Four young people have been given their big career opportunity as a pioneering business continues to expand its team.
REACT Engineering, based in Cleator Moor, Cumbria, which throughout its successful 27 years has a core ethos of building its business on supporting its people to be the best they can be, has carried on its recruitment strategy throughout the pandemic.
One of four latest recruits joining the company in September, Cian Holliday has already experienced this after REACT made sure they found a way to continue his three-month summer placement during lockdown last year.
Cian said: “To be honest with all that was happening with Covid last year I didn’t think the placement would happen. But REACT were brilliant. They found a way to make it work, mostly remotely, and I am really grateful for that. I really enjoyed the placement. The people were great and they have a really good ethos.
“I am really looking forward to starting work there and getting to know all the different parts of the business and all the different companies they work with.”
Cian, 22, from Whitehaven, completed a Masters in Physics at Lancaster University in the summer having studied Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics at A-Level at St Benedict’s Sixth Form in Whitehaven.
Outside work Liverpool fan Cian is a keen amateur footballer having played for Whitehaven Amateurs.
Mat Willatt is also no stranger to REACT. Mat, 23, spent a year with the company as an Industrial Placement Student in 2019.
Mat, from Bristol, completed a Chemical Engineering degree at Nottingham University in the summer, and is looking forward to rejoining the REACT team after his previous placement.
Mat said: “I really enjoyed my year-long placement there. The team were great to work with and I am looking forward to getting back. It will be great when I am working there full-time to be able to see projects through from start to finish.”
Mat enjoys cycling, rock climbing and going to the gym and took some time out before starting work to travel the North Coast 500 route around the north of Scotland this summer.
Imogen Tait, 21, is following in Mat’s footsteps by joining REACT on a year-long Industry Placement, also from Nottingham University.
Imogen has finished the third year of her Aerospace Engineering Degree and will work at REACT for a year before completing the fourth and final year at university.
Imogen said: “I am really excited about joining REACT and about having a year in industry to gain that hands-on engineering experience which you don’t get from your studies.
“I am passionate about the effect engineering has on the environment and this is a unique opportunity to join a company which does interesting and important environmental work in how it approaches decommissioning projects.”
Imogen, brought up in Kent and with family in Devon, is a keen walker and lover of the outdoors and is also looking forward to exploring the Lake District on REACT’s doorstep.
Isobel Acey, 23, will join the company as a graduate process engineer after completing her Masters degree in Chemical Engineering, also at Nottingham University.
As part of her studies, she carried out a one-year work placement in the process safety department at Johnson Matthey’s refining precious metals site near Cambridge, and she is looking forward to getting started with REACT.
Isobel said: “I’m excited to work for a company specialising in nuclear clean-up and sustainability, and carrying out vital work as the world combats climate change.
“The variety of the work, problem solving and challenges involved is something I particularly enjoy.”
Isobel, who grew up in south Wales, has recently taken up open water swimming so is looking forward to moving to experiencing life in the Lake District. Isobel also plays the trumpet in her spare time.
Managing director Phil Redfern said: “The success of REACT is built on our people and we are fully committed to continuing to recruit talent into the business to help us grow and develop.
“It’s always been the way at REACT that we believe in giving people opportunities to be the best they can be. It’s an ethos which is at the core of the company.
“It has served us well over 27 very successful years and we will continue to look to recruit and expand as our business grows and diversifies.
“All four of our new recruits have taken different routes into the world of work including those who have been on placements with us previously. It’s very satisfying to see that they have enjoyed those opportunities so much that they want to join the company. It shows there are lots of different ways to take that first step on a career ladder.
“We look forward to welcoming Isobel, Imogen, Cian and Mat to the team and are confident they will enjoy playing their part in helping to shape REACT’s exciting future.”
For further information about REACT, including recruitment opportunities, visit www.react-engineering.co.uk
