Case studies : Stealth technologies manager: Steve

Steve sets up and runs projects with contractors to support the current Royal Navy submarine fleet and provides technical advice to the submarine community.

I graduated in 2004 with a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Nottingham Trent University. My first engineering job was in the automotive industry as a chassis engineer working predominantly on new model introduction into the factory. After 18 months I became increasingly disillusioned with the industry and the company I was working for and wanted a job with career progression and opportunity for professional development.

After completing some research on internet recruitment websites, I discovered the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and their Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG).The MoD is the organisation that enables the armed services to do their job. They are involved in every facet of defence: from providing the guns that soldiers use and repairing the barracks that they live in, to making international defence policy by implementing the government’s wishes. DESG run a graduate training programme for the MoD. This scheme recruits engineers and scientists from numerous backgrounds and places them into a two-year training programme aimed at giving the individuals the skills required to perform in a full-time role and work towards chartered engineer (or scientist) status. The scheme is approved by most of the major institutes including IMechE and IET.

The DESG Graduate Scheme is streamed by Engineering System Anchors. These represent areas of work that your initial professional development can be rooted in within the MoD. From the choice available of aerospace, land systems, maritime, nuclear, weapons, combat and information systems and estates, I entered the scheme on the maritime system anchor.

During my time on the scheme, I had to complete training courses (some common, core competence based and some specific to my system anchor) and a number of placements (between three and sixth months in length). I was able to choose for myself where I went on my placements from anywhere within the MoD and out into the wider defence industry and beyond. The idea of the multiple placements is to give the graduate exposure to the wide range of work streams the MoD is involved in, from design and development to project management. I was involved on work with submarines, destroyers, mine hunting vessels, hydrodynamic ships and even worked for the RNLI for three months during my time on the scheme. I worked all over the UK and know good friends who had opportunities to work abroad as well.

I now work full time for the Directorate of In-Service Submarines as an engineering project manager. I set up and run a number of projects with contractors to support the current Royal Navy submarine fleet and provide technical advice to the submarine community in my area of expertise. We introduce new equipment and maintain the boats in their current form as well as writing policy and giving advice to the wider community.

I have also been given the opportunity to study for an MSc to help me gain chartered status and am given time away from the office in order to complete the necessary modules. I have chosen to do this part-time but there are also options to complete full-time courses if that suits the individual better.

I would like to continue to work with submarines, complete my MSc and gain chartered status, but I know I have the option within the MoD to move around the organisation if I feel I would like a change at any time.