Our new Forum has been created specifically for the interest, support and benefit of people who are directly engaged in the power generation sector, and in other industry sectors using similar plant.
It has been designed, and is managed, by people of the same field – power industry specialists who have enjoyed long and challenging careers in the industry.
Our core Forum team includes an Administrator, a team of Moderators, and a rich resource of Mentors, all of whom are Foundation Members of the Forum – we call them our Diamonds – and we live and work in diverse locations, around the World.
Our primary and shared role is to assure the ongoing development and enhancement of the Forum, for the benefit of members, and to ensure its proper use according to the standards upon which participation is based (the policies, terms, conditions, rules and guidelines which are defined in the Membership section).
We all welcome the opportunity to make a valued contribution to the future of our industry, and especially for the direct benefit of those who share the same vocational interest – people like you.
Just think of the range of people who contribute to the life of a power plant – from its conception, construction and commissioning, through its commercial operation, maintenance and management, to its eventual shutdown, dismantling and site closure – and that is our community.
Our community also extends to those who operate small commercial and industrial steam plants, and to those wonderful people who – as collectors, constructors and hobbyists – work diligently and enthusiastically to keep the “Golden Age of Steam” alive and active.
The very people who this Forum aims to support range from operators and maintainers, to managers and administrators, trainers, technical writers, safety officers, chemists, scientists, engineers, technicians, trades assistants, cleaners, designers, constructors, planners and schedulers, just to mention some of the many likely vocations.
At any time, most of these people can, and will, be confronted with technical issues, for which they may wish to seek informed or alternative views, guidance, information or, most importantly, the relevant experience of others.
Alternatively, they may also be in a position to assist others, and be willing and able to do so. This is where the real power of our Forum exists, with the people who represent a bountiful resource in the field – our hidden Diamonds.
In addition, the Forum also offers the services of a dedicated team of Mentors who can provide one-on-one guidance for members who seek a higher level of personal and professional development.
The Forum recognises the ever present need for ready access to information and advice which is rarely found in manuals or textbooks, which is dynamic, situation and context-specific, and which is often novel to an individual – times when you are desperately in need of help and guidance, or just information which is more specific to a particular plant and the present situation.
If you are wanting to learn about your new or future role, are faced with a technical issue which seemingly defies clarity, which is an obscure or novel event in your experience to-date, which is simply puzzling or perplexing, or a situation where you would simply like to have a second opinion, then this is precisely what our Forum is about.
Throughout our careers in this exciting and vital industry, we are often faced with challenging circumstances which demand an informed and appropriate response, and the pressure to quickly deliver exactly the right response can be immense.
We recognise that much of what we know is learned on the job, and that the skills which are required are honed through observation and actual practice in the “real world” of a power plant situation, and over an extended period of time.
The variables which we encounter can be innumerable and often unique, and the key factors are not always readily apparent – jumping to conclusions, and acting on them, can be a grave mistake, sometimes with extremely damaging and/or tragic results.
In this environment, as with any environment involving complex systems and processes, no single person will ever have all of the possible knowledge, understanding, skill and ability. The greater depth and breadth of knowledge, understanding, skill and ability will only be found across many individuals who operate in a diverse range of situations.
Despite the fact that our industry is generally highly regulated, this is not the case in all jurisdictions, nor in all facets of the industry. Historically, and still, there are significant differences, both between and within jurisdictions, and even from one power plant to another.
These differences are evident in many ways – in the availability and nature of training and education, qualifications and certifications, competency and professional development, supervision and mentor support, and in the individual differences between each and every one of us.
Our Forum aims to provide a bridge between these differences, and a pathway to the full range of knowledge and abilities which each of us needs to have, in order to perform in a competent, professional and personally fulfilling way, and throughout our careers.
This is the fundamental role of the Forum – to provide a dedicated platform for the exchange of information and expertise, with the ultimate aim being to foster and facilitate the competence, professional development, personal satisfaction and success of all who participate and contribute.
Through this Forum, we aim to provide a valuable resource which enables you to make a valued difference in your daily contribution to both your colleagues and the industry, and to assist you to become a highly valued member of your organisation.
Ultimately, we aim to help you to achieve the personal satisfaction which is gained from making a significant contribution to the success of your team and organisation, and the personal and wider satisfaction gained from the valued recognition which that engenders.
We heartily welcome your interest, and implore your considered participation, and the Forum’s wider community of power plant people will greatly appreciate your valued contributions.
Graeme Jorgensen & The Forum Team
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