Ayomide Olukoya

Electrical Engineer, London Underground
Joined September 2010

My journey

As a telecommunications engineering graduate, the electrical engineering graduate scheme was aligned with my degree. Moreover, while at university, the complexity of a second year control systems project, "Implementation of a traffic light at a junction", fascinated me and made me hunger for an opportunity to apply academic skills to practical engineering situations of this nature.

Choosing to work with TfL meant that I would be one of the 28,000 people responsible for keeping seven million Londoners moving daily. Doing my job right means that new businesses can spring up, friendships are reunited and most importantly London is continuously moving. Having such influence has also come with many great responsibilities which provide a fantastic platform for me to grow as a young professional engineer.

Since joining the graduate scheme, I have worked on various project teams within the capital projects directorates including the Power and Cooling team which is responsible for upgrading mid-tunnel shafts to reduce, remove and, where possible, relocate heat from London Underground tunnels. I have also worked with the Victoria Line Upgrade team checking the feasibility of a modification to the doors on the new 09TS trains which would eradicate false failures due to activation of sensitive edge seals by passengers' garments or luggage.

My learning

Having joined the graduate scheme with little or no professional experience, the opportunities provided to me have elevated my understanding of engineering as a profession, and how engineering contributes to our modern society. The level of development I have achieved has been phenomenal - I have received more training than envisaged. Right from the very first day, there have been people positioned to guide my development every step of the way, with an informal buddy, a mentor, a relentless scheme advisor, a sponsor and colleagues on each placement.

During the first few months on the scheme, I had the opportunity to help commuting passengers at a busy station, be a train driver under supervision and attended many "soft" skill training courses. I have also been privileged to be given the opportunity to attend high level meetings, to prepare and facilitate a railway development project for Year 9s at a residential in Nottingham which was organised by a charity which focuses on technology. All these early experiences have helped me to appreciate different aspects of the business and enabled me to think from all angles for problem solving.

My future

As I move on to the second and final year of the graduate scheme, I plan to explore other areas of the business. I have mapped out a series of placements including taking up a placement within the Asset Performance directorate, working with Surface Transport on a placement which aims to further integrate TfL's transport links and an external placement with Greater London Authority.

I am very excited about the 2012 Games and I look forward to leaving my mark on the sand of times. I also look forward to helping out with career fairs and some of TfL's outreach programmes to teenagers especially those from ethnic minorities.

The experiences, skills and competencies I have gained and will gain in this year assure me that I will have a sound engineering career foundation and I plan to keep trying to make London a first class city with a first class transport system.