Kelly engineers first class success

A civil engineer is celebrating after becoming the first trained from scratch by Staffordshire County Council to win a first class honours degree.

Kelly Mullane, aged 26, works in the structures office of the authority’s highways department.

She previously took part in a four-year training course which was launched by the county council in 2002. “She then went on to successfully complete an HNC in Civil Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton.

Kelly, from Stoke-on-Trent, then started a BEng course at Coventry University which involved completing a variety of civil engineering modules. She also wrote a 10,000-word dissertation exploring the possibility of re-using waste materials from power stations and incinerators for use in road and bridge construction.

Kelly said she was thrilled that her hard work had paid off.

“I was a bit surprised when I found out my results and really pleased,” she said.

“I started at the county council when I was 20 and have loved every minute. The training scheme that I took part in gave me an excellent grounding in civil engineering and has enabled me to get to where I am today.

“I love problem-solving and calculations, so civil engineering seemed like the perfect job and I’m happy to say that I have never looked back since I started.”

David Wilson, head of Staffordshire’s highways department, said: “I am delighted that Kelly has achieved a first class honours degree.

“Her commitment and dedication to the field has shone. She will no doubt continue to be an asset to her department and the county.”