Sam Cope joined Ofgem’s Graduate Management Training Programme having studied for a BSc in Economics and Politics at Southampton University.
“My dissertation was on the Renewables Obligation and this is what initially sparked my interest in energy regulation and a career at Ofgem”.
Sam’s first assignment with Ofgem was in the Corporate Affairs division in the Governance, Consumer and Social Affairs team. “It was quite eye-opening as the issues, such as fuel poverty, were not what I was expecting to deal with at an economic regulator. The work was very varied and I had the opportunity to develop my understanding of a range of policy issues and build up an appreciation of the differing needs of consumers. During the placement I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a meeting of the Select Committee on Environment Food and Rural Affairs where our CEO was presenting evidence to MPs and even attended a Parliamentary reception where I was introduced to a number of MPs.
Once I completed my six months in the Governance, Consumer and Social Affairs team I moved into the Markets division where I am now. This rotation has provided me with the opportunity to further develop my analytical skills and apply the economic theory that I learned at university to real market issues. The style of management is very different in markets, I have worked with a number of different managers on various projects, this has give me a real insight into different ways of working and management styles.”
Sam is really positive about the rotational nature of the programme – “it allows you to build relationships with others around the organisation, which helps you to be more productive in your work. For example, some of the work I carried out for the markets team required significant liaison with the consumer and social affairs team. Having worked with social affairs in my previous placement gave me a real head start.
Next I move on to the European Strategy and Environment team where I am really looking forward to learning more about some of the issues that will shape the UK and European energy markets over forthcoming years. There are so many exciting issues in energy policy at the moment. For example, reconciling the need for a low carbon economy whilst providing value for energy consumers is a huge challenge and one in which Ofgem has a key role to play. Further more, the liberalisation agenda in Europe provides real opportunity to increase efficiencies and drive down prices for consumers across Europe.
In amongst all of this I have spent two weeks at the Florence School of Regulation and completed a series of e-learning modules linked to this. The course has helped to provided me with a holistic view of regulation and enabled me to develop contacts with other regulators in Europe – but be prepared to work hard!”
And what does he like about Ofgem? “People in Ofgem are very friendly, sociable and easy to get along with. There’s a real opportunity to progress quickly and staff are promoted on the basis of their talent and ability.” Which fits in well with his aim of progressing as far as he can within Ofgem.