Brighton graduates are flying high at Gatwick

Gatwick Airport’s prestigious Graduate Engineering programme will be closing soon! (deadline Tuesday 31st January)

Gatwick Airport is the UK’s second largest airport and the most efficient single-runway airport in the world, serving 200+ destinations in 90 countries for over 40 million passengers a year on short and long-haul point-to-point services. Gatwick Airport are working with the University of Brighton to recruit candidates to their Gatwick Engineering Graduate programme.

David Oyegbile (left)  and Quico Candea Lopez (right), pictured with Vice Chancellor Debra Humphris, are both graduates of the MEng in Mechanical Engineering. David and Quico secured two of the three places on the 2016 programme, and are now working on construction of the new duty free area at Gatwick’s North Terminal.

Raymond A. Melee, the airport’s Construction Director, said: “We are in the middle of a £2.5 billion development programme here at Gatwick and we need good talent and high-quality skills to make it happen.

“The British appetite and spirit for aviation is phenomenal and these are the guys who are going to take it forward. I’m more excited about developing them than I am about building the bricks and mortar of another airport.”

Professor Debra Humphris, the University of Brighton’s Vice-Chancellor, met the graduates at Gatwick. She said: “David and Quico are a credit to the University of Brighton and the education that has prepared them for these roles in such an ambitious development. Our emphasis on the combination of discovery, knowledge and practice is at the core of studying at Brighton. Whether you are studying pharmacy, nursing or engineering, by the time you go into a job, you are ready for the challenge.”

David Oyegbile has taken up the role of a field engineer and is managing the works of Gatwick contractors. He said: “It’s about balancing time schedules with quality and safety. I love coming to work every day as there are always different challenges and problems to solve – it’s exciting.”

As a project engineer, Quico Candea Lopez develops the scope of projects before works commence: “My job is to eliminate problems before we start building things. I’m looking to ensure we have enough gas, electricity and water supplies, as well as the most difficult one – drainage.

“What has surprised me about working at Gatwick is the scale and pace of the place. You have to continue developing it while 115,000 passengers are going through it every day.”

David and Quico took advantage of support from the University of Brighton Careers Service whilst applying for the posts.
If you are applying to this programme (or another graduate programme) contact Careers on 01273 642855 for specialist and support with application forms, interview preparation and advice on assessment centres.

Apply now for the prestigious 2017 Gatwick Engineering Graduate programme.
(Eligible disciplines: MEng Mechanical Engineering, MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering, MEng Civil Engineering.)