First ICE East of England Chairman’s Apprentice appointed

Ash (as he likes to be known) attended his first Regional Board meeting in February. With a passion for travel, he aims to see as much of the world as possible. He has certainly joined an ideal profession to achieve this aim and says living so close to an airport also helps. But what of his career thus far?

What attracted you to civil engineering?
Engineering in general impacts everyone’s day to day lives and I wanted to be a part of that. Civil engineering gave me the opportunity to have a creative influence whilst providing solutions to complex problems.

What route did you take?
I studied Civil and Architectural Engineering (MEng) at the University of Bath, which was a 5year sandwich course. I joined the ICE as a student member, progressing to graduate status and now working towards my chartership.

Is there a project you’ve worked on that will always stand out in your mind?
After I finished university I took up a role as a technical advisor and project manager in a development project working on behalf of ‘Engineers Without Borders’. I was working alongside a community based organisation in a rural community in North Eastern Nigeria, to further the sustainable development of the people through projects and local capacity building. All of the projects were aimed to be of a sustainable and appropriate construction, in order for the community to understand and to be able to replicate at an affordable cost. During the placement a sandbag culvert, a gabion and bamboo footbridge, a adobe round-hut and efficient cooking stoves were designed and constructed, which were later reproduced by the local community for themselves. Being able to see the successful transfer of knowledge made the whole project worth it.

How do you see your career developing i.e. any specialisation that interests you?
My passion has always been in sustainability and development work. In order for me to bring these types of projects a wealth of knowledge and success I need to experience as many other aspects of engineering – broadening my knowledge and building my capacity for problem solving.

What do you hope to gain from being Chairman’s Apprentice?
The ICE is an influential and authoritative organisation in our society. To see how it works and watch it in action from the inside would be a fantastic learning experience, exposing me to the workings of the Institution at a senior level.