Alumni Success Profiles: Gareth Connoley
(5 min read)
Name: Gareth Connoley
Current role: Electrical Engineer Surveyor
Multiverse Apprenticeship: People Leadership Programme Level 3
What are the main responsibilities of your current role?
The main responsibility of my role is to ensure that all fixed electrical installations and electrical plant equipment is inspected and reported upon to ensure the safe and secure running and operation of the clients BES provide services for.
What does a typical day in your role look like?
My day usually includes travelling to various sites and businesses to inspect and test varying sizes, scales and types of fixed electrical wiring installations and items of electrical plant. The following is taken from British Engineering's website: "Fixed electrical wiring inspections can include everything from a small visual check of accessible components to a large-scale project that requires full survey and testing, job-specific risk assessments, a documentation review and more."
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy visiting the differing scales and sizes of the clients that request BES's services. And leaving each site with the knowledge that the people who are working with and for each client are safe and protected against all the electrical systems that are used within that business in order for it to run and operate in a safe and secure manner.
What are the challenging aspects of your role?
A challenging element of my role is interacting with clients/stakeholders when there is a fault or dangerous situation that is affecting the installation or equipment we are inspecting. And then working with them to ensure that said item or installation is made safe to ensure no-one will come to any harm.
Why did this role/industry appeal to you?
I had been contemplating moving across to the electrical inspection and surveying industry for a number of years as the challenges and interests that it presented outweighed the benefits of continuining to work within the theatre and entertainment industry.
What skills do you use and develop as part of your role?
There are many key skills I use as a part of my role time management, managing people, communication, assertiveness, and furthering my electrical installation and inspection knowledge amongst many other things.
What are your future career plans?
I intend to continue learning and adapting to the new situations that i encounter as I continue through life.
How did doing a Multiverse apprenticeship support your career journey?
I was able to utilise all of the modules that were covered in the people leadership programme to adapt, enable and thrive as my career path changed from one industry to another: most notably - Self awareness, management of self, managing people, building relationships and communication. It is a useful platform to empower you and ensure you realise that one track careers are thing of the past and should be resigned to history.
What achievement are you most proud of since completing your apprenticeship?
I'm really proud of enduring a 7 to 8 month redundancy and appeals process whilst continuing to study and succeed in both the Level 3 People Leadership Programme and two x Level 3 Electrical qualifications.
Can you provide a brief history of your career journey since completing your apprenticeship?
I was made redundant due to the pandemic which caused a collapse within the Theatre and Entertainments industry. I moved across to the Electrical Surveying and Safety sector with an auditing and inspection company that ensured the safety and maintenance of the social housing sector for 6 months. I then secured a job with British Engineering Services which is the leader in its field of engineering services across the UK: Testing, inspection and certification of a multitude businesses within the UK and ROI.
What advice would you give to current apprentices who want to progress in a similar role?
Stay focussed and ensure you take every opportunity you can to succeed in what you want and like to do.