Seven trainees to play a role in landmark engineering projects

Seven Northern Ireland trainees from Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University have been selected to take part in a structured two-year programme for 22 new recruits who recently graduated from a variety of leading universities across the UK.

The four University of Ulster trainees are Rachael Woodward, David Waddell, Andrew Carson and Ruari McCartney.

The three graduates from Queen’s University Belfast are Richard Lowry, Lois McNeice, and Darren Fitzpatrick.

They were selected from a strong pool of over 300 applicants.

The scheme, which is an invaluable opportunity for graduates to fast track their careers with one of the UK’s leading civil engineering contractors, is a mix of technical, personal, and management style development.

Each of the participants will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained from their degree courses on a range of Graham’s most high-profile civil engineering projects, including Crossrail station upgrades for Network Rail, Northern Ireland Water, the Port of Dundee, and major improvement works for Highways England.

Graham managing director of civil engineering, Leo Martin, believes nurturing talent has been key to Graham’s strong growth and great local community support.

“Every year, it is a privilege for me to introduce the next generation of talent to our civil engineering division and to equip them with the tools to grow and become future leaders at Graham,” he said.

“Of course, we have faced considerable challenges presented by the pandemic over the past year, but I was more determined than ever to recruit a similar number of graduates as we normally do. And Covid-19 has not knocked us off course in this regard.

“That also goes for the content and delivery of the programme, which will be as engaging, practically-based, and interactive as always.

“As one of the first companies in the UK to be accredited Platinum by Investors in People, we believe that nurturing and investing in the next generation of talent is crucial for the long-term success and sustainability of Graham.

“That is why I am committed to giving young people opportunities, especially when so many avenues to employment are being closed to them.

“I am looking forward to working with, and learning from, this talented batch of graduates now and into the future.”

The Civil Engineering Graduate Programme is part of the Graham Academy, which is an in-house world-class training and development centre.

It offers a range of graduate programmes, industrial and undergraduate placements, part-time university study, apprenticeships, work experience, and trainee opportunities.

Since 2015, the Graham Academy has seen more than 120 graduates successfully through its programme.

Graham are proud members of the Fairness, Inclusion and Respect (FIR) Programme, an industry–wide initiative that aims to make workplaces better for everyone.

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