An engineer surveyor apprentice with a passion for solving problems

Stan Carter is an engineer surveyor apprentice at Zurich with a passion for solving problems and discovering how things work. Stan volunteers for a variety of STEM activities and initiatives as he seeks to inspire the next generation and make sure their STEM journey is smoother than his.

Was there anything during childhood or education that influenced your career choice?

During my childhood I was obsessed with boats, steam engines and planes. My Grandad used to help with the local traction engine collection to restore and preserve them and during my teenage years I became heavily involved with this and even decided to buy a quarter scale working model.

Initially throughout my early years at school I had seen myself as a marine engineer although being nowhere near the sea meant that ambition took a back seat in upper school.

Although during upper school I did work experience at TUI where I decided I would like to be an aerospace engineer, this led to me to complete a level 3 apprenticeship and become an aircraft fitter at Marshall aerospace.

I became a surveyor at Zurich when I was informed of the fantastic new apprenticeship opportunity that had opened for engineer surveyors, I applied and was offered the job and haven’t looked back since.

How have you found your journey in STEM so far?

So far unfortunately during my education I was very much unsupported in my career choice to the point of almost being actively discouraged. I am only where I am today because of my own enthusiasm and interest in engineering.

It’s a shame that there was not more support during my school years and hate to think how many fantastic engineers have slipped through the net due to the lack of support and exposure throughout their educational years.

Therefore, I am committed to trying to encourage more young people to take up careers in engineering and help these would be engineers to recognise their interest and give them the support and connections they need to grow their careers.

What has been your biggest success in your career?

The biggest success in my career so far is completing my technical competency exams that are required to become an authorised Engineer Surveyor. The training programme was very challenging due to the depth of knowledge that was required including a fundamental understanding of Regulations, Standards, technical inspection procedures and safe systems of work, internal and external guidance documents and engineering theory.

My study was supported with a combination of block release at Fareham College as part of the Engineer Surveyor Apprenticeship programme and several weeks shadowing an operational Engineer Surveyor in the field.

The whole process, although challenging did provide me with the level of competence and confidence that is required to undertake thorough examinations on a significant range of lifting-related plant items.

What has been your biggest challenge in your career?

The biggest challenge in my career was getting used to being out in the field on my own without the direct help of colleagues.

I had to learn ways of maintaining good client relationships and problem-solving in difficult situations, this was not a smooth ride and there were many rough patches throughout this period, but I always managed to find a solution.

Although, one thing is certain and that is that the learning never stops, and regular CPD really helps to reduce the challenges.

Are there any exciting projects you are currently working on?

External to my work at Zurich I am currently playing a major role in the restoration and maintenance of the Steam Tug ‘Challenge’. This important piece of maritime history was built in 1931 and was involved in operation dynamo rescuing soldiers from the beaches at Dunkirk in WWII, my role as a volunteer is to co-ordinate and carry out the heavy engineering and repair work on ‘Challenges’ mechanical components with the help of my tools and machinery I have in my own workshop at home.

This is a very special project to me, and having the opportunity to work on such a large-scale mechanical engineering project is really exciting.

The team and I are now looking at ways we can use this project in an educational manner including STEM activities, and how we can use ‘Challenge’ as an educational tool to promote engineering engagement.

What advice would you give to young people looking at careers in engineering and technology?

I would advise young people who have an interest in engineering to jump on opportunities as they arise and to accept all the support that is given.

Engineering is such a broad and flexible career with so many different options to explore, reach out to companies for work experience and explore the many options that exist and most importantly don’t let anyone dampen your interest. In conversation with... Stan Carter 2 Partner Spotlight Month 20XX A Junior Engineer Case Study I think the role of Engineer Surveyor is engineering’s best-kept secret. I was fortunate that my father was, and still is involved within the industry, so I had a good insight into it, but very few of my former colleagues were aware of the role.

Having the autonomy to manage a portfolio of clients and manage all day-to-day planning and inspection-related activities really is fantastic. It’s great to know that my actions really can have an impact on keeping people safe by identifying potential serious defects before they result in an incident or accident.

I would encourage any budding mechanical or electrical engineer to consider a career within this industry.

What does the future look like and what are your goals?

I would like to build on my career in engineering at Zurich build up my experience of an Engineer Surveyor and work on my professional registration, I see myself eventually moving into a role within our Technical Standards area, where I can support and advise existing and newly recruited Engineer Surveyors.

Along the way I want to help support and encourage the next generations of engineers in any way possible to give them the experience that I never had.