Ï㽶ÊÓƵ

Each year, most Harper Adams University students take theory from the classroom and translate it into hands-on practical experience during placement. 

Whilst spending his year in industry at Balfour Beatty Rail Services, Agricultural Engineering (MEng) student Joshua Tapner creatively utilised our state-of-the-art Engineering facilities, expert staff and technicians to raise awareness for Movember. 

In this guest blog, Joshua shares how working with the Harper Adams Engineering Department has helped highlight an important cause that promotes discussions about men’s mental and physical health. 

 At Balfour Beatty Rail Plant, we take pride in creating a workplace culture that values innovation, collaboration, and community spirit.  

A cornerstone of that culture is our award-winning MyContribution (MyC) programme, which empowers colleagues to share ideas that make a real difference. In fact, MyC was recognised as the Best Use of Voice of the Employee award at the 2023 Engage Awards. 

This month, our focus turned to an important cause: men’s health. The inspiration came through MyC, where Stuart Fraser (Subject Matter Expert) and Tim Reynolds suggested a creative idea – adding moustaches to our machines in support of Movember. The concept immediately struck a chord with me, and plans were set in motion to bring it to life. 

As an Engineering student from Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, currently completing an industrial placement with the Central Engineering Team at Balfour Beatty Rail Plant and working closely with the Harper Adams Engineering Department, I was able to access their state-of-the-art testing facilities, expert technicians, and academic staff to carry out tests on magnetic moustaches – which would then be produced by Medash Signs. The tests confirmed they were well-suited for use on rail vehicles, meeting the necessary requirements. 

Since then, I’ve been dubbed the “Chief ’Tache Officer”, travelling across the country to ‘tache up’ our Tamper and TRAMM fleet. What began as a light-hearted idea has grown into a meaningful initiative, raising awareness for men’s health, strengthening our sense of community, and showcasing the power of employee-driven innovation and wellbeing at Balfour Beatty Rail Plant. 

You can support the Balfour Beatty Movember Fundraising Page