What were you doing before you joined RSS Infrastructure (RSSI)?
My 10-year career in the British Armed Forces as a Royal Engineer included 5 years in Maidstone as part of the 36 Engineers regiment as well as an additional 5 years at Wimbish in the 33EOD regiment. Joining the military gave me the opportunity to explore and discover a variety of different cultures and countries around the world including; two tours in Afghanistan as well as Northern Ireland, Canada, Belize in South America and Cyprus.
In 2013, I decided to take those skills that I had learnt within the armed forces, such as adaptability, safety consciousness, determination and pride in my work, and begin my journey into the rail sector, where I initially started working on P-WAY and in railway construction. In 2017 I successfully completed the OLEC2 qualification but was not able to fully utilise those skills I had learnt until joining RSS Infrastructure (RSSI) in 2018.
How has RSSI supported your development?
Joining RSSI has already opened the door to new and fantastic opportunities within the RSSI OLE division where I continue to be an instrumental part of the Great Western Electrification Programme, where I am able to utilise my OLEC 2 qualification for the creation of new OLE structures. I have also worked with the Track Access team helping clients to increase productivity and provide safe access for road rail vehicles through the installation of Road Rail Access Points in Wembley.
What is the best part of your job?
The OLE department continues to also work alongside myself to fully realise my vision through additional OLEC learning, which gave me an in-depth overview of AC and DC systems, Main Parts Steel, and Small Parts Steel (SPS) across both OLEMI and newer Series 1 and 2 systems. Through a tailored career progression programme designed by Senior Management, I have recently undertaken the Controller of Site Safety (COSS) certification course with INFRA Skills, fully funded by the organisation
What are the next steps for you?
The company’s highly skilled arborists were able to complete the works on schedule within the agreed timeframe of 3 days. The teams extensive experience in delivering this type of works helped to provide the client with a solution that met both their budgetary requirements as well as focusing on the key safety elements needed to ensure that the entire workforce was protected at all times. The quick turnaround also reduced the amount of site disruption and increased client productivity allowing for a speedy delivery of the regeneration project for Wednesbury to Brierly Hill extension.
