Glenn Walton is Winvic’s fifth trainee who has shared his experience with us, so that those who are currently planning their 2019 year in industry placement can understand what it’s like to work for Winvic. We have been attending some university fairs around the country, so some readers may have spoken to Rebecca and members of the Winvic team about our opportunities; we hope you’ll get in touch if you have any further questions. In the meantime, we wish you the best of luck in your continued studies and we look forward to reading your Winvic year in industry applications over the coming weeks.
If you haven’t read the blogs from our other trainees, click here to go to see all Winvic’s blog posts.
“When I was 15, I undertook my work experience placement at a construction firm, where I learned about the design process, and this was when I thought the industry might be right for me. I wasn’t 100% sure about working in a design role, so I took maths, physics, computing and history as a-levels and then I felt a degree in Civil Engineering would give me a broad spectrum of knowledge, and therefore career choices. My degree has been flexible and I’ve been able to choose a variety of modules, but now I’ve been working on site with Winvic for almost five months I’m certain I will enjoy the engineering path more than I would have enjoyed designing. In fact, I would love to return to Winvic after I graduate and work towards my ICE membership with them.
“My first experience of Winvic was around this time last year when my university lecturer arranged a site visit to East Midlands Gateway, and after speaking to the Design Manager, Giles, and Rebecca from HR I applied for a placement almost immediately. It’s a bit strange to think of that now because I’m working on Plot 1 of the Segro Logistics Park, which is part of EMG. I was so nervous and didn’t know what to expect in the first few days, although I felt at ease pretty quickly because Winvic and its staff are very down to earth. That was a nice surprise! The other thing that has surprised me is the speed that projects move at, I can’t believe how fast some stages progress. One day there’s no steel, and before you know it you’re working on a massive building!
“I’m very lucky to have Frank Hayes as my daily mentor, who has over 30 years of experience and is the Project Manager of Plot 1. He gives me half an hour of his time every Friday too, which is amazing, because he’s so busy. Also Charlie Caldicott and Neil Orme are there helping me every day, and Rob Bull is my managing mentor, and they are also so knowledgeable, but the whole team are great really; they’re laid back but at the same time really professional, fun to work with and they always give you their time, even if it’s a busy day. I’ve been given quite a bit of independence and responsibility, undertaking jobs like ensuring the ground was level and marking areas that required attention, and quality checks on the mezzanine and maintaining the quality file. I’m more certain than ever that I’m heading in the right career direction and aim to become a Senior Engineer.”
Glenn Walton – Trainee Engineer
Please get in touch with Rebecca Schwarz on rebeccaschwarz@winvic.co.uk for more information on our year in industry placements.
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