Investing in future talent
CAREER PROGRESSION AT APTUS: WE CATCH UP WITH OUR TRAINEES
Niamh: I’m working on designs for all three utilities and have authorisation to sign off water designs. At this stage all our work is still checked by the qualified engineers before being sent for approval by the relevant incumbents. Tell us about some of the challenges. Alfie: The processes can be lengthy and involved with frequent redesigns and alterations made according to developers’ changing requirements, for example where more plots have been added or removed. Niamh: There’s a lot of responsibility in this role and working on three designs is more challenging. Every site is different so no two designs will be the same. Some designs can date back years so you have to carry out a detailed investigation of the site and previous revisions to establish where the job is up to so you don’t miss any information. What do you enjoy about the role? Alfie: I work on designs for residential, commercial, and industrial sites nationwide, and learning about the regional variations between water companies and how they operate has been interesting. I’m looking forward to moving into the next phase working on water design approvals, which involves sending formal designs to the different incumbents, for their approval for construction. Niamh: I enjoy working with my fellow trainees - we help each other out! I also find the supervision and support from the wider design team valuable. I want to learn as much information as I can to help me work to the best of my abilities. I’m particularly looking forward to visiting
At Aptus we’ve earned an award- winning reputation for our commitment to training and developing our workforce. In 2022, we offered colleagues the chance to apply for one of four roles as a multi-utility trainee design engineer. The training focuses on their development and mentoring in water, electric, and gas design, and includes all the skills and competencies necessary for them to become a fully qualified multi-utility design engineer. Once the training period has been completed, they will be able to manage multiple design projects. Our invitation for applications generated lots of interest, enabling us to fill all positions internally, and by autumn our colleagues had started training. We caught up with trainees Alfie Evans and Niamh Ritchie . Why did you apply for the role? Alfie: I was working as a contracts coordinator at head office and my job brought me regularly into contact with the design team, so I had a bit of an insight into what they do on a daily basis. I could see myself in the role and it offered a great route for career progression within the company – it was too good an opportunity to miss so I applied! Niamh: I already had an engineering qualification and some experience in computer-aided design (CAD) when I joined Aptus in 2019 as a CAD trainee. When the multi-utility role came up, the training felt like it would be a good fit and would allow me to develop my skills and broaden my career options. What does your training involve? Alfie: I initially spent three months working in computer-aided design (CAD). This helped me learn more about the process and gain a fundamental understanding of what goes into producing designs. Moving onto water tenders, I spent a period of several months learning about the network design requirements and producing outline designs which support the estimation and tendering team in producing quotes.
site more often and seeing how designs are put into action, as it will be beneficial to see the process from start to finish.
10 APTUS CONNECTIONS // ISSUE 14
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