Gary Alder CEng FIET
Gary’s path into engineering wasn’t straightforward, but once he set his mind to it, he quickly turned a promising path into a successful career. Now he is using IET Fellowship to gain recognition and help others find their feet.
Gary Alder currently works as MEICA Design Manager for the BMB Joint Venture where his day-to-day role includes meeting with stakeholders, reviewing technical designs and completing site safety inspections for any of the seven sites he manages across London.
Gary’s engineering journey began with an electrical apprenticeship at a bespoke control panel manufacturer mainly focusing on sewage and water treatment works. After this initial education Gary became an approved electrician and he quickly progressed into project management.
“I oversaw large contracts including management of sites for the environment agency, Eton College and installations for water treatment. I eventually moved into the role of Managing Director, securing contracts and works associated with Crossrail and other large commercial projects throughout London.”
After this Gary would go on to set up his own company working on electrical installations including a notable robotics project for Kuwait’s Scientific Center. In 2018 Gary joined the BMB Joint Venture and was quickly promoted into his current role as a design manager.
Finding a path
Despite his successful career Gary originally didn’t plan on going into engineering and instead undertook a law degree. However, he soon realised that his passion was better served in the field.
“The thought of working behind a desk for the rest of a career just didn’t fill me with any excitement. I wanted a job that I would find technically challenging, included problem-solving and would vary on a day-to-day basis. Finding a control panel manufacturer in a specialist industry really lit a fire in me to continue.”
As Gary’s career in STEM grew, he soon found himself applying for Professional Registration with the IET and awarded CEng. Although it was a few years later when he decided to take the next step and apply for Fellowship of the IET.
Becoming a Fellow
Gary already found benefit in being a member of the IET by being able to access guidance notes and technical publications as well as numerous communities, but he knew that becoming a Fellow would allow him to get even more out of his professional home.
“I found out about Fellowship after becoming a Chartered Engineer and I was keen to differentiate myself from others, as well as show that electricians can very much tread a path to Fellowship in the electrical industry and that degree education is not necessarily a prerequisite.”
After doing some initial research and looking into the application process Gary began to write his Fellowship application and found this extremely rewarding.
“I found the overall process pretty straight forward; it gave me a lot of confidence to write about myself in a really positive way to peers in the industry.”
Gaining recognition and inspiring others
Following the application process Gary was awarded IET Fellowship. Alongside being a big professional achievement, Gary was also able to reflect on what it meant to him personally.
“It means a lot. It has given me recognition amongst my peers and colleagues and has demonstrated that not only am I competent in my field but an expert.”
Despite hitting a personal milestone Gary was keen on seeing how he could use his new status as a Fellow to benefit others that are on a similar career path and might not know all the options available to them.
“I am constantly pushing and encouraging those in the electrical industry to see that the journey doesn’t end at becoming a qualified electrician. Look at the criteria early in your career. Setting a path with goals to achieve and giving yourself direction can filter down into the daily way we structure our approach to work.”
Alongside assisting and guiding his peers, Gary is also focusing on how to encourage the next generation of engineers and technicians and raise awareness of the opportunities available.
“Inspiring the next generation is key for the future of the world. Not everyone can be an engineer, but the world needs engineers. Inspiring others who are about to walk the path into becoming an electrician, might not feel like an engineer, but showing that progression and path is available to all will hopefully encourage more to do so.”
Gary is host of the podcast ‘Hit the Lights’, as well as author of the recently published So, You Want to be an Electrician? both encouraging people into the electrical industry.