8 December 2014

Costain recently held its Graduate Autumn Conference, bringing together the Class of 2014 to discuss their experiences and to hear about some of the Group-wide initiatives they can get involved in, including the Company’s Engineering Tomorrow strategy and the Costain 150 Challenge.

The one-day event invited 76 graduates to the DeVere Milton Hill House in Oxfordshire to see how they can build on that experience since joining the Company in September.

“The aim of the Autumn Conference was to give the graduates an opportunity to gain a broader understanding of how their role impacts Costain’s overall growth and financial performance,” said Camilla Duncan, Graduate Development Officer.

The graduates heard from Costain’s Finance Team about how the finance function of the business fits into the company structure, including external financial reporting, internal management reporting, financial control and supply chain risk.

Sam Laporte, a Graduate Civil Engineer, said: “The financial awareness sessions were very useful, particularly the session on supply chain management, which I have since applied in my job role on site at London Bridge Station.”

The graduates also heard from Tim Embley, Costain’s Group Innovation and Knowledge Manager, about ‘Innovative Thinking’ and how it fits in with Engineering Tomorrow, the Company’s commitment to identifying, developing and implementing innovative solutions to meet the UK’s major national infrastructure needs.

To encourage this innovative thinking, the graduates were set nine tasks to help them identify, develop and implement innovation with the support of the Company’s business leaders. Each task was designed to help the graduates understand the strategy of the business, the importance of innovation to its customers and the vital role it plays in addressing the country’s infrastructure needs. 

“Costain is committed to investing in its people and our graduate intake is an important starting point. I have been particularly impressed with the ability, understanding and competence of the team selected to join the business,” said Tim.

Meanwhile, Tom Cleary, Project Manager for the Costain 150 Challenge, told the graduates about how they can help the Company raise £1million in 2015 by forming a business enterprise. Any profit from the enterprise will go to the Costain Foundation, four carefully chosen charities comprising the British Heart Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, The Prince’s Trust and The Samaritans.

Commenting on the conference, Rachel Griffiths, a trainee Quantity Surveyor, said: “My brain is now ticking with ideas and I am looking forward to getting involved in the Challenge in the coming months.”

Richard Bridger, a trainee Mechanical Engineer, added: “The Conference provided a fantastic opportunity to hear about the diverse work and experiences available to us. Being predominately office based, I found this very useful, particularly an understanding of what on-site projects and contracts demand from a fellow-graduate’s perspective.”

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