George Haywood shares his experiences and guides us through his career starting in a youth training scheme all the way through to being a workshop Manager at TIP Lichfield
“If you are interested in how things work or indeed are undertaking anything STEM related or like to tinker around with your own bike or car then this is the job for you.”
George Haywood, Workshop Manager
George Haywood shares his experiences and guides us through his career starting in a youth training scheme all the way through to being a workshop Manager at TIP Lichfield. Originally aiming to be a mechanical and electrical engineer in mining, before shifting to road transport, George has had his fair share of achievements and challenges. He is eager to bestow his knowledge onto the next generation of engineers.
Background and Career Path
Hailing from Newcastle-under-Lyme, engineering and mining has, as George puts it, “always been in my blood”. He originally set off to be a mechanical and electrical engineer in mining and was just about to leave school when his father informed him that the local mine was going to close. With that in mind, George would have been halfway through his apprenticeship. This meant that he had to rethink if he should continue his path and face redundancy, or should he pivot to another industry. As George was always fascinated with engineering and electrics so to him it made logical sense to move to work on HGV vehicles. He went on to apply to Stoke on Trent College and was accepted into the Youth Training Scheme after that George obtained a placement at Centurion Commercials, Scania’s main dealer for Stoke-on-Trent and surrounding areas.
What are some of the best parts of your job?
George stepped into the world of management 8 years ago and as a people person he enjoys having the opportunity to give outstanding customer service. No two customers are the same which “really keeps you on your toes” Being able to adapt to each customer's needs is crucial in both understanding and negotiating the best possible outcome for both parties. George is also supportive of his team and states that they are some of the best parts of his role. “A manager is only as good as the employees under them” he says, “it's down to you to make them the best they can possibly be.” By strongly encouraging his team with fantastic learning and development opportunities George has achieved an outstanding 99.23% pass rate from 939 assets tested.
On joining the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE)
George joined SOE to progress his career by utilising our extensive library of resources and CPDs. He also wanted to have our seal of approval on his qualifications and experience to provide his customers peace of mind as well as sound engineering and operational advice. George also states that “with the added bonus of a fantastic support structure the SOE really get behind you to enable you to make the next step in your career journey.”
Tips for aspiring engineers
George believes that if you are willing to listen and ask questions then you will excel. Having the initiative and enthusiasm to ask questions when you are unsure or don’t know the answer is what separates good engineers from the best.
Closing remarks
“If you are interested in how things work or indeed are undertaking anything STEM related or like to tinker around with your own bike or car then this is the job for you. It can be so rewarding and take you on to so many career paths within the industry. Engineering is a job for life and you will never get bored. Looking back over my 31 years in the industry so much has changed and we are at the forefront of a massive powertrain revolution. The time for engineers is now.” “If anyone requires any help or information then please reach out If I can help at least one person to change their life for the better then great, that’s what life’s all about”.