Graduate profiles - Water
Glenn, Assistant Engineer
University and degree:
University of Plymouth, BEng in Civil and Coastal Engineering.
Business Unit/Stream:
Assistant Engineer/Ports Team of Water Projects
"I became aware of Mouchel through Keith Davies, consultant to Mouchel’s Ports and Coastal business, and a Professor at the University of Plymouth who teaches coastal engineering and ports design to final year students. His discussions on projects he had worked on increased my desire to become part of the Mouchel Ports team, and a few months after graduating…I got my chance!"
Prestigious Projects
"Since joining Mouchel, I have had the opportunity to work on some prestigious projects in varying capacities, one of which was the provision of technical assistance for the new Liverpool Cruise Liner Facility. This £18m project involves a new 250m long floating berth, capable of accommodating cruise liners up to the size of the Queen Mary II. This project is intended to contribute to the further regeneration of Liverpool.
I have also been given the opportunity to manage some projects, including jetty condition surveys at two oil refineries. This has given me experience in project and financial management, client interaction and technical report writing. In both cases I also prepared the bid proposal, so it has been a great feeling to win the work and see our solutions to the clients problems come to fruition."
Kuwait Experience
"My most memorable experience thus far has undoubtedly been working in Mouchel's Kuwait Office for six months between January and October 2006. It was an immense challenge not only to work in a different country, but also live and experience a totally different culture.
In January 2007 I travelled back down to the University of Plymouth to give an Employers Presentation to students on my old course. At the end of the presentation some of my old Lecturers came up to me and expressed amazement at the opportunities I have had in such a short space of time!"
Graduate profiles - Waste
Anthony, Graduate Waste Engineer
University and degree:
Loughborough University, Masters in Civil Engineering
Business Unit/Stream:
Graduate Waste Engineer/Waste Infrastructure Team
"I had undertaken a sandwich year as part of my degree at university, where the bulk of my daily work involved concrete science experiments. The natural progression for me was to move to an engineering role following graduation, which I found at Mouchel. I knew little about Mouchel when I applied, but the reports I did hear concerning friendly staff and the company proceeding in the right direction were certainly accurate."
Waste Management Facilities
"Since joining Mouchel I have been a member of the Waste Infrastructure team, working on the construction of two large waste management facilities in East London.
The facilities receive the household waste from the dustbins of local residents, dry it, and process it to remove all of the recyclable materials, which are sent off to be recycled; the remaining waste material is taken off to landfill sites.
Our team's role on the project was as project manager on behalf of the client, and as such we were responsible for some of the design work, site supervision and managing the construction. My personal role has been largely project management and commissioning due to the stage in the project at which I arrived."
A Typical Day
"A typical day might see me writing sections of a technical report, interpreting engineering drawings to verify the dimensions and locations of site features, co-ordinating and scheduling some site operations and liaising with the client to understand any problems that have arisen and attempt to solve them.
I have also been to site to attend project meetings with the client, witness the testing of the machinery and gather information to be processed in the office. One of the most gratifying aspects of the job is the amount of client contact to which I have been exposed, which has led to larger amounts of trust and responsibility than I would have expected in my first year of employment."
Graduate Opportunities
"Mouchel provides good support to graduates and encourages them to fulfil their potential by registering for the Chartership scheme of the institution of their choice. The amount of construction work that is currently being undertaken in Dubai has already led to several of my colleagues accepting roles there, and this remains a distinct possibility for me in the not too distant future.
The graduate social activities are plentiful with monthly lunchtime forums consisting of presentations from senior staff and external companies and discussions, usually followed by a visit to the pub after work! The graduate induction event in a smart hotel was also a very enjoyable event, providing ample opportunity to network and socialise."