I joined Network Rail in 2008 on the L3 Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme as a Signalling Maintenance Apprentice. Over the last 16 years I have gained experience in both Signalling and Electrification disciplines, including frontline maintenance, minor and major renewals, asset management and intelligent infrastructure implementation. During this time, I have been fortunate enough to be sponsored to complete an FdEng in Railway Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, the Electrification Engineering Diploma with the PWI, and an MSc in Railway Systems Engineering and Integration through the Rail and Rail Systems Principal Engineer Level 7 Integrated Degree Apprenticeship (L7 DA) at the University of Birmingham.  

Outside work, I am a husband and a daddy to two wonderful toddlers Harry and Grace, and a golden retriever called Poppy. 

Why did you want to become professionally registered?

For me, becoming a Chartered Engineer means so much personally as well as professionally. I had a difficult childhood which culminated in homelessness just after my 16th birthday. This led to me sofa-surfing over the next six-months whilst trying to continue studying for my A-Levels. Ultimately this wasn’t sustainable, so I took the hard decision to drop out of school and work full-time instead. A school friend’s mum who worked for Connexions heard about my situation and invited me round one evening to explain the benefits of apprenticeships to me. She had printed out a number of adverts, one of which was the Network Rail apprenticeship, which particularly stood out as it offered a residential part of the course at HMS Collingwood. I applied, secured a place, and the rest is history. There were many days during this time that I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I knew that I was going to be somebody. I am now a husband, a father, and a Chartered Engineer. That means the world to me. 

How did you find the process?

I followed the Dual EPA-PRI route where it is possible to combine the L7 DA End Point Assessment (EPA) and the CEng Professional Review Interview (PRI) with the PWI. The only difference being that instead of writing a Professional Review Report, candidates signpost evidence in their CEng Application Form to the UK-SPEC aligned L7 DA Competency Portfolio, which is completed over the three-years on the apprenticeship. 

The process is rightly challenging and takes a level of dedication to complete the application to the required standard and to prepare for the PRI. This is especially true when doing it alongside preparing for the L7 DA EPA. However, Liz, Charlotte and the whole PWI team were very accessible and supportive which made such a big difference as I navigated this journey. This could be little things from simple clarifications of requirements, to bigger things like amending the application form to make it more tailored to signposting evidence in the L7 DA competency portfolio, rather than the Professional Review Report.

How do you consider being recognised with CEng status as helping you in your career?

For me, having CEng status is a great recognition of what I have done in the past, adds to the credibility of what I am doing in the present, and opens up new possibilities for what I can do in the future.