We caught up with Michael Quinn, the Director of Engineering in Ardmac, about his Learning & Development journey, organisational initiatives he’s proud of, and achieving the CPD Accredited Employer Standard.

Q1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what lead you into the world of Learning & Development and CPD? 

I’m director of engineering with Ardmac, so I’m responsible for the design and engineering function across the group.  Ardmac operate across a number of sectors, including life sciences, data centres, battery facilities, healthcare, and interiors.  I’m with the company since February 2021 but worked with Ardmac on a number of projects prior to joining them, so it wasn’t as big a leap as it can be for a new hire. 

I’m in my 40’s now with a 4-year-old daughter, Emily, who keeps us busy.  I’m a Chartered mechanical engineer having qualified from UCD in 2002.  After qualifying, I worked in a number of engineering roles before moving into a project management role and then onto design management.  Having worked across a whole variety of sectors and in different roles with clients, consultants, and contractors, I feel I’ve developed a broad understanding of how the industry operates and a good appreciation of the viewpoints of the various stakeholders that are involved in projects.  

I have always had a keen interest in learning and development and very quickly after qualifying I recognised the need for continuous upskilling.  Where initially my interest around learning and developing was limited to myself, in more recent years I have recognised the importance of this for the wider team.  The first company I worked for, EEC in Bray, were quite good at supporting me in attending different courses and seminars and I eventually returned to education for a Masters in Project Management and a number of add-on courses since.  I started keeping records for my chartership very early on, so I was used to recording my CPD and it’s something I encourage the younger staff to engage with. 

In the last 5-10 years my focus has changed from developing my technical competencies to developing a more rounded approach to people management.  I think that came with maturity, but also as I’ve moved through various organisations and realised the importance of supporting and developing the people around you.  Up to that point it was really about trying to make myself as good as I could be, but over time I realised that that can be a somewhat narrow focus and when you’re part of a team and managing teams you have to shift this focus to the needs of the team.  

In the space of 18 months, the team at Ardmac has grown from 25 - 60 in the design and engineering group and a primary part of our approach to recruitment is expressing to potential new hires our commitment to helping them to develop and to realise their full potential.  As part of this approach, I like to put a strong focus on the structures and frameworks that support that development.  I’m currently in the middle of a coaching and mentoring course at the minute and already I find the way I’m talking to people and approaching situations with them is different.  I really believe that this is an approach to managing teams and individuals that the construction sector as a whole could benefit from. 

Q2. If you had to pick one initiative you’ve worked on since joining your organisation that you are proudest of, what would that be, and what impact did that initiative have on your people? 

I think the Engineers Ireland accreditation stands out.  It’s certainly one of the most important and prominent pieces of work that we’ve done.  It forms part of a process we’re trying to bring the team through.  Growing from 25 to 60 is a big initiative in itself and putting the processes in place to support that growth is hugely important. 

For me, the accreditation was about shining a spotlight on our existing training and CPD processes, which are already quite strong.  The accreditation has helped to put a better shape and structure around this and provided a renewed focus around training and development goals.  In fact, after the audit, our HR executive, Patrick Matthews, has moved into a role as a full-time training manager for the company.  Patrick has since broadened out the CPD committee for the audit into a companywide CPD group and they are at the latter stages of introducing a learning management system and getting that implemented.  The accreditation process has certainly prompted a lot of that change.  It was something that was already on people’s minds, but the process we went through for that 6-month period really helped put a focus on it.  

I know I’m only supposed to give one, but I would like to mention the women in engineering piece.  It’s something I have strong views around, in terms of where the industry needs to go.  I did an article for the CIF for International Women’s Day and it’s something we’ve promoted here as well: profiling of some of the new female engineers we have on International Women in Engineering Day.  It’s something that we want to bring beyond putting a focus on for just one week and something we’re trying to get more momentum behind.  It’s a hugely important initiative that needs to keep going. 

I was involved in the STEPS Engineers Week this year, and intentionally picked an all-girls school to visit.  One of the main objectives I had for the visit was get an understanding of girls’ perceptions of engineering as a career.  One of the first questions I asked the girls was “when you think of an engineer, what’s the first thing you think of?” and common answers included things like “builder” and “plumber”.  That’s the perception I feel that is out there and contributing the lack of interest amongst girls.  When you’re in engineering and you know it’s something completely different, it certainly makes you more aware of the public perception of engineering. 

There’s a massive marketing and awareness piece needed around engineering to change that perception, so we sell it for what it is.  As a minimum, we owe it to all students to make sure they are properly informed, whether they choose a career in engineering or not. 

Q3. You recently had your Engineers Ireland CPD accreditation audit. How did you found the process of preparing the submission and going to audit? 

I found it excellent from the point of view of having to interrogate and critique what we already do.  We had the sense quite early from our initial review of the criteria that we were already doing quite a lot of what was needed to achieve the accreditation.  We thought we were in pretty good shape and as such it didn’t take us too long, but what it made us do is pull all the different strands of what we already do together. 

Even if there wasn’t an accreditation at the end of the process, it was still a worthwhile process to pull all these initiatives together and look at it in a framework.  It also forced us to look for gaps in our existing initiatives.  In terms of the process, we didn’t find it overly difficult.  These things can seem daunting when you start but the support from Engineers Ireland was great. 

Now that we have achieved our initial accreditation and it’s becoming embedded in the group, we are starting to look at the stretch in the CPD standard in the advanced and transformational levels.  

Q4. In your experience, what are the competences or behaviours that distinguish a good engineer from a great engineer? 

When I was going through the Engineers Ireland competences for Chartered engineers, I think there are some that are really relevant to making that distinction.  We can never forget that engineering is technical, and so an engineer who’s brilliant technically with no interpersonal skills is still more use to you than an engineering with great interpersonal skills but no technical skills. 

I think application of knowledge is vital.  Mixing the theoretical with the practical is so important and I think what engineers need to be mindful of, is that what they do typically becomes reality somewhere in the physical world.  So, designing theoretically can only get you so far, and you have to understand the practical application.  I believe that engineers who actively seek to have a blend of the two are those who will thrive in their careers. 

Getting out on sites and talking to those who are implementing your design is so important.  I think that’s one of the key things that the engineering group need to mindful of.  They need to be actively seeking feedback from those individuals and using this feedback to continuously improve what they’re doing. 

I think communication and interpersonal skills are becoming more and more important.  Engineers need to understand that not everyone you deal with may be as technically strong as you might be.  You have to understand who that person is and adapt your communication style to suit different people.  Developing that awareness and approaching your style of communication with that in mind is a key piece of an engineer’s development. 

Finally, I believe that a thirst for your own continuous learning and development is key.  In the engineering world, technology moves so fast that its’ easy to stagnate if you are not actively looking for learning opportunities.  What I try to communicate within our own group is that “you only get out what you put in” in terms of training.  Proactively identifying opportunities to help your own development is better than having to be approached and offered CPD.  I think in terms of someone’s professional development, that’s how you can distinguish yourself. 

Q5. What do you do in your spare time? 

I have to try to get spare time to begin with!  Everyone in the industry is so busy at the minute.  You certainly try to keep the balance as much as you can.  I’m very active outdoors and would have played a lot of sport when I was younger, and I try to continue with that kind of activity. 

I do a lot of sea swimming and running; I live five minutes from the coast here in Wexford, so I’ll get to the beach a few times a week.  With my wife Fiona, Emily, and our 2 springer spaniels we can find ourselves on the beach in all kinds of weather.  Spending time with family is something I enjoy and look for. 

I have a thirst for information, and a good pint of Guinness every now and again if I can get it.  I enjoy listening to various types of music and find this a good way to relax after a long day.  I am a naturally curious person and find myself reading a lot of articles/books or doing courses in my spare time.  The coaching course I’m attending now will certainly keep me busy until the end of the year!