KWL give back what you put in

Simon Forth, 51, is one of our Electrical and Street Light Supervisors at KWL, having taken up the position in recent weeks. This is his second experience with the company, initially joining the contracts side for 3 years in 2008, and later rejoining us as a Street Light Electrician.

He explains:

“I first came to KWL in search of electrical work some 13 years ago. When I found the contracts vacancy, it was an added bonus that it was with an employer that I recognised: KWL had an especially good reputation in the area. I enjoyed the time I spent in that role, organising projects such as Hull Fair and the Christmas lights, but the electrical work that would come in wasn’t the kind that interested me as much.

“Between 2011 and 2014, I had a complete change – working for a friend’s online car business. Having had such a positive experience with KWL however, I came full circle and decided to apply as a Street Light Electrician, a job which has kept me happy for the past 7 years.”

Simon says:

“If any of the staff go through personal struggles or issues – the pandemic for example has been especially challenging for us all – we are fully supported and given time to recover. You don’t get that everywhere. They constantly invest in the staff too with countless training opportunities. Ultimately, they give back what you put in. Hard work doesn’t go unrewarded.

“KWL is all about Health and Safety and this is to their credit. For the team, we put ourselves in potentially dangerous situations working on main roads, but every precaution is taken to keep us safe.”

Part of Simon’s work as a Supervisor involves implementing these safe working procedures, taking over from a colleague who has recently retired. He has completed a Traffic Management course covering how to design and implement traffic systems, which he describes as “one of the most important qualifications to have” in his role. His new responsibilities also include organising work for the operatives, securing permits for works in the city and obtaining quotes for clients.

He tells us:

“Working through lockdown actually didn’t affect the street lighting team to a great extent – as key workers, usually based outdoors, restrictions weren’t too much of an issue. Obviously more caution was taken, but working in open air was reassuring for us. In fact, having less pedestrians around and reduced traffic on the roads made our job easier.”

Working outdoors doesn’t stop there for Simon – outside of work, he regularly goes on walks in the countryside.

Hull born and bred, he likes to keep himself busy watching Formula One and going to watch his local team, Hull City.

Just a couple of months into the new job, Simon seems content:

“The best parts are working with the same team, going out to a variety of different jobs and ensuring the work is of high quality. With regards to the future, I’m fresh into this position, so my plan for now is to continue to enjoy it!”