The Royal Academy of Engineering teamed up with EngineeringUK to create the This is Engineering campaign which takes place annually on November 6th. This campaign aims to give young people insight into the engineering world by educating them on the different routes to pursuing a career in this industry, the lives of current engineers, and key aspects of the engineering world.
Engineers play a vital role at Bradbury Group, designing, developing and processing products. Over the years, our engineering team has vastly expanded. In total, we now have 14 engineers at our headquarters, from Nathan Barrow who recently joined us as a trainee, to Kevin Blagg who has been at Bradbury Group for over 20 years.
In aid of the This is Engineering campaign we spoke to Adam Hickinson, our Engineering Supervisor. Here he gives us some information into his background to becoming a successful engineer, and gives advice on how and why young people should explore a career in this industry.
Adam has always been creative, having a curious nature towards electronics from a young age. He was keen to discover the technical understandings, taking products such as his mum’s radio apart to see how they worked. Growing up, his goal was to develop and enhance this creative desire, and he knew that studying engineering would be the answer to working in an innovative industry. After completing a HND in mechanical engineering, Adam went on to work abroad and studied subsea engineering. He now has 13 years of valuable experience in the industry.
We asked Adam some questions about being an engineer.
What does your job as Engineering Supervisor involve?
I manage Bradbury Group’s technical engineering department, consisting of three teams, and lead all of the Group’s research and development.
What is your favourite thing about being an engineer?
Engineering a product does not have a set design path or rule book. I enjoy discovering and developing the best design.
What is the worst thing about being an engineer?
I am the biggest critic of my own designs, and want to redesign everything!
What advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue a career in engineering?
If you are unsure about which study route is best to take, work back from your end goal and you can’t go wrong. The best engineers are the ones with the most varied experience, so don’t be afraid to work in different industries, and you will be amazed at what you can learn and achieve.
What has been your proudest moment in engineering?
In a previous life, I helped design some really cool and experimental equipment for subsea ROVs (underwater robots). This involved overcoming some huge technical hurdles, but I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge.
Visit the This is Engineering website to find out more about working in engineering from other engineers.
