Institution news
By broadening his skills base, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) engineer James Read is setting himself up for success.
“Great works are not achieved by strength, but by perseverance. So goes a saying which inspires James Read, a Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapons Engineering Manager at DE&S, who are responsible for the procurement and support of all equipment used by the UK Armed Forces. And it’s an ethic he’s built his career on too.
“By continually developing your skills, you develop a higher level of confidence in your abilities. That benefits you employer and makes you better able to adapt to different situations”.
Since leaving school, James has followed this approach to continual development. Following a three-year college course in engineering, he began his career in aerospace manufacturing firms where he first attained his EngTech accreditation with IMechE. When he applied for a role at DE&S in 2016, the additional skills he’d gained through that qualification showed he had the ambition and technical know-how to be a strong candidate for the job.
Today, James works to deliver key modifications to Type 45 Destroyers and T23 Frigates Air Weapons Magazines along with associated Royal Navy requirements in support to the wider weapons programme. He often works directly with end users and manages contractors to ensure delivered kit is up to standard.
“There’s never a ‘standard’ day – while I’ll often be planning design reviews or ensuring a contractor’s work is of sufficient quality, there’s always something else that comes up”.
This variety of work is definitely a big attraction of DE&S.
And there’s also the support he receives for professional development. DE&S invests in training and development so employees are suitably skilled for current and future roles - James is currently studying towards an MSc in Explosive Ordinance Engineering. He is also studying towards his IEng with the IMechE and using an Individual Further Learning Plan to ensure he can meet the qualification’s academic requirements through further study and in-work activity.
“If you’re willing to put in the effort, engineering offers enormous job satisfaction” explains James. And with perseverance, it’s a career that allows people to create truly great works.