Name: Nathaniel Warmington

Age: 24

Time with the business: 14 months

Contract and location: Western Power Networks, Stanton, Midlands region

How did you find out about Morrison Utility Services Graduate Scheme?

I was looking for graduate schemes to apply for and Morrison Utility Services was flagged up by the database.  I inquired about the company’s reputation through friends and professional links and decided it was well worth applying from the feedback.

Why did you embark on the Graduate scheme?

After completing a 4 year Engineering course I appreciated that job experience was lacking in my skill sets.  I chose Morrison Utility Services because there was a good mix of technical and practical job responsibilities and they were prepared to let me explore various areas of the business.

What is the best part about being Morrison Utility Services Graduate?

The best part of being a Morrison Utility Services Graduate is witnessing and appreciating the investment they are willing to make in you as a young professional. Morrison Utility Services have allowed me to identify my own training and present the case for its business need, forcing me to think critically about my own development.

And the worst part?

I’m afraid to admit it is the early mornings! It was a definite system shock to get into the habit of getting into work for 8am, but now it is routine I value the early start-early finish philosophy and find it particularly rewarding in the summer months.

How do you find the balance of the programme?

Due to the contract I joined being in the early stages of application the programme was not always planned to a high degree.  However this gave me opportunity to experience the potential issues with making contracts work and also helped me better understand our business strategy and needs.  Otherwise the balance of the programme has been good, with a mix of exercise based estimating, research into legislation, input to team reviews/meetings and project / site management.

What new skills has the scheme given you?

The scheme has given me knowledge of the stages involved in a utility project, including upfront planning, ordering materials and plant/labour in good time and having a common understanding with clients of the work.  I have also developed my customer interaction skills and successfully dealt with multiple customer inquiries.  Estimating project costs has lead to a greater appreciation for the difference between an abstract design and a real work solution, including factors such as weather, access, physical location, and colleagues’ welfare.  Additionally I have learnt the legislative constraints on the work we do, along with the reasoning behind it.

What are your future aspirations?

My aspirations for the future are to gain proficiency in Project Management and have an understanding of the conflicts involved in multi-utility works in order to generate optimal solutions to these problems.  I would also hope to be able to combine these practical skills with my Civil Engineering design knowledge in order to make Morrison Utility Services a competitive contractor with a speciality in early-scheme involvement.