Jason Hyde: Accomplished Civil Engineer

My highlights

Becoming a Chartered Civil Engineer in 2014

Watching a 1,100 tonne bridge be put into place as the centrepiece of a 500m-long viaduct I designed

Being Chair for ICE North West in 2019/2020

A day in my life

A day in my life is difficult to put into words - I literally don’t have two days the same.

I’m responsible for delivery within my team across multiple projects (all doing something different).

I coach and guide the team I work in on all manner of engineering-related aspects of their work. I look after who works on what tasks, their budgets and timeframes as well as reviewing deliverables and liaising with our clients.

I’m also involved in pushing the boundaries of our use of technology in our daily work, looking to find new and exciting ways of communicating our designs to a variety of people.

Finally, I’m usually engaged in some form of volunteering activity, from mentoring fellow engineers to giving presentations, all the way to being a school governor.

There’s never a dull moment!

I’m a civil engineer, but I’m also ... a game changer. I work in an industry that changes the world daily.

My career inspiration 

My grandfather, who worked at Gardners of Patricroft. I still have a large format drawing of a fly wheel he cast while working there.

Though a mechanical engineer by trade, he was engaged in building machines that would eventually go on to improve people’s lives. That’s something, as a civil engineer, I now do on a daily basis.

We asked Jason…

Which civil engineering myth(s) you would like to bust?

“Engineering isn’t for me.”

As an industry, we need to collectively work together to ensure that anyone who thinks that engineering isn’t for them (be that because of a stereotype or lack of effective careers advice) knows that there’s a vast range of skills required by the industry and a skills shortage to match. And, you don’t need to go to university! You can get an apprenticeship right out of high school that will set you on your way to a fantastic career in engineering.

What about being a civil engineer inspires you?

The simple fact that before most people have had their morning coffee, I’ll have made at least one decision that positively impacts an entire community. Every day.

Would you recommend a career in civil engineering?

I’d recommend a career in civil engineering because it simply is the best career.

There are very few careers where you’re challenged every day (and typically with a different challenge each day).

There are even fewer careers when you get the chance, every single day, to make a positive impact on the world. Civil engineers literally build the world around us, shaping it for the next generation, while leaving a legacy and heritage that will inspire future generations to come.