Meet The Team at Allied Protek – Matt Rispin
One of the benefits of working with Allied Protek is access to our in-house design team, who deliver a tailored solution specific to our clients’ needs. From concept to installation, our draughtsmen are actively involved throughout the whole life cycle of the project.
In today’s “Meet the Team” blog we introduce you to Matt Rispin, who’s been a part of our fantastic design team since January 2018 and is currently based at our Runcorn office.
Tell us a little bit about your role and how you got into the engineering industry.
In my day-to-day role, I produce technical drawings for a variety of purposes. From concepts that assist our engineers and clients with decision-making, to detailed designs that our workshops will use for equipment manufacture.
I’ve had an interest in mechanical engineering for as long as I can remember, but my fabrication skills leave something to be desired… So, when leaving school at 16, I knew the best way forward for me was in a design role of some sort.
What would you want someone to know coming into this role?
There’s a misconception that apprenticeships are limited to ‘hands-on’ trades. I wish more young people knew that this wasn’t the case at all! When leaving school, I thought the only option to get into this role was via university. Doing an apprenticeship has been one of the best choices I ever made. I’ve been able to obtain a level 5 qualification and 9 years of ‘on-the-job’ experience without any student debts!
What attributes and skills help you in your job?
I’ve always had a good understanding of geometry and used to spend a lot of my free time drawing. This aside, the main advantages I have at work are that I enjoy what I do and get along with those I work with, so it doesn’t always feel like ‘work’ as such.
What’s something you’ve worked on that you’re most proud of?
I’m most proud of a large project that I’ve been working on for the last couple of years – a large factory extension in Germany, complete with packaging and process equipment. This was all the way from concept to completion.
Professionally, liaising with international suppliers and client engineers on-site taught me a lot. Personally, it felt like a real growth period. I was able to live abroad, meet new people and learn some of the language.
What are some of your favourite hobbies outside of work?
I try to keep fit, so I spend quite a lot of time in the gym. If I’m not there, then I’ll either be travelling or enjoying quality time with my friends.
If you’re interested in joining our brilliant team of professionals, please see our latest vacancies on the careers page.