Rory Shanks

At school I developed a passion for taking projects from paper to reality in the Design & Technology workshop. My enjoyment came from combining available resources and technology with careful forethought and hands-on processes to fulfil a purpose. Engineering was a clear career path to take – it is the application of technical and practical skills to develop effective solutions to problems.

 "Rory is currently one of the engineers of AECOM specialising in bridge inspection, assessment and design. He has proven himself to be a valuable member of the team with his passion and commitment since joining as a school leaver in 2008. With his technical ability and leadership skills, Rory has the potential to become one of the industry’s leaders in the future."

Leo Ampatin, Associate Director, Transportation, AECOM

I applied for an Arkwright Scholarship in 2006 and was proud to receive it with sponsorship from ECITB. With their support I bought a new laptop to help with studies, and they also highlighted an opportunity to do a Year in Industry (YINI) with AECOM in a gap year between school and university. After an interview I was accepted onto the YINI and it proved to be an invaluable experience. At the age of 18 I was lucky to be getting a good mix of site and office work, including an inspection of a tunnel under the Thames in London, designed and built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s dad, Marc, more than 160 years ago. With this inspiration I was set on doing civil engineering at university to allow me to make my own lasting contributions to the infrastructure we depend on.

AECOM sponsored me through university, which provided both financial help and further work experience in summer placements. With support from an Engineering Leadership Advanced Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering, I made the most of AECOM’s global expertise. I spent one summer placement working in Moscow on a new highway, and also visited Spain’s impressive high speed rail network. Senior AECOM staff took me on a tour of the network and provided a great insight into this advanced technology. AECOM provides a diverse range of professional services across the globe and helps deliver some epic projects.

Upon graduating from Bristol University with a Masters in civil engineering, I joined AECOM’s bridges team and am now leading teams of engineers on challenging bridge inspections. This work is providing key support for my progression towards Chartership.

I cannot emphasise the benefits of an Arkwright Scholarship enough - it was my Scholarship and ECITB’s support that guided me towards a promising career and provided me with the confidence to engage my potential. AECOM has provided stimulating and fulfilling engagement in the industry and enabled me to develop a strong foothold as I progressed from school-leaver to graduate in the civil engineering world.