Supporting and celebrating the next generation of highways engineers
The first conference for graduates and apprentices in Highways England was held on Wednesday (23 June) to hear from industry leaders, share experiences and celebrate successes.
Graduates, students and apprentices with the President of the Institution of Civil Engineering, David Balmforth
The day-long conference was organised by a team of civil engineering graduates and included current graduates, apprentices and our first cohort of undergraduates from across the country.
Graham Dalton, Highways England Chief Executive, said:
It’s incredibly important to us that we support and encourage people looking to build careers in the transport and construction industry. By investing in graduates and apprentices now we can ensure that we are better placed to deliver for our customers in the future.
It was a privilege to attend the conference and speak to so many enthusiastic graduates, students and apprentices.
Graham Dalton, Chief Executive, speaking at the event
Merwin Man, graduate civil engineer on secondment at Hyder Consulting UK, said:
The support and guidance from Highways England has given me the practical working experience to help myself and other graduates become chartered engineers.
We had 32 graduates, students and apprentices at the conference and we really appreciated hearing from experienced engineers and leaders.
The conference heard from Colin Matthews, Chairman; Mike Wilson, Chief Highways Engineer; and David Balmforth, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Jim O’Sullivan, our newly appointed Chief Executive, was also introduced to the group
We have 24 graduates from a range of professions, including accountants and civil engineers, on our graduate programme. A further 13 graduates of various disciplines will start on the scheme in September 2015. Our graduate schemes follow either a two or three year programme to develop their skills and build their experience.
We have recruited over 78 apprentices since starting our apprenticeship scheme in 2013. Our apprentices study a range of skills including civil engineering, electrical engineering, business administration and ICT.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.