Role: Managing Director
Company: Industry Training Services
Track Record: A positive attitude, resilience and patience are all crucial to Brendan Crealey’s role as a training manager.
HOW I BECAME A HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINER
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I started my career in civil engineering working for Balfour Beatty. Just two days after finishing at Jordanstown, I was already working on a road contract with the company in Somerset.
I eventually returned from England and that’s when I entered the training industry. Industry Training Services (ITS) was founded in 2001 to deliver health and safety training solutions.
Since then we have moved to 10-acre site just off the M1 motorway and have delivered more than 50,000 qualifications for businesses, particularly from the construction, civil engineering, utilities and food manufacturing industries. However, there are health and safety issues lurking in every workplace and you’d be surprised how many employers are not even aware of the risks posed.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I was always interested in physics.
Did you go on to further/higher education, if so what did you study and where?
I studied civil engineering at University of Ulster, Jordanstown.
How did you get into your area of work?
I enjoyed the practical outdoor life and came from an agricultural background which I suppose related to civil engineering. I got into training however, really as a result of a lack of opportunities in Northern Ireland in my chosen sector of civil engineering. If I had stayed in England I would probably still be doing what civil engineering.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
Although I had initially gone into civil engineering, outside of work I have a long history in motorsport. I actually competed semi-professionally for a few manufacturer teams in rallying with a lot of success.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
There are important health and safety qualifications but what is also required is a sound grounding and experience of the construction industry.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
There’s no direct route into health and safety training really, it’s more about having experience in the right areas of industry.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
The main personal skills required include having respect for people, resilience, patience, positivity and an ability to learn from your mistakes. I place great emphasis on sticking to these principles and to lead by example for my employees to also do the same. The many positive testimonials from our customers, which range from small enterprise to some of the largest companies in Northern Ireland, are a credit to the hard work and dedication of our staff.
What does a typical day entail?
A typical day starts by getting up at 6.30am and I’m generally in the office shortly after 8am. If I’m delivering training, I’m in the classroom from 9am to 4pm and then complete the rest of my work after that – until I’m told to come home for dinner. The office is close to the house, although this can have its good and bad sides. Then it’s off to bed (hopefully by midnight).
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
The biggest challenges are getting everything done that I would like to do in the time that I have. The main challenge facing the in industry itself right now is uncertainty. The construction sector, like others, is very much driven by the overall health of the economy and by confidence in the future. On top of that, in Ireland currently, we have an issue with the mutual acceptance of some qualifications across the border, especially in the construction sector. This is something that requires political intervention and common sense applied.
Why is what you do important?
It is important because health and safety is so vital in all workplaces and especially potentially dangerous sectors such as construction, gas distribution, telecoms, civil engineering, utilities. The training we deliver addresses potential dangers within these industries and includes asbestos, manual handling, confined spaces, working at heights, fire and safety in excavations.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
In our industry, it’s always important to be creative and think outside the box. By doing that, we improve standards in the sector and in industry overall.
If you weren’t doing this what would you like to do?
I would maybe go into politics but definitely not in Northern Ireland. I grew up around farms so I’d also be happy working on a large arable farm.
If you could go back, what is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
I would tell myself to get the best people around me from the start and look after them. They are the key to the success of any business.
Describe your ideal day off.
I am passionate about cycling and along with a few others locally, I formed a new club around five years ago. So my ideal day would be warm and sunny and involve taking a 100-mile cycle around the Mournes and Cooley Peninsula areas.