Jones Bros’ Gruffydd eager to inspire civil engineers of the future7th Dec 2023

Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK senior project civil engineer Gruffydd Rowlands is determined to make the most of his chance to shape the industry’s future.

The 26-year-old is one of five young professionals volunteering on the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Wales Foundation Group.

The quintet of current employees at different civil engineering companies operating across the country are aiming to:

• Promote the sector amongst young people
• Develop future generations of professionals and encourage them into the industry
• Represent the young professionals already in the industry
• Promote apprenticeships, traineeships, and mid-career transitions
• Connect like-minded people whose ambition is to future-proof Wales’ infrastructure

Gruffydd, who won the most promising trainee civil engineering graduate honour at the 2023 CECA Wales Awards, said: “I know from my own background of summer placements with Jones Bros just how important opportunities like this are to young people.

“Being able to undertake work experience on major civil engineering schemes in successive years really helped me decide that a future in the industry was what I wanted.

“It not only gave you a real taste of what life is like working for Jones Bros, but meant that once I returned full-time, I was able to hit the ground running.

“I’ve always wanted to inspire the future generation and being part of the CECA Wales Foundation Group certainly helps me do just that.

“As a collective we aim to create a platform from which we can encourage and support future generations wanting to pursue a career in this industry.”

In addition to his place on the group, Gruffydd, who has a master’s in civil engineering, has helped with external recruitment for Jones Bros after heading to the 2023 National Eisteddfod in Boduan.

He led interactive workshops, which included building a scale model suspension bridge, as well as answering questions the public had about careers in civil engineering.

Gruffydd has also been involved with in-house training. During the spring he led a three-day engineering workshop for 10 Jones Bros higher apprentices prior to them venturing out to various sites around the UK.

He added: “I see it as a way to be able to give something back. Everyone must start somewhere and without the support I received I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Gruffydd’s summer placements were in 2017 and 2018, before he returned to Jones Bros permanently in September of the following year.

The then graduate project civil engineer’s first major scheme was the £139 million Caernarfon and Bontnewydd bypass, which was just 10 minutes from his home in Waunfawr.

Since then, Gruffydd has worked all over North Wales on a range of schemes, including First Hydro Power Station and RAF Valley.

Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.

The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.

The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced nearly 40 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.