I am a geography graduate and spent a year with Lithos on a student placement from Leeds University.  I graduated in July 2023 and have since joined Lithos as a Graduate engineer.

As a student engineer, my main roles and responsibilities were:

• Gas and groundwater monitoring – this was my primary responsibility.
• Site investigation assistance – often responsible for soakaways and also involved in trial pitting and borehole drilling.
• Construction support – soil cover validation, stockpile sampling, surface water

The student placement was highly relevant because:

• I am interested in the environment – specifically: geology, soils, groundwater, environmental processes and management.
• I am interested in construction –  the planning phase and environmental regulations.
• I enjoy working outdoors – the majority of your time will be spent on site in all weathers.
• I am comfortable with lone working – being able to use your own initiative and self-motivate is crucial.
• I am willing to learn – you may not have learnt much about Geoenvironmental Engineering in your degree so will be taking on lots of new information throughout the year.

The skills I developed during my student placement:

• Organisation – planning and managing my own workload, with jobs across the North of England.  Also learning to be flexible to rearrange work around high priority jobs.
• Communication – developed my skills in communicating clearly with colleagues, clients, contractors and members of the public.
• Practical skills – with no prior experience in the industry.  I learnt many industry specific skills including gas and groundwater monitoring, soil classification, rock core logging and soil and water monitoring.
• Report writing – assisted in writing gas risk assessments.
• Excel – Inputting and organising large amounts of data within Microsoft Excel.

Next steps:  Graduate engineer

Having known very little about Geoenvironmental consultancy before beginning my placement, I found that I really enjoy it. I have since returned to Lithos after my final year of university and joined their graduate training scheme – Route to Chartership.  It’s still early days but so far I’ve been on lots of internal an external training.  I’ve also spent a lot of time out on site with more senior engineers, learning on the job.  The role is a good mix of site and office work (report writing).  Being at Lithos, I know I won’t spend months on end working away from home so the work-life balance is good.  I’m really pleased I joined a smaller consultancy; the opportunities to work closely with and learn from experts in their field is brilliant.

What did you enjoy about your year with Lithos?

I loved working with the friendly, professional team at Lithos. They supported me in my learning, but also gave me the confidence to work independently on important tasks. There were plenty of training opportunities to be involved in and I gained many skills that I have used in my career to date.

What did you learn?

The techniques used to monitor and sample boreholes for gas and water, and the importance of accurate and reliable data. My experience taught me how to analyse data to assess risk and then incorporate this into a methodical and clear report for the client. It also showed me the importance of risk assessments for health and safety e.g. lone working, machinery etc. Lithos are very supportive and make sure you have the right tools to do the job: company van, equipment, work uniform, PPE.

Working for Lithos gave me an insight into different areas of the industry and the different career pathways available.

How has the experience helped you?

It gave me the confidence to continue my career in the construction industry and showed me how diverse and supportive the industry can be, particularly as a woman.

Would you recommend us?

Yes I would definitely recommend Lithos.

What have you since gone on to do?

I now work for Hanson UK on the graduate scheme. Hanson is a supplier of building materials to the construction industry. I have recently been given the role of Assistant Unit Manager (Graduate Trainee) for Shap Beck Quarry, Low Gelt Quarry, Wigan and Tuebrook Depot.

My experiences with Lithos were both memorable and valuable and I am very proud of what I achieved throughout the year. I learned a great deal about myself, and working in the professional world. Furthermore, Lithos were very sensitive to my needs – I will always be most grateful for their support.

The placement year enabled me to successfully apply geological skills learned during my undergraduate degree in a business environment. I was exposed to different types of geological jobs in the three departments: site investigation, remediation and contaminated land, and I particularly enjoyed the wide variety of work this provided.

My main tasks were to monitor gas and water boreholes, conduct water sampling and soakaway tests, and assist the engineers when needed. I also observed engineers perform soil cover validations, CBR testing, trial pitting, drilling and rock coring. I helped organise equipment calibration and ordering of new supplies. My administrative tasks included handling large data sets in Excel and writing front ends to gas reports and water letters. In addition, I learned how to put work plans together and execute them effectively. Furthermore, the job responsibilities allowed me to develop life skills such as independence, time management, organisation and accuracy, and the importance of seeking appropriate advice when needed. I also had to problem solve in real life situations and learn how to effectively communicate with people.

Lithos were really supportive and made sure I was fully confident and understood my job. Above all, they ensured I received all the right support to get through the year. Prior to my placement, I knew little about a geologist’s role in the construction industry, but I am now aware of the wide range of geological jobs available. I would highly recommend a placement year or career working for Lithos to any geology students.