Can you tell us about your career to date?

My career started in 1989 when I left full-time education with a BTEC National Diploma in Building Studies and joined British Rail Southern Region as a Technical Officer (TO) on the TO Training scheme. I rotated around various placements for the first 5 years of my career, gaining experience in buildings maintenance, buildings design, bridge design, track maintenance, track design and track renewals. These placements gave me a good grounding in those aspects of the railway. In parallel, I studied part-time and gained my Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Building Studies (Structural Stream). I gained my first formal role in 1994 as a Senior Technical Officer (STO) within track maintenance. I worked my way through various roles within track maintenance up to track maintenance engineer (TME) in 2005. In 2011, I became the first Route On Track Machine Engineer (ROTME) in the country due to some of the worst track quality in the country mainly due to Soil Moisture Deficit (SMD) on many of the primary routes in Kent. In 2015, I became an infrastructure maintenance engineer (IME), where I had the added responsibility across signalling and power disciplines as well as track. I knew my CV was missing major projects knowledge and experience, so in 2017, I did a sideways move to work on the Crossrail Programme (Elizabeth Line), working on the railway system and interfaces, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Once we had entry into service and the Elizabeth line was fully operational, the programme came to an end. I came back to Southern Region in 2023 working as a Principal Engineer (Track) in the Directorate of Engineering and Asset Management.

Why did you want to become Professionally Registered?

I had only initially ever considered Professional Registration as an Incorporated Engineer because my highest technical qualification at the time was an HNC. During the COVID pandemic, having gained experience across track engineering, railway systems and working in a major programme, I had a reset and focus to want to become formally recognised for my knowledge, experience and competence and become Chartered for both personal achievement / pride and for my employer. In 2021, I started a 3-year Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship and MSc Railway Systems Engineering & Integration Degree at the University of Birmingham which gave me the academic pre-requisites that I was missing to become Chartered. As part of my overall personal development plan, I also decided to undertake PWI EngTech in preparation for becoming a Chartered Engineer so I could understand the whole process better and get that first step under my belt.

How did you find the process?

I followed a unique process (University of Birmingham / PWI Collaboration) to become professionally registered as a Chartered Engineer where I used the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSB) competency evidence I had gathered for my Apprenticeship and my Technical Work Based Project to support the CEng application process. I then had a combined End Point Assessment (EPA) and Chartership Review Interview which involved reviewers representing the University, Apprenticeship and PWI interviewing myself. What really attracted me to follow this route was the fact that I could use my university work to contribute towards the application rather than having to do this separately once I had completed my university studies. I found the process to be very straightforward and would encourage others who are studying at the university and want to become Chartered with the PWI to also follow this route. I understand that this path is also available to those students undertaking the Level 6 Rail and Rail Systems Apprenticeship for gaining Incorporated Engineer.

How will CEng recognition help you in your career?

It has not fully sunk in that I have achieved this status, especially when I look back at the steps I had to complete over the past 4 years to get to this stage!

A Chartered Engineer is a global benchmark that one has reached in their profession and is fully respected. Being Chartered means that my employer knows they have a professionally qualified engineer and leader working within their organisation to a recognised standard.

I really enjoy supporting others in their own progression, and now that I am Chartered, I hope to inspire others to obtain their Professional Registration. It has also opened the door for me to formally become an EngTech/IEng/CEng reviewer with RailEI.

A huge thank you to Simon for sharing his story. 

Learn more about Chartership with RailEI.