Assistant Engineer (GIS & Mapping), Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

Started with: Level 3 Geospatial Survey Technician Apprenticeship

Workng as: Assistant Engineer, GIS & Mapping, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

How did you get into surveying?

I took an unusual route to my current place in the working world. I went to university in Sheffield to study Geography, then took a year out afterwards to work and travel. I then went to train to be a teacher, however after a year I decided I wanted to go in a different direction, so I looked back to my geographical roots and applied for my Geospatial Survey Technician Apprenticeship. I wanted to learn new skills in a hands-on environment and Dudley College, and my Tutor, Khaleel, delivered!

I had studied and worked with GIS before and when I gained my Apprenticeship post with Solihull MBC, there was an opportunity for me to study surveying and give the council something they had not had before – a trained in-house surveyor. I jumped at an opportunity to learn a new skill and get to work on site in the fresh outdoors!

What does your typical day look like?

My typical week varies a lot, which I why I enjoy my job! I will plan, undertake and post-process small topographical surveys for a range of highway projects, including drainage issues, new pedestrian crossings, road space reallocation and more. We have limited equipment and have to work quickly on active roads and in pedestrian areas to achieve our goals safely and efficiently. A large component of my job is GIS Analysis too. Capturing spatial data and then using and transforming it within maps, using GIS software, is a big part of what I do.

I enjoy the day-to-day variety of surveying. The challenge of each site being a little different and seeing a project through from the planning stages all the way up until a final solution has been developed. It can be very satisfying!

For me personally, I wear a lot of hats in my job and I am the only trained surveyor within Highways which can be a lot of responsibility. I think one of the hardest things is knowing when to say no and articulate to managers that certain projects are just out of scope for me, a colleague and one Total Station with no GNSS.

How do you encourage others to get involved in the surveying profession?

As the only trained surveyor since my apprenticeship, I make the effort to take all the new apprentices and assistant engineers out with me on surveys that pertain to projects they are working on. I strongly believe that seeing and understanding the data capture process will help them embed the project they are working on and enable a much deeper appreciation as they are involved in more of the project pipeline.

What would you say to someone considering a career in surveying?

Do not stress about switching careers and taking time to find what works for you. There is no competition except the competition you force on yourself. Finally I would say, all experience is good experience and try as many new things as you can, even if they do not work out!

For my role, a good understanding of GIS and mapping fundamentals are important. Know your fundamentals and the rest will fall into place far easier. Have an eye for detail and be able to solve problems on the fly.

What memorable projects have you worked on?

Of course there are a good few memorable projects, but one of my favourites was working on the planning, surveying and installation of EV Chargers on the public highway. I got to work on a project from start to finish and got involved in so much at such an early point in my career – it really set me on the track to where I am today.

My proudest career moment was working on the mapping of the 2022 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay route for Solihull. Getting to follow the baton through Solihull, knowing I had contributed to the route and traffic logistics of such a huge event was amazing.