The entire engineering sector performs a crucial role in fueling economic growth and productivity, accounting for 21.4% (£1.2 trillion) of Britain’s revenue in 2018. According to Engineering UK, there is a substantial deficit in adequately trained personnel in the engineering field.[1]
Women are grossly under-represented amongst those embarking on engineering apprenticeships. In England, a mere 8.8% were women; in Scotland, the proportion was even slimmer at 3.2%.[2]
At WCS, we are passionate about inviting people to join the company who will bring their skills and willingness to learn. We are delighted to be accommodating and flexible, attributes that make us attractive to engineers from different backgrounds with different needs.
We know that although the physics we use is constant, there are always ways companies can change to reflect the times. We are devoted to inviting people of diverse backgrounds to the company because we know that each will bring unique skills to their role.
WCS is flexible in terms of recruitment and the way it builds its teams because there are many routes into and through our various roles.
Studying and working.
Take Hamid, for instance, a 24-year-old graduate engineer who is both a student and an employee at WCS. He’s studying for an MSc in Civil Engineering at London South Bank University. This qualification will help him to become chartered with the Engineering Council.
Hamid has been inspired by civil engineering since childhood and has always wanted to be a Civil Engineer. At the age of ten, says Hamid, he was the only one among his friends who was sure of their future career field.
Hamid has found that the company is encouraging his studies and that WCS is eager to adapt to his course regarding study timetables and shift patterns.
“WCS has been supportive and adaptable,” says Hamid, “as they know I’m still studying. They give me flexibility in my work routine to finish the academic work.
“WCS is also proactive in encouraging me to learn and pursue chartership. They look at my work and explain what I’ve done well and how I could improve. I appreciate that direct feedback. I can honestly say this is an excellent company with whom people can pursue a career in engineering.
“When you think about how busy this job can be, how the company is structured is fantastic. There’s always someone available to support your progress and share their knowledge with you.”
Passionate about infrastructure.
When she was young, Konstantina would see bridges and houses in her native Greece and ask her family how these buildings were constructed.
She went on to gain an MEng in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and an MSc in Structural Engineering from the University of Sheffield. Konstantina believes that her undergraduate studies definitely helped her to explore a variety of fields and subjects related to civil engineering:
“Those studies gave me an excellent idea of all the different paths I could follow in civil engineering. My master’s studies allowed me to focus on the courses that most interested me. I gained valuable, solid theoretical knowledge that paved the way for the specialisation I wanted to follow in my professional career.”
Following her studies, she applied to WCS on hearing about the company’s excellent reputation in infrastructure engineering. After two-and-a-half years at WCS, Konstantina is being supervised on her route to chartership with the Institution of Civil Engineers by WCS’s Ioannis Iliadis as her Supervising Civil Engineer (SCE). She comments that she’s found it a welcoming place where she can engage in great projects.
“Every project is different,” says Konstantina, “and it’s still such a satisfying feeling when your work is finished. When you say, ‘look at the results of my hard work. I did that’. It’s a fantastic feeling. It’s enriching when you get those moments. WCS is an enjoyable and rewarding place to learn.
“I’m looking forward to helping train new people entering the office because we need to keep that flow of talent coming in. I’m happy to say that WCS is known for attracting those who are up for a challenge and have lots of energy and creativity.”
Supportive.
Natalja says that she always liked maths and physics at school and wanted to do something connected with those subjects. After high school in Latvia, she completed a BEng in Civil Engineering at Kingston University, MSc in Civil Engineering at UCL, and a PhD, again at Kingston University.
With her PhD, Natalja arrived at WCS with extensive academic and real-world experience. Before joining us, she worked primarily in structural engineering for buildings in the educational, commercial, and residential sectors. This experience saw her bring skills in the building sector, technical and commercial aspects, and conceptual design.
Right now, she’s now focused on railway infrastructure, where she has learned its different standards, guidelines, stages, and approval processes. In October 2022, Natalja will have been at WCS for one year. Since all her projects involve different challenges, Natalja feels she is developing her technical knowledge even further.
“In the future, I would like to help more people who have just graduated to develop their careers in engineering and learn more. And in my continuing development, I want to become a mentor and give workshops to others to pass on my learning.
“I like learning. I like every opportunity to improve myself. At WCS, there’s always something new to do. I’d recommend that students check out this company because they are very supportive and provide the right environment for progression. Even in my probationary period, I had an appraisal meeting where I could review my completed tasks and identify opportunities for improvement. My superiors are encouraging, and I can envision my responsibilities increasing as my skills and insight grow.”
We’re proud to say we’ve attracted highly skilled people to the WCS team. We’re continually investing in the future through new training initiatives and college outreach programmes so that, one day, these engineers will welcome yet another generation through the doors.
Could a career in the engineering sector be for you? Check out our careers page to learn more.
[1] https://www.engineeringuk.com/media/156198/key-facts-figures-2019-final-20190627.pdf
[2] https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/176547/scotland-worst-in-uk-for-women-in-engineering-apprenticeships/