We are fortunate at Cornwall Consultants to have a fantastic team of staff, many have been with us for some time, whilst others, such as Dylan Ward, have recently completed their first year and are fast becoming part of the furniture. It is with this in mind that we thought we would take the chance to unpick his time here in a little more detail and uncover just exactly what he has been up to during his first 12 months….
Why did you want to work with Cornwall Consultants?
I started with Cornwall Consultants just over a year ago in May 2021 having been drawn by the diversity of projects and the fast turnaround of work. I knew I would be able to learn and develop both professioanly and personally here, working with a wide variety of unique and interesting project briefs. As a graduate of the Camborne School of Mines it felt natural stepping into a role which focused on mining and geology in Cornwall and Devon. I was excited to take on a role which neatly balanced office life with site based work. Over the past year, come rain or shine, my role has allowed me to extensively explore amazing hidden corners of the south west I would have otherwise not have visited. This has included a Site Walkover on a 1000 acre farm situated on the exposed terrain of Bodmin Moor as well as Mining Investigations in small intricate valleys leading down to stunning Cornish beaches.
What has been your most challenging projects to date?
The most challenging but interesting and motivating projects I have worked on have been where I have undertaken a combination of services all on one site. These services include Mining Investigations, Geotechnical Investigations and Land Contamination Assessments. I find these most satisfying because throughout the project, a full picture of the geological conditions of a site is developed and produced for the client which provides them with a comprehensive understanding of the ground conditions. I also enjoy completing and managing multiple projects from the initial communications with clients right through to issuing the report and any follow up customer care.
There was also the mammoth Site Walkover which I mention above. This was extremely challenging and physically demanding as it required me to cover the 1000 acres during one day!! However, this was also one of the most enjoyable days of work I have completed as luckily, the sun was shining and I was able to carry my equipment to most locations using our 4 x 4 off-road truck.
What have you learned and how have you grown over the last year?
Until starting work at Cornwall Consultants and familiarising myself with their extensive mining archive and inhouse GIS (Geographic Information System) database, I was not aware of how historic and extensive mine workings in the southwest are. Particularly during my first few months, I remember realising just how huge a risk these historic mining features pose to modern day living, it truly surprised me.
Similarly, the depth and breadth of my knowledge and understanding of the geology and mining features in the south west has developed exponentially over the past year. I can now independently undertake the large majority of the varied services Cornwall Consultants offers, from sifting through hundreds of sources of information whilst completing desktop reports to travelling far and wide to undertake intrusive ground investigations and producing interpretive reports. Twelve months ago, the thought of managing multiple varying projects all over the south west would have been daunting to me, however now I thrive on taking on new challenges and tasks, focusing on good client communication, quality of work and ensuring projects are delivered on time. All things I know Cornwall Consultants pride themselves on.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of working at Cornwall Consultants?
I really enjoy being part of our relatively small team, working effectively together on a variety of complex and dynamic projects. Our office and team, based in Camborne, is so efficient as we have all the resources, facilities and software to tackle large complex projects whilst being small and local enough to maintain effective communication between teams and clients. We manage to successfully do this whilst ensuring attention to detail and fast turnaround times. This means I regularly work closely with senior team members and I am able to speak directly with our director if I have a particularly complex scenario, just to keep him on his toes! I also enjoy that Cornwall Consultants promotes a healthy sustainable work-life balance, encouraging personal development and providing me the opportunity to make the most of everything that Cornwall has to offer.
What are the next steps for you and what do you hope to achieve in the coming year?
Moving forward, I hope to continue developing my skills, knowledge and understanding of more complex geological situations as this will allow me to take on more challenging and interesting projects. This could include the remediation of mine features, slope stability assessments and coastal vulnerability assessments. I am looking forward to continuing to take on projects and exploring the south west, building on my achievements in what has been a truly fantastic first year at Cornwall Consultants!