14 September 2015

A host of Costain engineers are celebrating passing their professional reviews, recognised by many as a stepping stone to a distinguished career in the construction, chemical and mechanical engineering industries.

Gaining professional or chartered status represents a high benchmark for the industry and demonstrates a person’s commitment to their chosen profession. It not only shows that an individual possesses a high level of knowledge in their field of work, as judged by a peer group of professionals, but it also shows that the individual and their employer is committed to excellence.

As well as passing his ICE Professional Review to gain Chartered Status, Paul Hutton also passed the Costain Further Learning (FLP) Programme assessment, which provides an alternative route to Chartership by addressing the academic gap between a Bachelor and Masters degree.

“As I’m a BEng graduate rather than an MSc, Costain’s FLP certainly attracted me to the company in the first place. Without the FLP, achieving Chartered status would have been difficult,” said Paul, who joined Costain in 2009.

Paul currently works in business development for Costain’s Rail Sector. During a varied career, which includes working on the Brighton and Hove Wastewater Treatment Works, Paul now reviews client and government business plans to produce financial analysis of upcoming work and help align Costain’s focus to the needs of the client.

Successfully taking on two assessments obviously means double the challenge, not least the volume of notes you need to compile during the course of your career to date, and the need to develop broader experience outside of your day job.

“Both the ICE objectives and FLP require a large variety of experience to be gained. It was hard to stay focussed on two different sets of objectives over a prolonged period of time. A number of the objectives also required me to gain experience outside of my normal day job, therefore staying proactive was key. The hardest part was writing the FLP up at the end as it required strong self-discipline and focus. But having kept good records throughout my career was an immense help,” said Paul.

Seeking qualification takes years of hard work and dedication, often outside of work hours, but the help and support of the Company is a constant reminder that they want you to succeed.

“Costain has been extremely helpful and encouraging throughout the whole process. Having a number of mentors and line managers, who have already been through the process, all supporting me and reminding me of the benefits, really helped me,” said Paul.

The ICE Professional Review takes place twice a year at a regional centre. The Institution requires its members to undertake a minimum level of continuing professional development before they are assessed by a panel of fellow ICE members. The assessment comprises a career review, a project report , an exam question and a 15-minute presentation which sets out what the candidate has brought to a particular job and how they have exhibited the professional attributes needed at the highest level.

Gaining Chartered status means Paul has achieved a predetermined standard in both the theoretical knowledge and practical experience within civil engineering. Now it’s all over, was it worth all the effort?

“It is definitely worth the effort, but it’s much easier to achieve at a younger age. I would advise anyone to focus on meeting the objectives as soon as you start and don’t be afraid to ask for opportunities. Keeping good, detailed records is essential. Regularly reviewing your progress will make the process more manageable,” said Paul.

The full list of those who passed is below:

Andreas Achilleos - Chartership with the Inst of Engineering & Technology - Autumn 2014

Ross Armstrong - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Autumn 2014

Amy Attwater - Costain Further Learning Programme (Civils) - Autumn 2014

Andy Berridge - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Spring 2015

Sam Carey - Chartership with the Inst of Mechanical Engineers - Spring 2014

Simon Cathery - Chartered Fellow with the Inst of Mechanical Engineers - Spring 2015

Phil Ebner * - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Spring 2015

Paul Eckersley - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Autumn 2014

Phil Grice - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Spring 2015

Neil Grinham - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Autumn 2014

Philip Higgins - Chartership with the Inst Mechanical Engineers - Spring 2014

Andy Hudspith - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Autumn 2014

Paul Hutton * - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Spring 2015

Ijeoma Ifedi ** - Chartership with the Inst of Chemical Engineers - Summer 2015

Emyr James - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Spring 2015

Geoffrey Mpofu - Chartership with the Inst of Chemical Engineers - Spring 2015

Dan Murphy - EngTech - Inst of Civil Engineers - Spring 2015

Frances Murray - Costain Further Learning Programme (Civils) - Summer 2015

Sam Panter - Costain Further Learning Programme (M&E) - Autumn 2015

Ros Parker - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Autumn 2014

Mike Rimmer - Chartership with the Inst of Mechanical Engineers - Spring 2014

Carl Scrymgeour - IEng - Inst of Mechanical Engineers - May 2015

Cole Stevens - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Autumn 2014

Lydia Walpole - Chartership with the Inst of Civil Engineers - Spring 2015

*Denotes Costain Further Learning Programme

**Winner of the IChemE Global Award for Young Chemical Engineer in Industry 2014

 

Ends

 

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