On my year in industry there were fantastic opportunities for developing technical skills

"I spent a year in industry with Mott MacDonald working in the design and built environment at their head office in Croydon, England. Throughout the year, I worked on various large scale projects such as High Speed 2 (HS2) and Tideway, and undertook a range of technical roles and management responsibilities as part of different teams.

Health and Safety was the first and most governing factor in every aspect of our work; from daily commuting to carrying out design works and visiting construction sites. I successfully passed the Health, Safety and Environment test (CITB) to join a CSCS card scheme following my graduation.

Professional Development was highly promoted during my placement. I had the opportunity to undertake internal professional development courses and kept track of my learning progress to later use as a CPD record for my chartership review. 

There were fantastic opportunities for developing technical skills within the industry as well. For example, I managed to secure a competitive place on a tunnelling design and construction course sponsored by the British Tunnelling Society. I found the week-long course very useful, as it provided valuable knowledge on various tunnelling techniques, construction methods, detailed design of tunnel linings and other necessary aspects of tunnel engineering.

I delivered various technical tasks while working on different civil infrastructure projects. As part of the tunnels team on HS2, I carried out design reviews for a 3D shaft model based on the standards and the architects’ requirements, and prepared the relevant design reports for the shaft. I also carried out detailed design tasks for some shallow foundations while working on Tideway project.

One of the greatest advantages of working in industry is having the opportunity to participate in professional and technical development events such as workshops, conferences, forums and talks. Not only are these events a great place to learn about the latest developments in the industry but also they are fantastic opportunities to meet new people and make valuable connections. I had the chance to attend some interesting evening talks after work.

My placement gave me the opportunity to visit some well-known live projects on site. It was a valuable experience to see how things work in the construction world - both technically and in terms of communication."