Did you know that we have Graduate Scheme at Bouygues Energies & Services? In fact, we invest heavily in it. Graduates who join us benefit from an extensive range of personal and professional development opportunities, and a strong support network. 

We spoke to Innovation Project Manager, Nicola Wilson, who has very recently joined the company in a permanent position after finishing her time on our two year Graduate Scheme. Here's what she had to say about it.

Tell us a bit about you and your role. 
I’m Nicola and I’m an Innovation Project Manager based in the Digital Transformation and Innovation (DTI) team. I have just come off the Bouygues Energies & Services General Management graduate scheme into my permanent position. 

What do you do in your day to day? 
I manage the Makers programme and am working to embed Makers more into the company. The Makers programme is our employee-led innovation programme, empowering employees at all levels to bring forward ideas, projects and solutions that can positively impact the business. I’m involved in supporting and promoting great ideas and encouraging all employees to get engaged in innovation!

My favourite part of my role is providing support and coaching session to employees with great ideas. As well as the Makers programme, I’m also the UK representative for the Smart Melody innovation programme, which oversees larger scale R&D innovation projects.
 
In addition to innovation programmes, I’m responsible for innovation governance, which is the structure in place to set direction for innovation. This consists of innovation champions, a core team and a steering committee. This allows for great ideas, needs or challenges to be fed up from champions, support and quick decisions to be reached from the core team and for direction and decisions to be made by the steering committee. This structure energises innovation and pushes for innovation to happen quicker.

What’s the biggest challenge in your role? 
Brilliant ideas are submitted to the Makers programme for a range of different use cases. I would really like to see more contracts adopt ideas that have already been implemented elsewhere in the business, as a quick win for some challenging issues. Contracts can find this information in the monthly Makers section in the Keep Connected emails, which summarise the best ideas shared that month. We also need to ensure that contracts adopt the right solution that suits them best, rather than using a blanket approach. 

What are you most proud of since starting out at Bouygues Energies & Services? 
I’m most proud of achieving a permanent position within DTI after leaving the graduate scheme. I get to work on exciting innovation topics whilst meeting with new people each day. 

I’m also a Reverse Digital Mentor and recently delivered a session on ‘Social Media and E-Reputation’. My mentee recommended me to the CEO of an external company who we work closely with and asked me to deliver a bespoke session. I received great feedback for this and I was able to directly see a change on the individual’s approach to social media following the session. 

What do you like most about working at Bouygues Energies & Services?
The best part about the company is the people. There is a culture of friendliness and cooperation which makes it such an enjoyable place to work! I highly recommend joining networks, champion communities and positions outside of your core role to make you really feel a part of the business.

How do you think the Graduate Scheme will benefit your development in the long-term?
The rotational nature of the graduate scheme has allowed me to experience many different roles within Bouygues E&S and each placement gave me a new insight to a particular team or contract. This has been hugely beneficial for me in understanding the business and industry, which I make full use of within my role. Longer term, I think it’s important to have this broad understanding across different teams and contracts in order to progress within the company.

The graduate scheme has also built my network and exposure, which has allowed me to get involved with more opportunities, projects or roles outside of my core role.

What would you say to someone considering applying for the Graduate Scheme?
Definitely apply! 

The graduate scheme at Bouygues Energies & Services is rotational and allows you to get a taster for different roles and departments. You gain a range of skills, including project management, presentation skills and much more. There are numerous learning and development opportunities such as an outbound trip away to develop competencies, a LinkedIn Learning licence and in-class training opportunities (Project Management, Lean Six Sigma, Presentation Skills, etc). 

Where do you see yourself this time next year?
This time next year I’d like to be in the swing of my new Innovation Project Manager role and have supported more solutions be deployed in the business. 

Find out more about our Graduate Programme here.