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After starting as an electrical apprentice in 2006, Gary worked for a small to medium-sized electrical contractor that specialised in control systems and manufacturing bespoke control panels. He worked on a variety of projects, ranging from water treatment works and food production lines to hazardous-area installations for the national grid. He gained experience within the domestic sector by working all the evenings and weekends he could with other electricians outside his daily business.
After qualifying as an electrician, he undertook the City & Guilds 2391 inspection and testing qualification. At this time, he began to run several projects as a site supervisor for various clients, including the Environment Agency, for which Gary worked throughout the country.
During this period, he also undertook as many qualifications as he could to continue his professional development. This was in the form of health and safety qualifications with the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) and a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in the electronics and electrical field. Gary also became a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) to assist in guiding his development.
After successfully delivering several projects, he took the opportunity to step into project management. Over the next few years, he delivered large-scale infrastructure projects such as sewage treatment works upgrades and maintenance contracts. In 2016, this culminated in him being made the managing director of the same business he’d started at as an apprentice.
In 2017, Gary founded his own electrical contracting business and worked primarily within the commercial and domestic sectors, completing rewires, inspection and testing, and various other works.
He was then offered the opportunity to join the Tideway project for the Bam, Morgan Singal and Balfour Beatty (BMB) joint venture for seven sites throughout London. Within 18 months, he’d been promoted to the Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Control and Automation (MEICA) design and installation manager, overseeing the design through many stages into construction, with various stakeholders involved.
In 2020, Gary became a chartered manager and fellow of the IET, validating the skills and engineering knowledge he’d gained in his career to date. This was shortly followed in 2021 by being awarded chartered manager status and becoming a fellow of the Chartered Managers Institute (CMI).
At that time, he also began to host industry podcast Hit the Lights, in which he spoke to guests throughout the electrical industry about their career journeys.
Gary is enthusiastic about the electrical industry and keen to share experiences and to raise awareness that some of the stigmas associated with becoming an electrician aren’t necessarily what you might think – hence him writing this book.
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