My degree included a ‘Year in Industry’ in Year 3. I felt that a placement year in Dorset would provide me with the opportunity to go gain a wide range of experiences.
Before carrying out my ‘Year in Industry’ placement with Dorset Highways (DH) I had completed the first two years of my BEng Civil Engineering degree at Swansea University. I returned to Swansea to finish my final year of my degree.
On my placement year I was based within the Traffic Signals and Highway Improvements team. I spent the majority of my placement working with the traffic signal engineers of the team in the design of pedestrian crossings around Dorset. I also gained experience in footway design, feasibility studies, accident investigation and right turn lane design. I also used a variety of computer aided design programmes enabling me to improve my skills in AutoCAD which will prove useful for the future.
I found my year at DH challenging, enjoyable and rewarding and felt that my confidence in the working environment of engineering increased greatly. I enjoyed the mix of office based design work and site visits. It has been a good experience to see how a project develops from the initial stages through to the construction of the design. The year in industry has been beneficial for both my studies and my future career.
After graduating I completed a Masters in Civil Engineering and rejoined Dorset for a year before moving on to work for a consultant company.