Hear from our people

Mike - Graduate Trainee Civil Engineering MEng GMICE
Hampshire Engineering Services
Start Date: June 2016

"I graduated from the University of Portsmouth in 2020 with an MEng degree in Civil Engineering. In 2016 I was invited to join the Hampshire County Council undergraduate programme, where I have spent time in the Contracts Team, Engineering Consultancy, and Highway Development Agreements Team. I have worked with third party consultants, whilst gaining experience in design and on site. I was delighted to be able to graduate from university with such a vast amount of experience giving me a real boost at the start of my career in engineering.

After graduating I spent time with Operation Resilience, Network Management and Strategic Transport. In the Operation Resilience team, I played a part in the design, management, and delivery of the £1m carriageway resurfacing programme, raising the works through the Hampshire Highways Service Contract (HHSC). This rolled over nicely into the Network Management role, where I was working under pressure to resolve day to day issues quickly, keeping Hampshire moving. These were completely different to Strategic Transport, where I was the delivery manager for a number of schemes, making sure they were delivered on time and to budget, whilst keeping councillors up to date. I enjoyed how different the roles were as it allowed me to sign off a large variety of ICE attributes and kept me interested in the work I was doing.

I have since returned to the Engineering Services team where I am working on the A27 Corridor Continuous Footways scheme as lead designer and project manager. This scheme is a fantastic opportunity for me to take ownership and responsibility for a project, as well as getting me up to date with the latest active travel standards. Seeing my name as the project manager for the first time is a feeling I will never forget. I am continuing to work towards the ICE CEng accreditation and aim to achieve this within the next 3 years."

Ben - Graduate Trainee Civil Engineering MEng GMICE
Hampshire Engineering Services
Start Date: July 2017

"I am a Portsmouth University MEng Graduate working towards CEng accreditation with the ICE. I completed the County Council’s Bursary scheme where I spent 14 months in the Strategic Transport team for my industrial placement. During this time, I was the client manager for £500k worth of local improvement works as well as assisting colleagues within the Major Schemes team. Being given such a responsibility at young age and from the start was a great introduction into engineering and helped me appreciate schemes from a management level.

Post-Graduation I joined the Future Mobility Team, where I was responsible for planning, applying for £235k funding from OZEV, liaising with our framework provider, residents, councils, other stakeholders and delivering the County Councils first on-street residential Electric Vehicle ChargePoint scheme. This scheme was fantastic in attaining ICE attributes and the trust shown to let me develop a scheme in a new and emerging technology from conception to delivery was a brilliant experience.

My current placement is in the Contract Services team, where I am working at the Botley Uplands Development Infrastructure scheme looking at the new underpass structure. Typically, I check the formwork design and assist with delivery of the contract. In 2022, I will be working on the Brighton Hill Roundabout improvement scheme in Basingstoke and also responsible for a number of other schemes. This placement so far has been great being on a construction site every day. Seeing the progression and solving problems as they arise has been a great learning curve to understanding schemes in a different manner to previous placements."

Samantha – Project Engineer BEng (Hons) MAPM
Hampshire Engineering Services
Start Date: April 2020

"I earned my BEng degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Southampton in 2008. Upon completion of my degree, I joined a graduate scheme in the private sector, where I acquired first-hand experience via three placements in commercial – tendering for PFI contracts, design – bridge strengthening and improvement schemes, and construction – supervision of bridgework construction projects.

In 2013, after completing the graduate scheme, I decided to focus on project management as my career path. Whilst working on a PFI contract I was managing capital projects with a value of up to £2m per annum comprising Structures and Highway schemes from initial concept through to delivery. In 2017 I moved into managing the delivery of schemes on high-speed networks.

I joined Hampshire Engineering Services (HES) in 2018 as a consultant PM, managing capital projects with project costs up to £21m, including the A30 Brighton Hill Roundabout Improvement scheme. In 2020 an opportunity arose to join HES as a member of staff to establish the Project & Programme Management (PPM) team, created to strengthen HES commercial processes, ethos, and culture. Key responsibilities of the team include the tracking of design and contractual commissions against baseline project plans, reporting on changes to those commissions and the planning and coordination of up to 200 resources.

David - Strategic Frameworks Manger MEng CEng MICE
Contract Services
Start Date: August 2013

"Having worked for 3 years for Civil Engineering Services in the private sector, I started my career at Hampshire on a summer placement in 2010 when I was studying my MEng in Civil Engineering at the University of Portsmouth. I had two great summer placements in our Operation Resilience team, and joined Hampshire’s ICE graduate training scheme after I’d finished university.

During my time on the training scheme, I worked in Strategic Transport as a Client manager on several large highways projects in Basingstoke, in Engineering Services as a Highways Engineer, designing several small – large scale highway improvement schemes. From there, I undertook my site placement as the NEC3 Project Manager for two major schemes on the A27 and Newgate Lane East bypass, both in Fareham. I became a Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in 2020.

This diverse experience has led me to my current position managing ETE’s construction and consultancy Framework contracts, which deliver works and services averaging at a total of £45m per year. As part of my role, I assist teams within ETE on contract and commercial strategy. I also work closely with other Local Authorities across the south of England, our supply chain and the industry in our region to ensure that we can achieve the highest quality service for the best value. "

Tim - Assistant Director BEng CEng FICE FCIHT
Economy, Transport and Environment Department
Start Date: July 1988

"I joined the County Council as a Highway Technician way back in 1988 and as part of my initial training I studied for an HNC in Civil Engineering at Highbury College in Portsmouth, followed by a Civil Engineering degree at Kingston University – both part-time. I then joined the County Surveyors Department’s Graduate Training programme and spent time in various professional teams, including an exciting 18 month stint on site building part of the Totton Western Bypass.

I became a Chartered Civil Engineer in 1998 and then moved into Network Management (Highways) where I was lucky enough to secure a succession of more senior positions before taking up my current role as Assistant Director in 2018. I became a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers around the same time. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have spent my whole career with Hampshire and this is a testament to the longstanding learning culture that exists here where individuals are encouraged to grow and develop and aspire to senior positions, regardless of where they start their journey with the County Council. "

Matt - Head of Engineering MEng CEng MICE
Hampshire Engineering Services
Start Date: Feb 2001

"On completing my Masters in Civil Engineering at Surrey University, which included a year’s professional placement in South Africa, I joined the County Council as a Graduate Engineer on Hampshire’s ICE accredited training scheme in 2001. The experience gained from moving between various departmental sections enabled me to become a Chartered Civil Engineer in 2005, using an innovative masonry arch bridge project as my technical submission.

I joined Engineering Services, initially taking on various site roles in the contracts team. I was then seconded to Southampton City Council to project manage a large port accessibility project, before finally returning to secure a succession of more senior positions leading to my current role as Head of Hampshire Engineering Services. I’ve loved the variety of projects I’ve worked on and people I’ve worked with over the last 20 years whilst at the County Council. I continue to gain great personal satisfaction in witnessing the tangible local community benefits in the delivery of these projects. "

Pelham – Graduate Trainee Civil Engineer MEng GMICE
Hampshire Engineering Services
Start Date: June 2021

"Having recently graduated from Portsmouth University, I am currently working towards CEng accreditation with the ICE. I began my journey with Hampshire in 2018, by completing the County Council’s Bursary scheme, spending 10 months within the Operation Resilience team. During this time, I was involved in assessing and implement that year’s surface dressings program in Basingstoke and Rushmoor, as well as collating data that then became the foundation for the surface dressing works of 2019. The technical, interpersonal, and organisational skills I gained during this placement served as a great foundation for my future career in engineering.

While studying during my final years of university, I was able to complete a summer placement, within the council’s Strategic Transport Team. Here I was involved in the task of organising and completing several contract documents, including those for large developments, such as the A340 Thornycroft Roundabout and the A33 Crockford and Binfield Roundabouts. Working on such important projects, allowed me to gain an appreciation for schemes at a management level.

Currently, having graduated this year, I have joined Hampshire’s training scheme in full, starting my rotation within the Drainage and Flood Management Team. I will be working on the A32 Farringdon Flood Alleviation scheme, as well as other smaller schemes. I look forward to the challenges that will no doubt arise during this placement, as overcoming them will allow me to gain valuable experience and broaden my engineering knowledge base."