It’s National Careers Week! We caught up with Sean Kildunne, our Resourcing Business Partner, to hear more about the exciting opportunities available within Mabey Hire and the wider construction and engineering industries…
What does the engineering industry offer from a careers perspective?
There are so many different opportunities and career routes available – there really is something for everyone! It’s not just about engineering either; there are many other disciplines and job roles within the sector which are essential for making a project and business run smoothly, as well as ultimately providing added value to customers. There truly is more to engineering than meets the eye.
At Mabey Hire, you get to work with so many different people, from site teams involved in large project installations and telesales teams on our hire desks to sales and digital engineering.
Personally speaking, Mabey Hire has to be the most stimulating company I have worked for. The temporary works and hire market itself has a great buzz about it, with a high pace of work. It can be challenging, requiring quick responses and pushing your skillset, but this also makes it even more rewarding.
Mabey Hire’s Graduate Scheme is just one of the initiatives and career routes we offer. Can you tell us more about this?
Absolutely! Our Engineering Graduate Scheme has been a big success story for the business so far, even more so when you consider that we hadn’t taken on graduates for a number of years. Under new leadership, the programme has been re-invented.
We’ve had two cohorts come through so far, with seven graduate engineers currently with us. The first four graduates are due to end their two-year programme this summer, after which they will progress to a permanent role as Assistant Engineers. During the two-year programme, they will have spent time with all teams across the business, providing them with a well-rounded view of the company.
Considering the skills shortage, a well-documented challenge for the engineering industry, graduate schemes can be a great way of encouraging, nurturing and maintaining younger talent, right from the very outset of their careers.
I’m also incredibly proud of the diversity of our graduate scheme, with engineers from all different countries and walks of life. For example, one of our engineering offices has 17 different languages spoken, which is just incredible.
You mentioned the diversity of the graduate scheme. As an employer, what is Mabey Hire doing around diversity, equality and inclusion?
It’s incredibly important to us. Our aim is to ensure that Mabey Hire is a safe, welcoming and considerate working environment for everyone.
For example, in 2024 we signed the Armed Forces Covenant, a declaration that we will support employees who are members of the Reserve Forces and welcome veterans, recognising their skills and qualifications in its recruitment process. With the clear links between Mabey Hire’s heritage and the military, it seemed only right that we support veterans where we can. Already, we are proud to have a number of veterans employed within the business.
We also recently commenced talks with the Down Syndrome Association (DSA). Working closely with their Work Fit Team, we’ll be hosting site visits at our Dewsbury or Garswood offices. The DSA will conduct reviews of the working area and the jobs available, with a view to then welcome people with Downs Syndrome into the business for work placements, offering valuable insight into our careers and (hopefully) even permanent employment.
We are very proud of our female engineers too, who have progressed through our business into management roles and gained their chartership with us. We will be doing much more to support women in leadership over the coming years.
What advice would you give to a college or university leaver, who is unsure of where to go next?
Firstly, it’s well worth seeking professional careers advice. I’d also strongly recommend doing a psychometric test to better understand their professional character, preferences and skillset. This can be a great way to gain valuable insight into the skills and characteristics you possess, with bespoke recommendations on the sector or division that could be the best fit. We regularly use psychometric tests as part of our recruitment process.
If possible, I’d also highly recommend learning about the different divisions and departments within a company or sector, and even trying them out, to see what you enjoy most and thrive in.
For more information about our graduate scheme, click here.
