Working for the future Engineering a shining career OUR continuing work with Maidstone Council to promote work opportunities for the area’s young
people sees us take a look at the engineering sector. ENGINEERING plays a big part in an exciting range of businesses and industries, including space, transport, medicine, technology, food, fashion, construction and much more.
Engineers shape the world we
live in by designing, creating, test- ing and improving almost every product you can think of. It is behind everything, from the train you travel in to the mobile phone you use to text your friends. The good thing about en-
‘It’s about making things work beer’
CREST Engineering started in 1976 and now operates from the indus- trial estate in Pattenden Lane, Mar- den. It is involved in steel fabrication, machining and general engineering. Works manager Mar- tin Wood tells us about the com- pany’s engineering projects. Which qualifications do you need to get into engineering? NVQ-based apprenticeships com- bine a structured college course with in-house practical work. This means that you gain the fundamental skills while we develop those skills spe- cific to us. What is a normal day on the shop floor?
Working from drawings, we fab- ricate components using various welding methods. Metal moves when hot and it takes acquired skills to know where to weld or apply heat to maintain a shape after it has cooled. We use a variety of equip- ment for turning, boring and milling, as well as more specialist equipment for rolling and material folding. Which kind of companies do you work with?
Our clientele ranges from sole traders to multinationals in a variety of industries including water, aggre- gates, paper, pharmaceuticals and recycling. The requirements of our clients are diverse, from manufac- turing equipment ranging from a
SO how do you become an engi- neer? There are different path- ways you can take – through training on the job or going to uni- versity. If you want to earn while you learn, check the National Apprenticeship Service website for vacancies. If you want to go to university see what courses are on offer at the Universities & Colleges Admis- sions Services at
www.ucas.com.
mobile car crusher, a 30-foot fishing boat, water treatment products and a self-propelled helicopter carrier, to machining and fabrication of be- spoke designer flower pots. No job is too big or small. Do you have an example of a project?
Three of our projects included manufacturing bespoke self-con- tained water treatment units for the Ministry of Defence. These were made in individual modules to cater for varying camp sizes when troops are deployed. More locally, we man- ufactured stainless steel sewage treatment tanks for Sissinghurst Cas- tle, which produce drinking water as an end product. What is your advice for anyone thinking of an engineering career? Get a solid basic education and
have hobbies, interests or part-time jobs that complement your career, as this shows you are enthusiastic. En- gineering is about problem solving, being “hands on” and making things work more efficiently or effectively. You can be involved in anything from a small gadget or mechanical device to a spacecraft. Somewhere there will be a place for you. To contact Crest Engineering go to
www.crest-engineering.com or call 01622 831445.
The engineering sector is more than three times the size of the re- tail sector. Engineering accounts for almost 25% of the turnover of all UK enterprises. Government estimates that the renewable energy sector alone will generate 500,000 new jobs in the UK by 2020. Women currently represent only 10% of the engineering workforce. Twice the number of graduates is needed to meet future demand.
Sky’s the limit for plane refit company
IF TRADITIONAL engineering isn’t for you, there are lots of jobs with engineering companies. Hi Flight Aerospace, at Head-
corn Aerodrome, is a dedicated air- craft painting company and the UK distributor for HSH Aerospace Finishes paint. Owner Simon Marsh gave us an insight into what is involved in this industry. How did you start your career and get into the industry? I was offered a job for an aero- space company 20 years ago as a prepper (a guy that prepares the surface for painting). I was always a practical person and not very ac- ademic so it seemed a good route for me to start working with air- craft. It was interesting work and it involved a bit of travelling. I learnt to spray and paint many things with various finishes. I eventually became a technical and sales manager, dealing with the customers and running the teams painting the aircraft. What does your company do? From our facilities at Headcorn Aerodrome, where we have an air- craft interior paint-finishing centre, we can paint new aircraft parts for the likes of Boeing and Airbus, or carry out repairs and repaint pan- els from aircraft while they are down for maintenance. We work on luggage bin doors, sidewalls, ceiling panels, cockpits
and we even paint the seat cover leathers, as well as other interior parts. These are removed by engi- neers at Stansted or Gatwick and sent to us at Headcorn. If the air- craft is not dismantled our team will go to the customer’s facility and refinish the aircraft interior on site. We also paint some exterior parts such as engine cowlings and flaps and any panels that can be sent to us. We have been asked to paint some weird and wonderful things –- from a milk float to a Ferrari. What made you start your own business?
I became friends with the owner of HSH Aerospace Finishes in Brussels and he persuaded me to start my own business. It was pretty daunting but with his help and other support Hi-Flight Air- craft interior finishes was launched. What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I like it when we are given an air- craft interior cabin that looks dated and worn, because when all the hard work is done and it is re- assembled, it looks as good as new. Then you (and your customer) can stand back and clearly see that the time and money was well spent. For more information email
simon@hi-flight.co.uk or call 01622 892411.
In next month’s edition: Ever wondered what working in creative industries would be like? We speak to people who work in the sector to find out what they get up to on a day-to-day basis.
18 Malling February 2015
gineering is that you can follow your interests – for example, if motorsport is your thing, you could work as an engineer im- proving the performance of next year’s rally cars.
Growth in this sector in Maid-
stone has been impressive in re- cent years, with an increase in em- ployment levels of 44.5% between 2009 and 2012, and it is antici- pated that locally and nationally this growth will continue in the years to come.
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