President’s apprentice

John Harding

John Harding (left) with the ICE President, David Orr

John Harding, who works in our buildings team in Manchester, is one of six young engineers selected to be an apprentice to the UK Institution of Civil Engineers’s president David Orr. The president's apprentice scheme builds on initiatives by recent presidents to involve graduates more in the Institution’s activities. Now into its third year it, as John himself says, “seems set to only increase in prominence”.

All of the apprentices have one thing in common – a desire to push themselves out of their professional comfort zones. Mott MacDonald certainly believes that John’s role adds to the prestige of the company and has keenly supported him in it.

“I feel very privileged to have been involved in the scheme this year,” says John. “I’ve accompanied David Orr on regional tours that have involved a mix of site visits and a series of talks, presentations and debates with students, graduates and senior civil engineers, which I had to lead.

“Aside from the regional visits, I’ve been involved in gathering and preparing background notes for David on a series of subjects ranging from sustainability to the nuclear debate.

“The scheme has been a tremendous experience in every way, from pushing me to lead debates on subjects outside of my technical specialism (light rail design) to giving me an insight into the workings of the upper-echelons of the ICE.”