Why I Started Engineer a Career, What We've Built, and How We Fix the Skills System Gap

Starting Engineer a Career was never about creating content. It was about closing a gap I kept seeing everywhere across industry, a gap between the talent we have and the opportunities that never reach them.

In this first solo episode, Josh reflects on his own journey: from a chartered mechanical engineer shaped by internships at Doosan Babcock, to building engineering teams on nuclear projects, to working in sustainability at SSE Transmission.

He shares how early exposure to real engineering transformed his career, why mentoring young engineers became a natural part of his path, and how those experiences laid the foundations of Engineer a Career.

Josh breaks down what's happened since launching the platform:

thirty podcast episodes, ten live events, strategic partnerships with AECOM, the University of Strathclyde and the Energy Institute, a national Student Ambassador Network, and the creation of The Talent Network, now home to more than 170 engineering students.

But this episode goes deeper.

Josh explains why the UK's "skills gap" is really a system gap:

124,000 engineers needed every year, 44,000 graduating, and too few gaining any real exposure to industry. He shares the stats, the stories, and the reality facing students today, as well as the opportunity engineering has to rethink early engagement.

In the mailbox, Josh answers questions from the Engineer a Career community, from using LinkedIn well, to overcoming imposter syndrome, to what he wishes he'd known at university.

This episode is a reflection, a call to action, and a reminder of why this work matters.

It's about building confidence, creating visibility, and showing the next generation exactly what they can become.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Engineeracareer

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Website: www.engineeracareer.co.uk

A fascination with the world beneath our feet sparked Lucy's journey into geology.

Encouraged by an inspiring geography teacher, she explored the subject through university taster courses and went on to study at the University of St Andrews, where hands-on fieldwork in Scotland's quarries and landscapes cemented her passion for understanding the ground we build on.

After graduating, Lucy discovered how geology meets engineering. She joined Fairhurst as a Graduate Engineering Geologist, where her work took her from Scotland's infrastructure projects to the remote island of St Helena, helping to make communities safer through rockfall mitigation.

Now a Chartered Engineer and Senior Geotechnical Engineer at Gavin and Doherty Geosolutions, Lucy reflects on her career so far, from overcoming early challenges to championing women in engineering and mentoring the next generation.

In this episode, Josh and Lucy explore what makes engineering geology such a vital part of sustainable construction, why confidence comes through action, and how curiosity can shape a lifelong career in engineering.

This is a story of discovery, determination, and how following your interests can quite literally change the ground you stand on.

Resources mentioned -

The role of engineering geology in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357755266_The_role_of_engineering_geology_in_delivering_the_United_Nations_Sustainable_Development_Goals

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Engineeracareer

Follow Engineer a Career

LinkedIn: @engineeracareer

Instagram: @engineeracareer

TikTok: @engineer.a.career

Website: www.engineeracareer.co.uk

Leaving school with no qualifications could have been the end of Faye's story but it was only the beginning.

Starting on a factory floor, she watched engineers fix problems and realised she wanted to be one of them. Determined to change her future, Faye worked days in manufacturing and studied at night, earning nine GCSEs before securing an electrical engineering apprenticeship.

Five years later, she had built the foundations of a career that would take her across manufacturing, water, and energy and ultimately to the Royal Academy of Engineering as a Visiting Professor and Research Committee Member.

In this special National Engineering Day episode, Josh and Faye discuss visibility, opportunity, and the power of finding your passion. They explore how apprenticeships, education, and industry must work together to inspire the next generation of engineers and why there's never been a more exciting time to join the profession.

This is a story of confidence found through action, of perseverance, and of proving that there's no single route into engineering.

Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@Engineeracareer

Follow Engineer a Career

LinkedIn: @engineeracareer

Instagram: @engineeracareer

TikTok: @engineer.a.career

Website: www.engineeracareer.co.uk