The voice of business in the Tees region | 103
Facts and figures
on the UK chemical
industry
T
Hallam pictured with SABIC colleagues at
the Chemical Industry Awards in Liverpool.
STEM promotion
SABIC’s Education Liaison Team takes part
in careers and skills events in schools,
colleges and universities throughout the
Tees Valley. It has hosted summer schools
for budding engineers and undergraduates
and provided support for the National
Citizen Service, High Tide Foundation,
school visits, work experience placements
and mentoring sessions. All team members
are volunteers and they include apprentices,
Year in Industry students, graduates and
engineers.
Hallam said: “I’ve worked in the chemical
industry for eight years and am very grateful
for the opportunities that have been given
to me. I have a great passion for both
chemistry and the industry at large. This
has seen me try to encourage people, both
young and old, to understand more about
what chemistry is and the solutions and
opportunities the industry can offer.
“One thing I am very passionate about
promoting is that you can have an excellent
career by going down the apprentice
route, as both I and our site director, Daren
Smith, will testify. You don’t have to be a
chemist or engineer to enjoy a career in the
industry, there are many varied roles and
opportunities to enjoy.”
CIA Young Ambassadors are responsible
for leading the Future Forum and Leadership
Committee for their year in office. This is
a network for those working in chemical
and pharmaceutical businesses located in
the UK who are either at the start of their
career or are considering a career in the
industry.
This unique professional network includes
a wide range of industry specialists covering
marketing, human resources, logistics,
health and safety, legal affairs, accountancy,
communications and the environment,
alongside scientists and engineers.
Sustainability
Hallam has been involved in a project to
convert low-quality mixed-plastics waste
– which would otherwise be destined for
landfill or incineration for energy – into a
feedstock for SABIC’s steam crackers. This
supports the growth and development of a
circular economy in which products and raw
materials are not wasted but are used to
create new, valuable products. This is a key
goal of SABIC’s sustainability platform.
He has also been working on unlocking
the huge potential for a hydrogen economy
on Teesside. SABIC is one of the UK’s
largest producers of hydrogen, which arises
as a by-product of their main process,
ethylene production.
While the company currently recycles the
hydrogen back through the process, Hallam
is part of a team looking into the different
opportunities hydrogen could bring as part
of the low-carbon economy of the future.
Daren Smith said: “Hallam is a
phenomenal ambassador, both for SABIC
and the chemical industry at large.
“He works tirelessly, going into schools,
colleges and universities and talking to
young people and encouraging them
into careers in STEM subjects. This is
alongside the fantastic, innovative work on
sustainability and other initiatives Hallam
and his colleagues undertake within their
team.
“We are lucky to have so many
conscientious young people such as Hallam
who are committed to inspiring, supporting
and mentoring other young people in our
community in this way. It is their way of
giving something back and at SABIC, we are
delighted to support them with this.”
he chemical and pharmaceutical
industry is one of the UK’s top
manufacturing exporters. The
sector adds over £17bn of value to
the economy, with sales of around
£50bn, and is responsible for around
400,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The industry is trade intensive, with
70 per cent of operations, such as
SABIC, headquartered from overseas.
As such, the UK industry has to
compete with global production
locations for investment capital.
The chemical industry improved
its labour productivity by around 25
per cent between 2008 and 2016
and on average pays its employees
30 per cent more than the average
manufacturing worker. A large
number of the industry’s jobs are in
the North of England and Scotland.
The industry:
• Spends £4bn each year on
investment in buildings, vehicles
and machinery.
• Invests over £5bn each year on
research and development.
• Manufactures products and
technologies that are delivering
a green economy – for every
tonne of greenhouse gas (GHG)
emitted, the industry’s products
and technologies enable over two
tonnes of GHG emissions savings.
Teesside
Teesside is home to the largest single
cluster of process, chemicals and
energy companies in the UK, with
7,500 people directly employed in
the industry and many more in the
supply chain. It is estimated that
32,000 jobs in the area’s downstream
chemical-using industries – including
healthcare, electronics, automotive
and textiles – rely on the industry’s
continued success.