MHB Consultants and Story Contracting have partnered to provide graduate engineers with first-hand experience in both design and construction.
As part of the initiative, MHB graduate engineer, Gabriele Valente, and Story graduate engineer, Frankie Adams, swapped roles for a three-month secondment between October and December 2024.
Gabriele transitioned from MHB’s design office to a site-based role with Story Contracting, while Frankie moved from site operations at Story to a design role at MHB’s temporary works department.
The collaboration allowed both engineers to broaden their skill sets – helping Gabriele gain practical construction experience and Frankie deepen his understanding of the design process before plans reach the site.
With the UK facing a shortage of skilled engineers, industry leaders are calling for more practical training opportunities. This secondment programme is one-way MHB Consultants and Story Contracting, which ensures that young engineers are equipped with both technical expertise and real-world construction knowledge.
Fergus Aitchison, MD at MHB Consultants, said, “Scotland’s engineering sector is at a turning point. To future-proof our infrastructure, we need graduates who understand not just how to design a structure, but how it actually gets built.
“By working with Story Contracting, we are giving our engineers the hands-on experience they need to design solutions that work in practice.”
For Gabriele, moving from an office-based role at MHB to a site-based secondment with Story Contracting provided a new perspective on how designs are implemented in the field.
He said, “Coming from an office environment, it was an honour and an important educational experience to spend three months working on-site at OB044 in Thornliebank seconded to Story Contracting. I had the opportunity to understand and explore tasks that happen on-site and are sometimes overlooked in the design process. It was interesting to take part in quality assurance and testing, which I was not fully aware of before.
“Now that I am back in the office with MHB Consultants, I have started to acknowledge and empathise with contractors when last-minute unexpected designs pop up! I would recommend a site placement to anyone who wants to explore and see how things work from the other end of the construction process.”
Scott Grattan, project manager at Story Contracting, added, “Gabriele recently undertook a site-based secondment on our OB044 – Thornliebank Road project as part of the wider East Kilbride Enhancement Scheme. He integrated well with the wider project team and took an active role in the quality procedures on-site, as well as getting to experience some key milestones in the project, including the installation of the new precast structure.”
Meanwhile, Frankie transitioned from his site-based role at Story Contracting to a design-focused secondment at MHB, gaining a deeper understanding of temporary works design before it reaches construction teams.
He commented, “Following the successful completion of my Graduate Engineer Programme with Story Contracting, I was fortunate to undertake a three-month external secondment with MHB Consultants, working in the temporary works department. Having previously been involved in implementing various temporary works schemes at Story, I was eager to learn about the design processes behind these works before they arrive on-site as ‘Approved for Construction’ drawings.
“During my secondment, I collaborated with local authorities and industry-leading contractors, gaining exposure to a diverse range of projects. Over the three months, I contributed to the design of schemes including crane outrigger foundations, platform loading checks, an anchor system supporting a skid rig on an embankment, precast concrete unit lifting checks, site hoarding systems, and haul roads.
“Additionally, I supported the design of culvert replacements on the West Coast Main Line. I was also fortunate to attend CPD events fortnightly, where I learned about innovative solutions with low-carbon alternatives that could be applied within a rail environment.”
