How renaissance is providing a supportive learning environment for student and graduate engineers.
Engineering isn’t just an integral part of our built environment, it’s a highly rewarding career path for those with the drive and motivation to pursue it. Those who make it will play an active role in the future of our towns, cities and countryside and will have the opportunity to positively shift our relationship with carbon.
With the industry-wide push for carbon-efficient designs, a career in engineering puts you at the forefront of efforts to curb climate change. As we’ve argued elsewhere, engineering has a big role to play in the push for net-zero. The stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to carbon. With 39% of the world’s carbon generation coming from construction, our work has a pivotal role to play in bringing this number down!
Here at renaissance, our team work to be part of the solution to the carbon problem facing our industry and a large part of that is developing a crop of passionate students and graduates who’ll evolve into the engineers of the future. We’re always keen to engage with graduate engineers and students who share our goal of equipping the right tools to make a difference.
As a practice, all of our successes are achieved on the back of our people, our collective passion and hard work. In this short piece, we want to introduce you to a couple of our young engineers and the work they’ve been doing with us.
Meet the engineers
Nadeen Amer
Nadeen is a graduate of the Architectural Engineering course at the University of Liverpool. After achieving her master’s degree, she started a new chapter in her engineering journey and joined our team as a graduate engineer.
Patrick Faulkner
Patrick is on student placement with renaissance after completing his second year of an integrated master’s in architectural engineering at Loughborough university. He’s spending a year with us as part of his degree.
Nadeen – Graduate life at renaissance
When studying engineering at university, there’s a hell of a lot of theory to be learned. However, knowing the theory and knowing how to apply it practically are two very different things. That’s why a graded introduction to the industry via graduate programmes is the best way to learn the ropes.
Coming to us fresh from her master’s at Liverpool University, Nadeen has been busy putting her learnt theory into applied practice on a diverse range of projects.
Here’s what she has to say about her experience:
“Since starting with renaissance, I’ve been able to get my teeth stuck into a wide range of different projects. My studies gave me a great backing from a theory perspective, but there’s a lot of learning to be done on the job.
“In a relatively short time, I’ve gathered valuable experience working on different structural designs, from high tower buildings to heritage renovations. This variety has meant that I’m learning quickly and adding lots of important skills to my repertoire.
“Many of the projects we’re working on are complicated and require careful thought and engineering know-how. The senior engineers are always available to offer a helping hand and provide the insight needed on our ambitious designs.
“One of the great things about renaissance is that I’m kept involved in every stage of a project whether I have tasks to perform at that stage or not. This extra effort from the senior engineers to keep me updated is invaluable to my development, ensuring I get the insight needed, from initial design through to delivery.”
Patrick – The student placement experience
Some courses are structured around a year in industrial placement as part of the degree. These student placements are the perfect way to practically apply some of the engineering learned in the classroom and a great opportunity to dip your toe in the industry while reinforcing your learning in readiness for your final years.
Patrick has been with us since September last year, experiencing the ins and outs of working at a commercial engineering practice while becoming a valuable part of the renaissance team.
Here are Patrick’s thoughts about his experience so far.
“I first heard about renaissance engineers when one of the senior engineers came to give a talk to my year group at Loughborough university. I was so engaged with the projects presented that I was inspired to ask if they were taking work placements. The chance to spend a year at the practice was hugely appealing and also allowed me to obtain an extra diploma as part of my degree.
“I was also eager to ‘try the industry for size’ and see if it was right for me. The university experience of engineering is very different from the practical application of it so I needed to understand how it might feel to work in the industry. A career in engineering is a big commitment to make so it felt like the perfect opportunity to see what lay in store.
“Doing my placement at renaissance has opened my eyes to many different aspects of structural and civil engineering. I’ve had the pleasure of working on some huge projects, each of them with their own challenges and complex requirements. The wide variety of work and the subject areas I was exposed to are a welcome addition to my university learning.
“While there’s so much to learn, the wider team are great at jumping in to provide advice and support. The benefit of always having an experienced engineer on hand to guide and support has probably been one of the most valuable aspects of my placement so far.”
The team culture
Culture is a hugely important aspect of renaissance. We want diverse voices and contrasting viewpoints at the table so we can cover every base in delivering the best work for our clients. We make sure our people feel supported and provide the support they need to develop into the best engineers they can be.
We’re a busy team and there’s always work to be done. However busy we get though, we always ensure our mutual support networks are in place. To deliver the highly efficient, innovative designs we’re known for, we can only succeed via a supportive culture that prioritises knowledge sharing and open dialogue.
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If you’re a student looking for a placement or a graduate seeking career opportunities, renaissance engineers are constantly on the lookout for the best candidates to join our team. Contact us today to find out more.
