15 October 2014

Costain recently welcomed 26 graduates to its new Graduate Development Centre, a two-day programme aimed at preparing them for a long and successful career with the Company.

Organised by Costain in collaboration with management training consultancy, Interaction Learning & Development, the event was held at Staverton Park in Northamptonshire for graduates who joined the Company in 2011.

As part of the programme, the graduates were encouraged to work with each other in defining their future goals and aspirations and, ahead of the event, were asked to speak to people within the organisation, both senior staff members and former graduate trainees, about how they have managed their careers.

“Our Graduate Programme is a managed three-year scheme but as they come to the end, a number of interesting challenges arise in how they develop, both personally and professionally, during the course of their career,” said Camilla Duncan, Costain’s Graduate Development Officer.

The first day focused on how to make the transition from being a graduate trainee to being a fully-fledged Costain employee. This entailed looking back at some of their experiences over the three-year programme, formulating a career management framework and setting goals for the future, both personal and professional.

Indy Lachhar, Costain’s Group Talent Manager, also delivered a session on ‘Success Factors’ aimed at understanding the short, medium and long-term expectations the graduates, the Company and Costain’s customers, have for them.

The second day looked at how the graduates perceive themselves within their immediate social and professional network. This included activities that looked at what other people’s perceptions of them might be and what areas they felt needed to be developed in order to reach their full potential.

“We take great pride in nurturing and developing talent; whether you’re an apprentice or a university graduate, we actively encourage our employees to seek appropriate training as part of a lifetime of learning and development,” said Camilla.

The event was well received by the graduates, who all took away a Costain Award for completing the three-year programme. Paul Smyth, a Mechanical Engineer, said the Development Centre presented a great opportunity to reflect on individual progress over the course of the graduate scheme.

“The aim was to identify individuals’ career goals and develop a personal plan to meet these aspirations in the coming years. With a busy workload, it is often difficult to set aside time to concentrate on the bigger picture. The development centre came at just the right time to reflect on the past three years, giving me clearer focus about life beyond being a graduate,” said Paul.

Richard Zhao, a Process Engineer, added: “The development centre was an excellent way to bring everything together from the graduate programme, allowing us to reflect on how much we have learnt and progressed over the three years. I am now looking forward to a new and exciting chapter in my professional career, but I know the skills and knowledge I have developed on the graduate programme have given me strong foundations to succeed.”

In 2014 Costain took on a record 74 graduate across 15 disciplines. This approach supports Costain’s Engineering Tomorrow strategy, and reflects the Company’s increasing capability in areas such as technology and specialist design.

 

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