Remains on track for a successful career
Engineering Technician Matthew Wainwright has a strong work ethic that has seen him overcome a learning disability, develop a broad skillset, gain qualifications and earn the respect of colleagues and customers alike.
Personal development journey
Matthew started his career at the age of 16 as a trainee welder fabricator on a commercial estate which is now part of Wabtec UK Limited at Greycar Business Park in Staffordshire. He is proud to have “learned from the ground up”.
“I progressed from full-time welding to mechanical fitting on various products and in multiple industries,” he said. “I would often do factory shutdown maintenance at companies like British Gypsum and JCB, as well as at various quarry sites. The work often involved removing large machinery and conveyor belts, plus overhauling a range of components.
“I also installed new machinery using a combination of skills including mechanical and machine-tool fitting, welding, and fabrication. I travelled around the country too, fitting traction lifts in shops, hotels, and factories. I then progressed to the rail industry at Faiveley Transport, now also Wabtec, where I worked on rail HVAC [heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning] systems, door systems and many other rail-related projects.”
Each of these activities provided opportunities for Matthew to develop and improve his skillset. He backed up his practical capabilities with an impressive array of technical qualifications: an NVQ Level 3 in Mechanical Fitting, Manufacturing and Engineering; an NVQ Level 2 in Fabrication, Welding and Performing Engineering Operations; and a City & Guilds Category 1F qualification in Gas Air-Conditioning, With Commercial and Industrial Brazing.
“I have dyslexia, which has made my school and work life challenging,” he said. “Despite being told that I would never amount to anything, I have always found a way to succeed and to achieve my goals. All my various experiences have helped to mould me into the person I am today, because they taught me about problem-solving, remaining positive in the face of adversity and how to deal with customers.”
A new direction
In February 2017 Matthew joined Wabtec Corporation as a field services engineer. Wabtec is a global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors.
He started out working at rail depots, servicing train door mechanisms, sensitive edge door seals and emergency door access locks, as well as train brakes, bogies and HVAC refrigeration units.
He also carried out a range of mechanical-related tasks – and during quiet times he would help the project engineers in the engineering office with new projects and documentation updates. “The Wabtec 15D facility had never had an engineering office technician before and was considering trialling the role. I was invited to apply for the position and thankfully was successful.”
He embarked on this ground-breaking role in December 2018. Since then, the job has evolved into a unique blend of method- and junior-engineer activities. “My skills and confidence have grown a great deal in this role, as have my responsibilities,” said Matthew. “My typical working day centres on supporting the project engineers by helping them to write work instructions, reports, engineering documentation, bills of materials and product improvement information.”
Despite the demands of his busy and varied role, Matthew has put in a tremendous amount of effort to gain relevant professional qualifications. In 2021 he earned a Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Report/Technical Document Writing. The following summer he gained a Distinction in the EDL2D Technical and Commercial Author Diploma.
Problem-solver
Matthew exudes positivity and a can-do attitude. He said: “With a positive mental attitude, you can achieve your goals. I’m a firm believer in asking for help when I need it. As I see it, no question is a stupid question.”
These qualities have served him well in his current role. Reflecting on his most challenging project to date, he said: “I was asked to take control of a project to overhaul the pressure-protection systems on the Siemens Velaro class of train vehicles. This would usually be a task performed by a project engineer, not a technician.
“I had to read the drawings and specs to create a bill of materials, then enter the parts in our MRP [manufacturing requirements planning] system to raise the purchase orders. I also helped to design a test box and perform a condition assessment on three valve variants.”
His research complete, Matthew then compiled all his findings and used them to write three different sets of work instructions for the shop-floor staff, to guide them through the overhaul process. He also wrote a scope of supply.
“My actual job role centres on helping engineers – we perform similar tasks, but ultimately I answer to them,” he said. “The Siemens project was very different. I think what made it so interesting for me was the fact that I had to step outside my comfort zone and take control.”
Benefits of IET membership
The process of applying for Professional Registration as an IET Engineering Technician (EngTech) proved hugely beneficial to Matthew. “It gave me something to focus on and a chance to highlight the skills I had learned up to that point,” he said.
“Having access to IET Fellows was very informative and really helped me to shape my application. I also used Career Manager to set out and showcase my skillsets and relevant information. I would highly recommend anyone who’s thinking about applying for professional registration to look at the Career Manager hub – I found it simple to use and it made the whole process very smooth.
“Achieving EngTech status in December 2022 has built my self-confidence, proving to myself that I can still achieve and progress. I’ve now set my sights on achieving IET Incorporated Engineer status, as well as an HNC or HND qualification to complement my skillset and experience.”
Matthew is very pleased that he joined the IET and is grateful for this opportunity to tell his story. He said: “I find the E+T and Member News magazines very informative and always enjoy reading about members’ careers and achievements. I hope my own story will inspire people who doubt themselves or think that having a learning disability will hold them back – if I could go back in time, I would like to speak to the 16-year-old me, at the point when I thought I’d be a welder for the rest of my life, with no hope of achieving anything else. I would tell him that if you work hard enough for long enough, it will all work out in the end.
“After all, I’m proof that with hard work and a little luck, anything is possible.”