Simon

Joined Devon County Council in 1986 and then moved into the engineering team in 1989 as an engineering technician. Simon was sponsored to do his Civil Engineering degree by Devon County Council at Cardiff University.

"During this three year period I returned to DCC and carried out various roles within the County during Christmas and Summer breaks. In 1982 I graduated with an upper second honours degree and returned to work with DCC in Exeter under a graduate training programme.

Completion of the graduate training programme lead to Chartered Status in 1999 and that in turn has lead to several senior roles within DCC. I am currently working as a Principal Engineer, managing the design team that I left to undertake my degree!

When I first joined DCC I had very few qualifications and little experience of this type of work. Right from the start DCC offered to provide me with the support and funding to carry out all the necessary training and development I required. Even during my spell at University DCC provided funding, work and new experiences, which have helped me mould my career in the direction that I wanted to take it. The work that DCC undertake is so varied that it was relatively easy to get the necessary experience and development that I was unlikely to get from other employers.

I have been fortunate enough to work on a vast array of schemes too many to mention, from the small (20k) to the large bypass scheme (+£10m).  I am particularly proud of my involvement with several schemes in Hatherleigh, where I designed several structures for a new bypass, worked on the construction/supervision of the bypass (and those structures I designed) and have subsequently carried out a full enhancement of the Town.

In my present role I am leading a team that are working on a whole range of schemes from Traffic management, Highway Structural Maintenance, Park and Ride, new roads and  major highway improvements. The variety of the schemes that we work on makes the job that more enjoyable as the work is so diverse.

I also know that my managers are still continuing to support my aspirations to climb higher within the organisation. So I am still being encouraged to develop my HR and management skills."