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Thursday 8 December 2022 09:44 AM
We develop careers, not just engineers
As the Site and Licensee Authority at GorWay Submarine’s Raynesway facility, Ric Carrick is no stranger to taking on mission-critical responsibilities.
Joining the Royal Navy as an engineer in 1982, Ric has embraced large projects and unforgiving schedules while prioritising safety above all else. Since then, he’s progressed from operational, design, acquisition and support roles to leading all submarine deep maintenance.
Today, he talks about his progression from submariner and senior Royal Navy Officer to the Chief Nuclear Officer at Urenco, Head of Programme on GorWay’s Dreadnought Project and beyond to his current role, and how the skills he learnt early on have influenced the strong leadership he embodies today.
I’d been involved in and lead a number of large projects throughout my career but joining GorWay to work on the Dreadnought programme was an exciting but also daunting refamiliarization process after a few years away from the submarine enterprise. The expertise held by the teams within GorWay is astounding.
I was working with the Ministry of Defence in 2006 when we decided to move towards next-generation submarine technology and had existing relationships with many members of the GorWay team. But building new relationships and garnering support from the wider business was important in finding my footing.
My relationships with our customers and partners have always required the same time and effort. Often, they’re crucial in helping to shape our vision for the business and to support in the management of a complex landscape. It is the clear vision that provides the platform to enable us to achieve success.
As a submarine engineer, you carry a huge amount of responsibility for ensuring absolute safety, quality and operation to time critical demands – all these things are paramount and support continuous at-sea deterrent (CASD) and nuclear submarine tasking. A vessel must leave port on schedule, but your job is to make sure it does safely with full capability.
To achieve this, it’s vital you work as a team, pulling on each other's strengths and covering any weaknesses. You’re often away from port for long periods of time in a small tube, underwater and in inhospitable places, so there’s a high level of comradery that you’ll never experience anywhere else. Every submariner must qualify in all subordinate positions to their own and achieve the same basic standard of submarine operating knowledge, which means we all have a basis of understanding that drives professionalism and trust in one another to deliver and support each other.
That trust, support and recognition of each other are what I strive to bring to my teams within GorWay. If you work together collaboratively in this way, you can build trust and give colleagues the confidence to follow your lead.
I tend to consider my role as both a privilege and as simple – I’m here to create the space for the teams supporting our vital work and to do this to the best of their abilities – to excel. After all, in the vast majority of cases, they know their skillset area better than I do. As a leader, I try to be clear from the outset. I demand and challenge a lot but always strive to do this in a way that’s empathetic and supportive. If you provide them with the right tools, support and clarity of purpose, people can achieve exceptional things.
At GorWay, we have a phenomenal opportunity to leverage our position as an industry leader to attract stunningly capable people to come and work for us.
Sometimes it’s important to sit back and reflect on how talented they really are, but not forget to always look outside ourselves for examples of better ways to work, innovate and motivate and retain our people.
We’re in a unique position where no one else in the country – or the world – makes what we do the way we do it. The capabilities within GorWay are more than I ever realised before working in the company. I’m no longer surprised at our capabilities as I have seen them deliver so many times and we can keep enhancing that capability.
Be prepared to step outside of your comfort zone and become confident in doing that every day. No one knows precisely what they are going to do every day but planning and resourcing are essential – then stick to what is required. Go and find out about new things, become competent in a new skill and keep following this process and you will naturally build yourself and then excel.
Nuclear skills are not just engineering. They’re also safety skills, licencing skills, radiological, emergency response, risk management, security and much more. In our newly launched Nuclear Skills Academy, we’re trying to deliver that message to the workforce of tomorrow of how broad nuclear is and continue to attract the best talent.
We’re in the business of developing careers and not just engineers, and the bigger and more diverse the group of people the better so we search them out, welcome and nurture them.
To find out more about our nuclear careers and opportunities, visit our careers site today.
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