Our company does:

We are a Civil Engineering Company who specialise in Development Infrastructure, Main drainage, Environmental improvements, Urban renewal, Land reclamation and Port, Harbour and Sea defences

More information about the business:

Seymour (Civil Engineering Contractors) Ltd is a privately owned company, formed in 1978, which has progressively developed and expanded its activities. Working from our Hartlepool base we have established ourselves as one of the North East's leading Civil Engineers.
At Seymour we take pride in our competitiveness and the quality of service provided to our clients and their customers. Our proven track record of delivering projects on time and in budget, with our flexibility, ensures that we develop relationships with our clients that match their needs and aspirations.
The area of operation for the company is the North of England, from York and Leeds in the south, to Berwick and Carlisle in the North.

The main skills you need for this industry are:

These are very varied and depend upon your role. As a General Operative there are no specific qualifications but you must be physically fit, able to work as part of a Team, like the outdoor life and be able to work long hours. In a Management role you need all of the above although the work is not quite as physical but you need good GCSE grades, especially in Maths.

A typical day at work is:

For an engineer it an early start . They are usually on site well before 8.00am and
Often don’t finish until 5.00pm. A lot of their role is about working between the Site Agent and the men and ensuring that the scheduled work is completed to timescale. Engineers are responsible for setting out and measurement and by using their skills, must be able to translate what is shown on a drawing into the real thing on site.

The advice I would give a young person wanting a career in this line of work is:

We are generally short of good General Operatives. There is more opportunity now for you to do an apprenticeship in General Operations – Newcastle college already offer it . You don’t need any formal qualification but will have to do key skills as part of your NVQ For an engineer you need at least 5 GCSE’s and maths is a must. It takes 4 years at college part time to get to our required level of a National Certificate.

Things we look for in a employee are:

Someone who is hard working and willing to learn. Someone who works well in a Team and is able to get up in the morning !!
Being able to drive is a big bonus.

Our business is involved with schools and the new specialised diplomas by:

We are already working with a local school who are starting the Construction GCSE this year and work closely with Construction Skills to understand the requirements of The Diploma.

Our hopes for the future of the business are:

To grow and remain successful. Have a well trained and qualified workforce who are proud to work for us. To have zero accidents and continue to have a low turnover of Staff. To increase our customer base.