Tecwyn Griffiths

Name: Tecwyn Griffiths
Title: Undergraduate
Division: Foundations
Location: Coventry
Degree: MEng Civil Engineering, Cardiff University


My university gave me some help with finding an industrial placement, but I also did my own research. I was offered two positions but chose this one because I felt it would give me the opportunity to work on a range of projects and get a mixture of experience: hands-on engineering work and subcontractor management.

I was surprised by the amount of responsibility given to me. One of the projects I worked on, ground works for a retail facility in Belfast, I was responsible for overseeing four piling rigs, ordering materials, setting out work, assessing quality and working with the main management company. When I started it took time to learn how to use the specialist equipment and get used to working on site. However, I enjoyed taking on more and learning from the experienced foreman I worked with. I felt that I contributed confidently in site meetings and worked well with both labourers and managers.

The whole experience has been good and it will set me up for the future. It has given me the drive to get stuck into my degree course because I know for sure that I want to work in the construction environment.