Caterpillar Careers take centre stage at Plantworx

by Peter Haddock

With the sun shining, operators digging, and deals being done, it was great to be back at Plantworx this year. So, when I visited the Caterpillar stand, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was focused and themed on Cat careers.

Of course, the stand had a dig area, and the team had brought some of its equipment and engines to display. But the big news was all about jobs, skills and career opportunities.

With people being critical to the success of our sector, I sought out my good friend Sam Mottram to learn more about Caterpillar in the UK.

Sam: "Over 10,000 people in the UK work for one of the Caterpillar brands, and we have been in the UK since the 1950s. Today, we have 24 locations, making everything from backhoe loaders and articulated trucks to developing specialist services like Cat Financial.

Of course, our Perkins engines factory is just down the road in Peterborough, and they don't just make engines, as the team is also supporting our electrification journey with new battery solutions.

"This is why we have such a wide range of roles available that not only support our machines and engines but also our financial services and the new energy transition projects we are now undertaking.

"Yes, you can be an engineer, but you can also work in roles as diverse as a HR placement student to working in supply chain, or logistics, marketing, IT, electrification and much more. We are always looking for great talent across the business."

Having worked with the Cat brand for over 18 years, I have witnessed how the business takes its employees on a career pathway into different roles, giving them a broader knowledge of the industry. And, of course, how Caterpillar works across the globe with independent dealers like Finning UK & Ireland. So, I asked Sam about his personal journey.

Sam: "I have worked with Caterpillar for 20 years and have been in many different roles, even representing the business as part of the work we do with the CEA. I first joined as a design engineer and then worked overseas in our product group teams and our dealer facing sales teams, before working as a commercial manager and today as a global leader focused on aftermarket and attachments growth within our Building Construction Products division.

"I even spent a year with our Resource Industries mining division in an aftermarket role. Throughout this journey, I have met great people, Caterpillar is truly a global village and I have been privileged to travel around the world to see it.

"Since I joined, a lot has changed, but the support of the Caterpillar family has remained a key part of my journey. And today, we invest in not just skills development but also individual and team support. For example, we have employee resource groups like our Women's Initiative Network and Lambda, which helps to create an inclusive environment for our LGBTQ+ community. We want everyone to feel welcome and included in our business."

When it comes to finding employees to fill its numerous roles, Caterpillar has ''Talent Acquisition Managers'' which is a great title, and thankfully, Sam was able to introduce me to one of the team, Alison Ward.

Her role is about filling the early talent pipeline in the UK, including apprenticeship, placement and graduate positions.

Explaining the roles and opportunities, Alison said: "Last year saw our largest ever intake of apprentices and graduates, and we are looking to recruit more this year.

“It's an exciting time in the sector at the moment, reflecting the roles we are trying to fill. For example, a lot of our products now use advanced technologies and software, and we are continuing our electrification journey, having recently announced new products.

“This is why we continue to develop our career pathways and support programmes, some of which are designed to rotate individuals through different disciplines.

“This is a great way of getting a full and rounded experience of the Caterpillar business whilst working in inclusive and diverse teams. We also see huge benefits from our dual approach to apprenticeships and graduate training programmes, as these individuals work well together to develop our new products and solutions.

“Much like Sam explained, there is no telling where your career with Caterpillar can lead you. This is why we wanted to use Plantworx as an opportunity for people to speak to our latest recruits and those who have been with the business for some time.

“We have already had some applicants from the show, and there are plenty of roles to fill, so I would encourage anyone to get in touch through our careers’ website www.caterpillar.com/careers“