Tell us a little bit about you and your job
In my current role, I’m part of the Services engineering team where we maintain, upgrade, and support existing equipment out in the field that is operational. If a problem occurs then this team is where the fault is diagnosed, then advice and information is provided to the client. If a client wants to upgrade any of their existing equipment, we will look at the feasibility of doing this and engineer a solution for them to be able to do this regardless of how big or small the upgrade is.
Tell us about your education story and how you came to work at SMD.
My apprenticeship started from building a wide variety of equipment using electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic skill sets at which time I gained my foundation degree. This then progressed into joining the commissioning department where I worked alongside an experienced and knowledgeable team to test all types of equipment to ensure it met the design specification and make sure the equipment was delivered to a high standard as clients would expect when spending millions of pounds.
An opportunity arose to join the engineering team where I would get the chance to complete my degree and see the business from a different angle and I believe my time on the shopfloor enabled me to get up to speed with the engineering department quicker than I expected.
What is the best part about working at SMD?
The thing I love the most about working at SMD is the equipment we produce is mind boggling at times, how what we produce can be operated by numerous people in numerous locations and all under the water without any visual contact.
I also love the team spirit I have experienced in my roles at SMD because when a problem does arise, everybody comes together and are happy to put their ideas forward to make sure the best possible solution is thought of and implemented accordingly.
Any advice for young people who may be interested in engineering?
I would highly recommend a career in engineering, seeing something go from a piece of paper or a model on a computer to being in front of you in physical form will always bring great satisfaction. I believe my experience on the shopfloor helped me massively with progressing so would always recommend an apprenticeship wherever possible.
