When I was coming to the end of my final year in St Killian’s Community School in Bray, Co Wicklow, my technical graphics teacher spoke to the class about ROD’s trainee technician programme and encouraged anyone with an interest to come talk to him.
The idea of studying in college while earning a salary and developing my skills as a technician appealed to me, so I decided to apply for a place on the programme. I had an interview with ROD in May 2004, and two weeks later, I joined the company.
Studying and working
During my first year at ROD, I worked in the print room, studied for a City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate in AutoCAD and learned about the workings of an engineering office. Seeing what the other technicians were working on and undertaking some site visits with the engineers gave me a better idea of what I would be doing as a CAD technician.
In my second year, I began a part-time, Level 7 ordinary degree course at Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street, now Technological University Dublin. I also joined the transportation group, working alongside engineers John Bell and Eoin Ó Catháin on urban civil projects, as well as service areas, bus and cycle corridors, road and junction realignments and masterplans for towns and colleges.
The five years I spent in college while working were hard at times, but ROD gave me as much assistance as I needed to complete the course. I could ask for help with any subjects I was struggling with, and when I was writing my final-year thesis, I remember asking John Bell plenty of questions.
A great learning experience
Looking back, I can easily say that joining the trainee technician programme was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I learned a huge amount by working and studying at the same time; it could never really be matched by just going to college and starting work in an engineering company after graduating.
I am over 20 years with ROD now, and it continues to be a great experience. Over the years, I have worked with plenty of talented people, on a wide range of engineering projects. Even as a senior technician, I am still learning and developing all the time, but I'm also trying to pass my skills on to the new technicians coming through the programme.
