Meet Our Graduates | James
Posted on July 13th, 2021
In June 2021, Walker Filtration Limited welcomed James Taylor to the Technical Department as a Graduate Engineer.
James started his career at Walker Filtration in the Medical Gas production team. Having developed an array of knowledge in the Production team, James was put forward for a position in the Graduate Scheme by his Production team manager who recognised his abilities and drive to succeed within the industry. The Graduate Scheme is designed to cater to the expertise of the graduate. James’ experience and production knowledge means that he is ideally placed to provide invaluable knowledge to the Technical team.
James shares his experience working at Walker Filtration and his new role as part of our Graduate Scheme.
What did you study before you joined Walker Filtration?
Before joining Walker Filtration, I graduated with a Mechanical and Automotive Engineering BEng degree from Northumbria University.
You started at Walker Filtration in the production team, what interested you about working in production?
A production role allowed me to gain valuable work experience at a time when graduate engineering positions were hard to come by due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw the opportunity to utilise both the technical skills from my degree, and my hands on experience with tools that I have gained from my own personal projects which include working on vehicles.
What are you most looking forward to in the Graduate Scheme?
I am particularly looking forward to developing my abilities using CAD software, as well as expanding my Engineering skill set and getting the opportunity to advance my career with Walker Filtration. My day to day allows me to explore different aspects of the company. I am already producing designs for Walker Filtration!
What was it that attracted you to the company?
Walker Filtration has gone through a rapid period of growth in recent years and that trend of growth is set to continue. Working for a rapidly expanding company established here in the UK is a great opportunity. Working in the Medical Gas Pipelines section as an operative I was fortunate to see this growth first-hand. I am looking forward to being able to continue to build and expand my skill set, as well as my career, throughout the Graduate Scheme.
Where do you see yourself after finishing the Graduate Scheme?
After gathering knowledge of both the production and technical side of the company, I would love to stay at Walker Filtration in the Technical team to further develop my expertise and contribute to the success of the company. Being part of the growth of Walker Filtration and the friendliness of the staff makes it an extremely rewarding place to work. Because the Graduate Scheme is only the beginning of my career, I hope that I will continue progressing and expanding my skillset.
What advice would you give to aspiring engineers?
Think outside of the box when it comes to gaining work experience. Graduating just before the pandemic meant the availability of graduate positions were limited, whilst the demand for production roles in vital sectors (i.e. medical and filtration) were greater than ever. Working in a production role you can gain industry experience and a level of product knowledge that is otherwise hard to gain. This knowledge is invaluable to my new role in the Technical team. My move from the Production team to the Technical team means I can start in the role with thorough understanding of the business model and the work ethic.
Finally, what is your favourite thing about working at Walker Filtration?
The people. Joining the company as a production operative I have constantly received support from my colleagues, lead operators, supervisors, and production manager to keep developing and moving forward.
Our Engineering Manager, Ryan Defty welcomes James to his team:
“James is a great addition to the Technical Department. His academic qualifications, inquisitive mind and experience gained in the production environment will be invaluable. James brings a strong theoretical understanding of engineering which we will now apply to the design and manufacture of Filtration products. James will continue to expand his engineering knowledge through both theoretical and practical methods to ensure he has a successful career with Walker Filtration. Welcome to the team.”