My name is Dimitrios Kasdaglis, I studied Civil Engineering (BEng) in Greece and I am a Graduate Member at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
I started with Byrne Bros in March 2015 as an assistant Site Engineer, and in September 2015 an opportunity arose for me to join the company’s ICE Accredited Graduate Scheme. Working as a Graduate Engineer for one of the UK’s premier concrete frame contractors helping me to gain invaluable experience, learn new skills and providing me with the necessary tools to acquire Institute of Civil Engineering (ICE) Chartership status.
After almost 3 years on the Scheme, I can now see the benefits and the opportunities I was given in order to progress and become the professional I am today. The basic principle of a Graduate Scheme is that you work across a variety of different departments within the company alongside experienced colleagues. By doing so, you acquire the required Knowledge, Skills and Experience to become a better and more competent professional Engineer. Another advantage of being on the scheme was the additional training and development, while completing my rotations. During this journey, I benefited greatly from being paired with an experienced mentor that supported me and provided me with the required tools to succeed. My mentor is the reason I became so keen on the training and development of others and so decided to volunteer for the Social Mobility Foundation (SMF) and share my knowledge with a young professional.
I would recommend Graduate Schemes to everyone. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the construction industry, develop new skills, acquire qualifications and discover what you most enjoy and what you’re best at, enabling you to choose a more specific career path at the end of your training period.
