The skillset obtained by people in the Army ranges from maintenance through to engineering and beyond. Having been tested and developed ‘in the field’, they have great potential for work in other sectors, including rail. In our depots and factories across the world, we actively hire veterans with those honed skills.
Hear from Matt Dickenson, Head of Heavy Maintenance Delivery for UK West, as he describes how his career at Hitachi Rail has been built on a strong foundation of Army skills.
From the Army to a career with Hitachi Rail
I joined Hitachi Rail as Production Planning Manager on the first day of passenger service for the Class 80x fleet in Oct 2017. After 18 months in my first role, I was promoted to Maintenance Planning Strategy Manager, responsible primarily for modifications. Since then, I have moved to Head of Heavy Maintenance Delivery for the West and seen many successful projects to completion.
Prior to this, I spent 23 years in the Armed Forces. I was a Vehicle Mechanic in the Corps of Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (REME) and during my career I deployed on operations to the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Army, whether I was filling sandbags to help flood relief in Gloucester, or operating in the desert in Iraq. Over the years, I was promoted through the ranks rising to Warrant Officer Class 1.
In order to prepare myself for leaving the Army, I studied for a master’s degree, became a Chartered Engineer and gained project management qualifications. Little did I know I left the army with a tremendous amount lot of highly valuable and transferable skills.
A mindset that helps veterans thrive
I feel that confidence gained in the Army is a tangible thing; it is what has led me to succeed in my various roles at Hitachi Rail. Every day, I feel I have the ability to tackle almost any task with determination and a ‘can do’ attitude. It has most definitely helped me progress and thrive in the rail industry, which I knew very little about prior to joining. Projects for rolling stock at Hitachi Rail are complex and often require perseverance. Thanks to my experience, I can deliver on projects which are transforming rail in the UK.
I also attend recruitment events on behalf of the business for other veterans. It has been a pleasure to hire several service leavers into various roles across the business, and it is incredibly rewarding to see another person with shared Armed Forces experiences move their career into rail.
Using digital technology for efficient operation
Recently, my team have been fitting digital technology to the Class 802 fleet for Great Western Railway. It gives us the capability to carry out remote condition monitoring of the fleet and is a huge step forward for Hitachi Rail which will revolutionise our maintenance planning in the future.
Utilising management skills to improve team performance
For me, working with a diverse and motivated team at Hitachi Rail is what made my transition from the Army in to rail so enjoyable and relatively seamless. I am fortunate enough to work with some incredible people from a range of backgrounds, including but not limited to the Armed Forces.
We work together to deliver high standards and are helping to continually improve British rail.
It has been and continues to be a brilliant experience!
