Former Grimsby MP and now deputy chief executive of Renewable海角视频, Melanie Onn, has launched her own podcast series.
PowerOnn will go behind the scenes of the green energy sector - and it has started in her home town - with an Orsted employee.
Melanie, who lost her Labour seat in the 2019 general election as the red wall of the north fell, was appointed at the leading trade organisation as Covid hit.
And while the measures have restricted her hopes for a first year, she is using the downloadable programme to push her diversity message.
鈥淚t is short - bite-size - and intended to be coffee-break chat-style, giving a little more emphasis on the people,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be talking about some of the things happening in the industry, but also making it more accessible and relevant, trying to showcase to the next generation.
鈥淚t is a young industry as it is but I鈥檓 really focusing on the dedicated and innovative talent coming through, I want to bring them to the front and give them a platform, and hopefully demonstrate some more diversity in the sector as well. We鈥檙e starting with grimsby - so geographic diversity - and it is something I鈥檓 trying to develop while showcasing the breadth of talent already there.
鈥淧eople are very interested in what it means to work in the sector and how you get into it in the first place. It will be occasional, I don鈥檛 want it to be too forced, but I鈥檝e got people lined up so I鈥檓 looking to go monthly.鈥
First up is Alistair McRae, turbine technician apprentice, as two Healing School alumni were united. He told how he got into the industry, at third application, having returned to college to broaden career opportunties, with a passion for engineering.
Ms Onn, a former Unison organiser, was elected as Grimsby鈥檚 first female MP in 2015, and was a strong force in the emerging renewables sector, hosting Westminster launches and pushing the industry in her role.
Now it is her new career.
鈥淚t has been a bit of a shift from what I was doing previously,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t has been a massive learning curve - I assumed I knew a lot - I now know that is nonsense!
鈥淧eople have been so very kind, explaining more detail to me so I can get a better handle on the sector and respond to the challenges. It has all been done virtually, so it has been different - I thought I would be trudging around Westminster and getting around the country more to get a better sense of the membership, but we鈥檙e all in the same situation there.鈥
And she鈥檚 keeping a keen eye on developments in government too, professionally and personally, noting the promotion of Kwasi Kwarteng from 鈥榞o-to鈥 clean energy minister to Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
鈥淚 was on a panel with him in my third week on the role, we have had a very good working relationship,鈥 Melanie said. 鈥淚t is great he has been promoted, except it means we lose his specific focus on energy - he really did seem to get it, but I know Anne-Marie Trevelyan (his replacement) fairly well.鈥
