather capabilities. As a preliminary study, I sought assistance through the Postgraduate Placements Nottingham scheme that was recommended through the University of Nottingham’s Ingenuity network. The process was efficient and the applicant quality was high; greatly assisted by Paul Rice in the university’s placement team.

Our chosen candidate was Tabitha, whose interview skills were excellent. She communicated her approach and application of knowledge directly to the project scope. With additional technical support by Dr Bonenberg, a senior academic in the Nottingham GeoSpatial Institute, we placed Tabitha for 3 months. Tabitha’s passion for sustainability has since shaped our product design, whilst offering relevant expertise, access to key university contacts and insights into energy market needs. Tabitha also demonstrated a procedure to make use of an external software package.

“PPN has provided a unique opportunity to access knowledge and university talent that would otherwise prove difficult.”

During the project, the company also tested its key assumptions through discussions with Tabitha to gain insights into how the UK energy market is transforming. Tabitha operated flexibly at work and provided much-needed market research support ahead of a grant application deadline for a feasibility study.

The company now plans to partner with a Cambridge energy consultancy firm. Its next step is to undertake a feasibility study for an energy advisory product that promises to predict winter energy supply shortages. We are overwhelmed by the support provided by the placement scheme and would strongly recommend its uptake by other small companies in the Nottingham area. The placement scheme’s success has largely been possible through the diversity of postgraduate applicants. This, I believe, is the secret ingredient that ensures that companies gain access to the best talent.

If you are a business interested in offering a postgraduate placement please visit our webpage for more information.

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