A CHANCE
TO GROW
Process Engineer, Althaf Naufel, talks to us about progression and development at TCE.
PROGRESSION
From placement student to process engineer. Althaf joined us back in 2020 as a placement student from university, looking to gain knowledge and skills beyond his technical ability.
FOSTERING TALENT
“My placement year at TCE gave me a huge amount of confidence and I was able to get stuck into so many exciting projects. I got to see and experience so much in that short time that choosing to join the team full-time was a bit of a no-brainer! In fact, when I was at university I was considering not going into engineering after my degree at all but after my year on placement here I am!”
LEARNING THROUGH DOING
“I like the way you get thrown into things here and are given the freedom to work things out for yourself. That’s not to say they just leave you to it of course but it allows you the ability to get involved with projects that actually interest you. You don’t tend to get this level of exposure in other organisations so early on in your career. As a result, I’ve learnt so much beyond my technical knowledge and have had to learn to communicate with so many different stakeholders of varying positions which I believe is, and will be, vital to succeeding in my role. They really favour learning through doing, which means there is lots of room for innovation and learning here.
“Both managers I’ve had here at TCE, have had a very ‘my-door-is-always-open’ approach to management, they’ve always welcomed questions and suggestions from everyone, no matter where they sit in the food chain. I like that there’s no ego here. If there’s an issue on plant, we all come together to discuss it. No matter your role, your age or your experience. It’s very much a team effort.”
YOUR PROGRESSION PATHWAY
“Ours is a culture of continuous improvement, that goes for our systems, processes, plants and people too. There is so much invested in your personal progression and so much opportunity if you want it. For me, it’s been good seeing so many young talented managers. It’s refreshing to know that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. It gives me an idea of how I might want to progress and where I might want to end up in the business.
“What would I say to someone considering a role at TCE? Expect a lot of learning, a lot of direction and a lot of opportunity. We’re a friendly, encouraging bunch and we’re very much a people-first organisation. If you want to join a growing team who are at the forefront of so many ground-breaking projects like the CCU, then it’s a really exciting time to join TCE.”
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