Proud project engineer can’t wait to see what the future holds4th Jul 2022

Wearing the Jones Bros logo with pride, Gareth Owen is excited about his future with the civil engineering company.

The project engineer, who currently spends his time between landfill sites in Beaconsfield and Didcot, is on track to complete his Higher National Diploma (HND) in civil engineering this summer.

It’s set to be another impressive milestone for the machine-loving 23-year-old, who hails from Anglesey.

Gareth appreciates the support Jones Bros provides after joining the Ruthin-headquartered company on the plant operative apprenticeship scheme, which he completed before progressing to a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in civil engineering.

He said: “The people at Jones Bros are keen to teach you because the younger generation are the future, and they want to maintain the high standards set.

“When I applied, I was only 19 and I had butterflies filling in the application form, and likewise when I got the call inviting me for an interview.

“I’ve never felt joy like it when I was told I had made it onto the apprenticeship scheme, and I still think back to that time now.

“I’ve been here for five years, and I still love the company and wear the logo with pride every day.

“There is a saying about finding a job you enjoy and it not feeling like work, and I feel lucky to be doing what I am at 23.”

A passion for machines, nurtured whilst working on a farm back home, saw Gareth initially apply for the plant operative apprenticeship scheme.

He explained: “I worked on a local farm on Anglesey which also had a contracting company, so there was a mix of working with livestock and operating machines.

“My passion for machines really came through and I decided for definite that it was the course I wanted to take.

“I looked into doing my tickets myself, but found they were very expensive.

“I knew of Jones Bros and how highly regarded they were, so when I saw the plant operative apprenticeship scheme, I applied for it immediately.

“Through the support and guidance of Jones Bros, I got my first four tickets within six weeks and then I went to my first site, which was a landfill site in Glasgow, before moving to Sutton Courtenay.

“I had no idea about landfill before I started working at Jones Bros.”

Whilst Gareth was happy with life as a plant operative apprentice, his thirst for knowledge and a developing interest in aspects other than machines, saw him take up a new challenge.

He said: “I came to work for Jones Bros to be a plant operative and had no ambition to go any higher than that. I hadn’t even seen a bulldozer before I started.

“But when we weren’t working outside due to the weather, I was inside asking questions about anything and everything associated with the job we were doing.

“After two years as a plant operative apprentice, I was encouraged to apply for the engineering apprenticeship, which I have been doing for three years.

“The engineering apprenticeship is more planning, but I still have my tickets and I like to jump on the machines, which helps make it a varied role.”

What does the future hold for the dedicated project engineer?

Gareth added: “I’m planning on staying for the long term, and the good thing about working for Jones Bros is that they find a job that suits you and what you want to do.”

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 50 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.