Graduate Blog

Every year our LogiKal graduates programme takes in graduates from a range of disciplines and backgrounds. Our graduates receive world-class training, providing an in-depth and comprehensive programme of activities designed to help our graduates develop and grow.

Would you like to find out more about what life as a LogiKal graduate is like? Click below to read what our grads had to say during their first 5 weeks.

2022 Graduate Blog
2022 Grad Scheme - Wk 1

Focus on your breath. You are here for a reason. You are on the path.

There is an infinite pool of affirmations that I could have pulled from to steady my nerves on the first day of our graduate programme at Logikal. Those were the three that I went with.

Walking through the impressive stone pillars of Aviation House was intimidating, and yet validating for me. It felt exactly like what it was; the beginning of something. The beginning of our five-week intensive training programme, after which we will be placed with an actual client to work on a real-world project.

Here we go.

Day 1 started as you might expect – a warm welcome and lots of essential admin. After meeting my fellow graduates, we were taken upstairs and introduced to the team and the office-space. Nicola provided us with our laptops, our officially licensed merch, and gave us an in-depth breakdown of what was in store for us over the coming weeks.

Later, we had a sit down with Andy and Val who told us about how their professional journey has unfolded since they were sat in the same seats as us a few years ago. At the end of the day, Jen took us all for some team-bonding exercises in the pub around the corner. And no, it wasn’t Spoons.

Our second day was when our training formally commenced. Martin took us through the principles of planning and scheduling. With a bright orange can of Monster energy in hand, he enlightened us on the fundamental mechanics of project controls including: the work breakdown structure, task dependencies, project planning, scheduling software, and uncertainty & risk management.

Martin’s friendly aura and light-hearted approach to the exercises helped assuage much our collective anxieties. After the final whistle blew for the day, we went downstairs to take advantage of the free beer taps for more team-bonding.

Day 3 was spent with Ona learning about cost management. This was a decidedly more technical day for us as it involved several exercises centred around cost control, budget development, risk analysis & cost reporting. Here, Ona’s expertise shone as we were guided through the maelstrom of formulae and calculations. It was inspiring to see how the training that we are currently receiving is put into action in the real-world.

Our fourth day was designated for self-study in order to help us consolidate all that we had learned over the previous two days. I spent most of it collaborating with the rest of my cohort to work through the bulk of the cost management exercises. We then finished the day with some more team-bonding. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this group of grads – the energy between us is warm & nurturing.

On day 5 we were assigned to a colleague at Logikal in order to shadow them for the day. This is a core component of the training programme and occurs at the end of each week. Daisy and I were sent to spend the day with Dale from the Bristol office. After just one hour with Dale, I was able to grasp the scale of operations not just at Logikal but within the whole Project Controls industry. The portfolio that he is responsible for and the ways in which he can manage them all through a selection of scheduling programmes is remarkable!

Dale took the time to comprehensively explain the scope of his role and how he carried it out. This helped us connect the training we had received during the week to real-world projects. I’m sure you can work out for yourselves how we finished off Day 5.

My three main takeaways from my first week at Logikal are: there is an incredible scope for growth & development here, the “Logikal Way” is not just a buzzy slogan stamped on the website, and that here they really do provide you with the tools & support for you to succeed in your career.

Thank you for your time.

– George

2022 Grad Scheme - Wk 2

After a busy first week, week two started off with an introduction to project controls with Dale. This consisated of an explanation of what project controls is as a whole and gave us an overview of what we are going to be learning in the coming weeks, so we have some basic knowledge going into the training sessions.

On Tuesday, we had our second self-study day. This allowed us to collate all that we had learnt so far in the training and work together, combining our knowledge so we all understood everything as best as we could. As this self-study day was quite early in the week, it allowed us to focus again on the things we had learnt in week one.

The next two days were focused on Primavera P6, a software that was new to us all. At first glance, the idea that I would even be able to understand the basics of it after two days seemed unrealistic to me… to my surprise, after just a few hours and a detailed introduction from Richard, I already felt much more confident using P6. By the end of the day, we were able to work our way around the software, create a new project, create a WBS, schedule activities and link these through relationships. Day 2 of our P6 training started with expanding on what we had learnt yesterday, in the afternoon, Anthony provided us with an exercise that we worked through to create our own project schedule from scratch. This exercise was really helpful because it allowed us to work through independently, putting everything we had learnt in the past two days into practice, whilst also being able to lean on Anthony and Richard if there were any areas we weren’t sure about. By the end of our two days, I felt far more comfortable with the seemingly daunting software.

And just like that it was Friday again and time for another shadowing day. This week I was with some of my fellow graduates, shadowing David, Luke, and Bradley who teamed up for the session. They gave us an overview of each of their projects and talked us through some of their daily and weekly jobs and meetings. They then talked us through a live schedule from one of their projects, giving us a deeper insight into what P6 can do on a live project. It was really helpful having Luke in this session as we knew that he was in our position last year, this meant we could question him about the assessments and training we are facing in the coming weeks and months, but it was also good as it allowed us to see how he has already progressed in just a year! After a great second week, we headed downstairs to make use of the free beer taps to start of the weekend.

I think I speak on behalf of all my fellow graduates when I say the first two weeks have been great, it’s been a whirlwind of information, but they have absolutely flown by. Everyone has been really welcoming and keen to answer any questions we have had. I am really looking forward to getting placed on a project and applying everything that we have learnt throughout the training.

-Daisy

2022 Grad Scheme - Wk 3

We started this week’s training with a day on risk management led by Martin. We covered everything from risk identification to risk response and audits. It was interesting to learn how professionals address risks and the approaches they take to resolve/mitigate the consequences.

We spent Wednesday re-capping our knowledge which was very helpful for me as I prefer taking extra time to go over and absorb all the content covered over the last week. I developed a poster in a piece of software I picked up during the first shadowing session; to introduce myself to the company at the staff meeting on Thursday (Power BI if anyone is interested). I worked on excel after that and learned a few new things about Excel macros. We ended up creating mini quizzes for each other for the last few hours of the day to test our knowledge and learn from each other.

On Thursday we had an earned value management (EVM) session with Ona. It was an intriguing session and I enjoyed hearing about Ona’s expertise on the subject. It was great to hear her share her industry experience and case studies of when she had to apply the concepts covered in the course. I certainly need next week’s self-study day to fully understand it haha.

I spent Friday shadowing Anthony and Jananee with Paco. We went to the network Rail office, and it was great to see the life of a consultant from yet another angle. We attended a project update meeting which was very interesting and put our training in perspective. I loved discovering another part of London and talking to last year’s graduate about her experience, I have learned a lot, and I cannot wait to go on a project myself!

You’ve got this guys!

-Adrian

2022 Grad Scheme - Wk 4

With similar exposures to the first three weeks, week four was filled with knowledge and hands-on industry experience by having the opportunity to self-study, utilise Powerproject, learn advanced excel skills, go over organisational change, contract change, principles of construction, and finally ending the week with amazing exposure to one of London’s biggest projects.

Monday

Self-study day on day one of week four was an amazing way to start the week by gathering our thoughts and equipping our knowledge to be further expanded during the weekly planned training sessions.

Tuesday

Equipped with sound judgment and teaching experience, a triple dose of Martin could highlight key elements of Powerproject whereby he transferred us the necessary skill to utilize the software confidently.

Wednesday

Nevertheless, organisation change was another interesting training that highlighted the importance of people when any organisation desires a change in the way they operate. Kaan Ozarda’s effort was demonstrated by showing us the importance of people’s reactions when implementing a business transformation whether a change in system or process. On the other hand, Micheal Frain provided us with key information and what to expect when contract change occurs in certain situations. Michael was able to transform theory into real-time context by demonstrating a piece contract change process of the client he works for. Not only this, but Michael also highlighted the importance of following the process that is put in place when a change in scope of work is being implemented. Wrapping up our Wednesday, Andrew Clayton (Andy) offered his amazing interaction with a great sense of humour and industry exposure. Andy helped us by interacting with us and offered his knowledge by training us on the principles of construction projects.

Thursday

Finalising our week before going to a real-time project site on Friday, the second dose of Kaan Ozarda helped us take our excel to another level. His experience and efforts were demonstrated by having us work on a wide variety of exercises prepared by him with sound judgment and challenging for us to work on.

Friday

The tideway project was a great experience with Gamza Ozdamer as she walked us through various aspects of the project and various reporting strategies. Gamze was able to equip us with the necessary techniques that helped elevate our reporting abilities. This shadowing day was a great way to reflect on our training sessions and mirror our acquired knowledge on-site in real life context.

Grad Blog 2022 Project site visit picture

– Richard

2022 Grad Scheme - Wk 5

After walking into the Logikal London office every day for the past month, us Grads can’t help but feel a little emotional. Training month comes to an end, and everyone feels like we have known each other for years. From learning all there is to project controls together, to drinking together after a long day of the grind, these moments will be a memory we will hold close to our hearts.

This week started with a self-study day to let us reflect on our notes in preparation for the end of month assessment. The Grads could see everyone was nervous, but we did our best to support each other. Everyone was testing each other with flash cards and questions, and some of us went through the excel and p6 software to see how well we can tackle those. This group effort really helped us solidify the foundation for the topics that we covered earlier in the training month. We left for home feeling our nerves were calmed knowing that we Grads can get through anything together.

Tuesday and Wednesday were the last two learning sessions for the month. Tuesday, Olivia, the expert on Marketing and Business Development introduced the enterprise side of Logikal and the importance of our potential contributions towards the growth of Logikal. This really made us understand that marketing and business development are both equally important in driving the company to the next level of progression.

Building on what Oliva had taught us, Ian, one of LogiKal’s directors, took us through commercial management. He explained to us about the financial side of projects and contracts. Having been an ex-commercial manager himself, he was able to give us great insider knowledge into the subject, as well as the importance of building business for LogiKal.

Thursday was the day of our final assessment. Overall it was pretty intense – we had an interview with Andy covering risk and cost controls, a P6 and Excel assessment and a multiple-choice exam on cost management. Despite feeling stressed, the assessment was not pass or fail, but more to see what we had learnt over the past weeks and see what areas we needed to improve on. Afterwards, we got to finish early and headed to a nearby bowling alley to celebrate. I did better in the assessment than I did at bowling. After bowling, we convinced everyone to go to spoons and continue celebrating.

I think I speak for all grads in saying we wouldn’t have gotten through this without the amount of help and support from grad buddies’ team and all the colleagues that came for learning sessions and shadowing. Even those who come into the office just to talk with us. From both Logikal’s side and the personal aspects, you guys deserve so much credit that words aren’t enough to describe how thankful Adrian, Daisy, George, Maisie, Richard, and I are. Hopefully, we can catch up with all of you guys soon!! And to the grads in 2023, whether we’re in London, Birmingham, or Bristol, I wish you guys many blessings and good luck with a new chapter in your careers.

– Maisie and Paco

2021 Graduate Blog
2021 Grad Scheme - Wk 1

We all arrived on the Monday with slight apprehension as to how the training would unfold. The first day nerves were eased swiftly with a warm welcome and induction training where we introduced ourselves to one another and found out more about LogiKal.

Training wise, the first week centred around Excel and the Principles of Planning. The Excel training was comprehensive, spanning the nitty-gritty aspects of formatting tables and graphs to the more daunting formulas used to extract information from data sets. Principles of planning focussed on the fundamentals of starting projects, where we learnt key theories and concepts surrounding organising and curating project schedules. The course leaders Martin and Rory lessened the workload by explaining the information concisely and answering the many questions we had. Also, the self-study day enabled us to consolidate anything covered during the week.

Friday was dedicated to shadowing which provided further insight into the projects LogiKal consultants were currently working on. We were able to ask consultants questions about project work and life more generally at LogiKal. In addition to this, we learnt about the software required to organise and plan projects. We were also offered some helpful advice from former graduates regarding the training period and how to get the most of it.

At the end of each day, we gathered in the main area taking advantage of the free beer taps. At different points, the group were joined by several welcoming people from around the company. The atmosphere and culture of LogiKal have made us feel comfortable from the get-go. We are all eager to meet everyone and continue with the training period.

Looking forward to week two!

Luke

2021 Grad Scheme - Wk 2

After an eventful first week of understanding the principles of planning and scheduling with Martin and going through a variety of Excel functions with Rory, week two started off with a self-study session where we had the opportunity to collate and process the information we were given. During this time, we managed to complete notes on planning and scheduling and explore numerous Excel functions from the IF to VLOOOKUP. Overall, we would classify it as a successful day of work.

The next two days were fascinating where we were introduced to the management software Primavera P6, taught by the P6 guru himself Clem. The software itself was new to all of us, so the first day of training was mainly navigating around it and familiarising ourselves with the various parameters within P6. In addition to, understanding the calculations P6 does for a project by working out our own critical path network for a sample project. At the end of day 1, we were able to create a WBS, to schedule a group of activities and assign relationships between them. Day 2 of P6 training was adding more steps to the ones we learnt. Where we were taught how to allocate resources and roles to the activities we created, find out the budgeted and actual cost for each activity, and be able to do resource levelling for the project.

After the two days of P6 training, Thursday of week 2 began with our introduction to Project Controls with Dale. The session consisted of a clear identification of what project controls is and how it functions as a subset to Project Management.  However, the factor that Dale consistently emphasised the importance of, was Safety in the workplace. He gave off a sense of responsibility by explaining how companies with large projects, would not class their project as successful had it involved the jeopardy of anyone’s safety.

On Thursday, we had to leave training early to make our train towards Birmingham and meet the UK North team for the team meeting and social. Upon arrival, we were amazed at how lively the Birmingham team were, their warm welcome was accompanied by a variety of pizza’s which was great. We also briefly introduced ourselves in the team meeting whilst on call to the UK South team via Microsoft teams. As soon as the team meeting finished, it was time for the quarterly UK North social. This social consisted of Darts at Flight Club and a lot of drinks were going around all night. This was a great opportunity for us to get to know the UK North team.

Friday arrived and it was time for our weekly shadowing experience. This week, we were assigned with Emrah and Can who are currently working with BBV on the megaproject HS2. David, who was the planning manager at the office, also popped in to provide us with valuable advice and information regarding the contractual aspects of major projects. Emrah and Can showed us the application of P6 relating to their current job role and the importance of the hierarchy of schedule levels. They also provided us with great insight on what to expect with the project delivery teams on site.

Overall, the first two weeks have flown by and have been a great learning experience. We look forward to the rest of the training period and getting to know as many people from the LogiKal team as we can.

Panushan & Ahmed

2021 Grad Scheme - Wk 3

Week 3 kicked off with a self-study session where we looked to reinforce our knowledge gained in the previous week with Dale on Project controls and practice the skills learnt with Clem on P6. We had some down time where we played some table tennis and table football.

The first training course of the week was delivered by Sophie who covered cost management and its importance within project controls. We went through numerous business case appraisals, cost estimating, cost control, cost reporting along with key performance parameters. During the session, practice exercises were given where we put our excel skills to the test to complete cost related tasks.

Sanjay delivered the next session in Earned Value Management (EVM) and what it brings to projects. Many equations and jargons were mentioned which were all new to us, but thankfully various workshops were set to help all of us understand new terminologies. An intense day of theory but we got an energy boost with some cookies, cheers Sanjay!

The last day of the week was shadowing. The graduates were given the opportunity to go on site and see project controls in action. I was able to visit the project to deliver the East West Rail; the scope was to construct the main earthworks for the new line and was conducted by the Murphy Group. Here, I got to see how project controls was incorporated within the project while learning decision-making processes and meeting other members of the team. The day ended off with a grand tour of the full site. A huge thank you to Martin and Joe (Murphy’s project manager) for allowing me to explore the 15+km of works.

A fun and informative week of training. On to week 4!

Lahiru

2021 Grad Scheme - Wk 4

The 4th week, which consisted of self-study days and training sessions on Risk Management and Change Management, continued with a session with Jay teaching us about Risk Management. The training session focused on the process of identifying risks in a project and their impact, also, how to manage these risks and the different methods of risk analysis.

The second training session of the week continued with David teaching us about Change Management. This session consisted of an introduction to construction and construction sites, contract change management and organisational change management. The session outlined the importance of health and safety on site, the structure/stages of a project and also the importance of communicating with people on the team.

The week continued on with a couple of self-study days, which we all aimed to make the most out of considering the assessments were next week. These self-study days were spent with each one of us focusing on going over all that was taught to us in preparation for the assessments, most of us focused mainly on Earned Value Management, P6 and Excel.

Friday bought about another shadowing day which consisted of me shadowing Jasmine, who talked about the project on nuclear submarine facilities and showed me the process of implementing project controls into it. Getting an insight into that was interesting because it provided me with the opportunity to see exactly what a project control consultant does, the problems that could occur and how to handle them.

Throughout the week, and the past 3 weeks, help was always offered by the team and any questions were answered which not only was very helpful to us but made us feel at ease and comfortable.

Sarah

2021 Grad Scheme - Wk 5

It just feels like yesterday that we walked into the Aviation House as nervous newbies, but it has been an incredible 5 weeks of intense, fun learning and it was time to wrap up.

Week 5 commenced with an insightful session on Business Development & Marketing and Consulting with our experts Olivia and Christie. The training enabled us to appreciate the significance of the strategies for an organisation’s growth and how we could also potentially contribute towards success. As much as BD & Marketing may seem secondary and are often challenged, they are crucial in driving the enterprise forward.

The week followed onto our final day of training with the Regional Director Ian on Commercial Management. The training was far more than theoretical. Exploring the different types of contracts, working in groups to identify a good contract topped off with Ian’s expert knowledge and advice on the world of Commercial Management was definitely what we needed to absorb before we set off to our projects. Thank you Ian, I will definitely be reading through the phone contracts next time before signing it!

We settled into revision mode the remaining day for our Graduate assessment. The assessment day consisted of multiple assignments including P6 & Excel. It was indeed a one shot of all the knowledge we have grown over the past 5 weeks on Project Controls. The week ended with a group simulation task on P6 which was a great way to put our lessons learned into action. Working collaboratively in a group certainly helped to improve our team working skills as well as an opportunity to learn from each other. It goes without saying that all the fellow grads have been super supportive and was willing to help one another at any given task.

We will miss the eventful training phase, WeWork and all the fellow colleagues. A very big thank you goes to Anna for her hard work in organising and supporting the graduate scheme programme. Additional thank you to Mitra & Julia for always helping us out. It was a pleasure to meet some of the Logikal members throughout the training and we really do appreciate your time and the wealth of knowledge shared with us. The very best to all the grads on your new ventures and you going to be a great asset to the teams.

Jananee

2020 Graduate Blog
2020 Grad Scheme - Wk 1

Hello from the other side!

Bias is a fog that clouds over what’s really in front of us when we need to make important decisions; I aim to write this graduate blog through an unbiased view…

The final year of university seems to have it all, doesn’t it? Exams, assignments, a thesis, job applications, telephone/virtual interviews and assessment centres, with social and/or extracurricular activities—all during COVID-19 sprinkled on top! Trying to juggle all of this and more means that as a final year student, you are under increasing amounts of pressure, with the most pressure on getting that all-desired graduate job. However, having been through a small package of experiences, grit and perseverance shall be rewarded, which I have found particularly true at LogiKal.

Five weeks of immersive training and then straight onto a project, that was the mindset I was in starting at LogiKal. I felt I was ready to rise to the challenge, so let the journey begin…

Day 1 was arguably the most exciting. I naturally felt a bit nervous on my first day and ironically, I was late on the first day due to Central line delays, but LogiKal was understanding which put me at ease. Upon arrival at the office, I was greeted by a room full of brilliant white smiles (the recruiter and fellow graduates) which was very welcoming and warming. This was proceeded by receiving LogiKal merchandise (yay) and setting up the work laptop as well as admin bits and bobs. LogiKal then treated all the graduates to a group lunch which acted as an effective ice breaker. The day ended with meeting more of the LogiKal team over a few casual drinks at WeWork, and it became apparent that LogiKal maintains its friendly, inclusive company culture.

The training officially began on Day 2 with Principles of Planning and Scheduling. The aim of this course was to demonstrate why projects should be planned, how to create a project schedule and how plans are used to control a project. It was incredibly enjoyable as the day was filled with interactive presentations, teamwork and collaboration, and engaging discussions.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships”.

Day 3 was filled with Microsoft Excel training to develop proficiency. The practical approach of training proved to be an effective teaching method, but there were instances where Excel and I didn’t get along – we didn’t have the same values (excuse the pun). The IF function, VLOOKUP function, and Pivot Tables were the key takeaways of the day.

“Knock Knock! Who’s there? Excel. Excel who? Excel-lent Excel”.

In order to absorb and learn what had been taught earlier on in the week, we were provided with a self-study day on Day 4. The self-study day was more relaxed, and it allowed all the graduates to help each other by supplementing and extending taught sessions. Not only did this allow us to bond as a group, but it also expanded our knowledge bank. The day concluded with a game of foosball, a few casual drinks, and a game of table tennis at WeWork.

Day 5 was a shadowing day which I highly anticipated. Traditionally, it would be an opportunity for a graduate to visit the site of a project. However, LogiKal adapted to the current climate due to COVID-19 and arranged a virtual site visit which was very impressive. My shadow session was on The Thames Tideway Tunnel project which will clean up one of London’s greatest natural assets, the iconic River Thames, protect it for generations to come and improve the quality of life for all Londoners! A shadowing day was also an opportunity to meet more of the LogiKal team, all of which were friendly and welcoming as expected.

At the end of Week 1 having made 4 new friends – or should I say colleagues – and really enjoyed the first week with insight into LogiKal, the training continues into next week. I was not as nervous as I thought I would be; I was filled with excitement and I felt really privileged to be a part of the LogiKal team. I’ve had a glimpse of the opportunities on offer but for now, it’s one step at a time.

If you’re reading this, and still contemplating what to do, then my first bit of advice is this: Don’t panic! Ultimately, follow your interests and develop your skills – whilst you may think your current experience may not link with consulting, LogiKal places great emphasis on the skills you have no matter your background.

Good luck with the recruitment process, and see you on the other side!

Punit

2020 Grad Scheme - Wk 2

Monday morning came and we were ready to kickstart our week with another self-study day to reiterate our knowledge from the previous week. Provided we were no experts in Excel, it was a given that we had our heads down practising our despised VLOOKUP, nested IFs and several other functions that we were yet to discover through practice. Overall, a productive day for all but was definitely the calm before the storm.

With a heads up from our fellow colleagues that week two would be an intense one, we trooped in on the Tuesday morning with our poker faces on, ready to brave the day… or two of learning the Primavera (P6) software. Simba was an amazing and patient mentor who was very quick to adapt his teaching style as he meshed the theory and practical together. We learned how to create a schedule by adding and linking activities, applying constraints, changing calendars, adding roles and resources (Will was a great employee in our schedules; working overtime and for free!), formatting bars and resource levelling. It was a proud moment to see the difference within ourselves from day 1 to day 2 and a much needed socially distanced drink to celebrate our progress was well deserved. Simba most definitely needed a drink more than us, but as the realities of new fatherhood humbled him, he told us to expect great things on the ski trip as he doesn’t buy rounds, he buys bottles 😀

On day four we were greeted by Dale, the most patriotic Canadian you will ever meet; from his proud flag sticker on his laptop, to the scenic Vancouver views as his laptop wallpaper and the subtle hints of his love for his country through his training on ‘Introduction to Project Controls’. We covered a very informative overview of Project Controls by understanding the basics of schedule management, performance management, cost engineering, risk management and change management. With practice exercises spread throughout the day, it was safe to say our phone calculators wouldn’t suffice and we’d have to dust off our calculators that we had last used in our GCSE’s for the remaining of our training. Provided the bulk of the context was theory for the day, Dale won us over with a big box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to keep us fuelled for the day.

Shadowing day came and I was assigned to Michael, who was working on the National Children’s Hospital in Ireland. After a quick run through of the components of the building and its current status, Michael took me on a virtual site visit and it was interesting to see the provisional plans and how it’s been reflected with the actual progress.

– Kaj ?

2020 Grad Scheme - Wk 3

Week 3 quickly came upon us and we soon realised that we had developed a really good connection among us grads. I guess combatting P6 & Excel together is in fact a great way to build strong relationships (I would not advise this for a first date though). It was nice to realise I was working alongside people who I could get on with very easily and who knew how to make me laugh (I’ll leave it up to Pippa to tell you her best dad jokes).

With week 3 beginning we were soon to be halfway through the 5 week graduate training and it was now time to dust off our calculators, as this week the focus of our training was Cost Management with Sophie and Earned Value Management (EVM) with Sanjay.

After our brief introductions, and discussions of various hobbies, Sophie began to teach us all about cost management. We were first introduced to how a business case, cost estimating, and cost control combine within the project controls scene. Sophie then, took us through different business case appraisal techniques, risk management and risk models, cost control, performance analysis (EVM) and cost reporting. With practice exercises spread throughout the day, Sophie patiently waited for our us whilst we tried to wrap our heads around some of the maths involved (nothing too challenging, don’t worry). With another day of training over, and after Sophie patiently took us through cost management, there was only one thing left to do… pints!

Our next training session was delivered by Sanjay, covering how to measure project performance using Earned Value Management (EVM). After an introduction to EVM and some of the jargon that was new to all of us, Sanjay managed to finally get us to understand EVM with his roast dinner analogies – of course, it was food that made us finally understand. We then covered how to set up EVM for reporting project progress, how to set a performance measurement baseline and the different formulae of how to estimate completion. With an intense day coming to a close, and not be outdone by Dale and his Donuts, Sanjay bought us some Cookies – the taste the difference one’s from Sainsbury’s (if you know, you know).

After our EVM training, we headed downstairs to attend our first team meeting with the London and Birmingham teams. Ironically held virtually over Microsoft Teams, the previous cohort of graduates led us through their presentation as they had completed their year-long graduate scheme – which will be us this time next year. After the Teams meeting me, Punit and Pippa had our first LogiKal social – small dinner in a group of 6 (social distanced of course). Mexican was the restaurant of choice for us, consisting of tacos accompanied by pitchers of margaritas.

On Friday we continued with our shadowing. I shadowed Jack who took me through his work with Yorkshire water. It was fascinating to get an insight into a field I was unfamiliar with and jack even trusted my excel skills to help him add to his dashboard, which is demonstrating the current performance of the project.

– Will

2020 Grad Scheme - Wk 4

Week 4 of our Graduate Training Programme continued much like the last few – a combination of training and self-study days with the dreamy prospect of after work drinks waiting for us at the end of the day. This week brought with it Risk Management and Change Management training.

Jay kicked off the week with Risk Management training on Monday. We learned about identifying risks, assessing the qualitative and quantitative impact of risks and finally planning risk responses in order to respond proactively and appropriately to these potential outcomes. This day led to many interesting discussions, in particular the impact of Covid-19 and how projects are planning to integrate pandemic risks into risk management processes as well as who will assume responsibility in these instances.

David delivered the second training session of the week where he covered Change Management. He split up the presentation into three parts: Introduction to Construction, Contract Change and Change Management. As well as involving a few (stomach-turning) stories on the importance of onsite safety, this introduction to construction provided us with the necessary foundations for an understanding of construction equipment and the various key roles. In the afternoon, David drew on his extensive experience to talk to us about the Change Management process and emphasised just how important soft skills and managing people are in this industry.

With our assessment approaching next week, we knuckled down for our self-study days, focussing in particular on Excel and P6. We were very grateful that everyone at Logikal was always on hand to give us a Microsoft Teams call to run through any technical issues or theory queries with us – special shout out to Clem for all his help with P6! Anna also insisted on a few stress-relieving table football sessions to help keep us going throughout the day-this included a moment when the table broke and Will’s true engineering capabilities shone through.

On Friday we continued with our shadowing. Kaj and I shadowed Sanjay who spoke to us about Thames Tideway. We were fascinated by the extent and complexity of the project and could not believe just how much work was being done underground throughout London.

Another great week!

– Pippa

2020 Grad Scheme - Wk 5

It’s been a fun ride but the LogiKal Training days have sadly drawn to end. Looking back at when we first started, it really doesn’t feel like it’s only been 5 weeks. It feels like we’ve known each other for ages and we’ve all learnt and developed so much over such a short period.

Our final week kicked off with everyone’s excitement at the news of a free WeWork breakfast, fuelling us for a day of insight into the worlds of Marketing and Business Development with Olivia and Will. It was interesting to see the mechanics of the back office that are so essential in enabling the company to function and grow. We even got the opportunity to provide our own feedback to Olivia on the company’s marketing methods, showing one the many opportunities LogiKal offers to get involved with its various departments and demonstrating its dedication to employee experience. The next day, one of our directors came in to give us an overview of Commercial Management, which entertainingly started to double as a life coaching session, as we all marvelled at his great advice (thanks Ian!) Looking into multiple case studies, we were able to gain a general understanding of the different types of contracts that exists, and more importantly, how in particular to identify a good contract. For me, the rare, genuine dedication LogiKal has towards its employees’ personal development and experiences is something that really separates them from the crowd.

As we buckled down into ‘exam revision mode’ for the rest of our week, we prepared for our Graduate assessments with hints of panic but minimal tears (thankfully!) After all our efforts to wrap our heads around P6 and Excel, and even some dreams about the content, we can now proudly call ourselves LogiKal Graduates. And naturally, we celebrated in true LogiKal fashion, as the after-work drinks were calling to us! Friday came and we brought our training back full circle, heading out for a celebratory Grad lunch with our Mother Hen, Anna, at the place it all started: over delicious Greek food. Only this time, with our abundance of inside jokes we felt more like old friends than new colleagues.

I will miss the endless (and definitely needed) tea and coffee supply, our mini table football competitions and the WeWork beer taps for their effective after-work stress relief. Despite the current circumstances, with everyone being so welcoming and inside jokes immediately starting from the outset, I don’t believe we have been held back from integrating into the LogiKal family. Special thanks should definitely go to Anna, however, for her extra efforts to enable this. Although it’s sad to leave the training days behind, we’ve made great memories and friends and I think we can all agree it’s exciting to know that this is only the start of our journey.

Thank you to all the LogiKal people for your support and advice in helping set us up for success. And to the other Grads, good luck you’re all going to do amazingly, I will miss you all and can’t wait until we can all properly meet up again! And whenever you go on site, don’t forget your hard hats guys! ✌️

– Val

2019 Graduate Blog
2019 Grad Scheme - Wk 1

Integrating into the Logikal family in this first week has been a motivating and pleasurable experience. It was immediately evident to me that everyone recruited by Logikal fits a certain criteria; being technical yet warm and friendly individuals. Everyone that I have met so far at LogiKal has hugely impressed and humbled me with their abundance of knowledge and willingness to share in this knowledge. The week got off to a light-hearted start, making introductions with my fellow grads, getting taken out for lunch and even meeting the wider team over some beers from the free beer tap!

Going into Tuesday we began learning about the basic principles to project planning and scheduling. I found it interesting to explore the difference Logikal’s work makes to clients. As the week progressed, we were introduced to some of the crucial software Logikal uses to incorporate the project control principles learnt including Excel and Primavera. Learning both theoretical content and how it is integrated into the software used to build up a schedule I found was particularly useful in bringing my understanding full circle. All the staff involved in the training courses approached the teaching in an enthusiastic manner and made me feel as though they’d be happy to answer any of my questions. This made the learning environment really enjoyable and relaxed. Whilst there was a relatively large amount of content to cover, it was hugely inspiring learning from experienced members of Logikal and has motivated me to want to reach their level of knowledge.

My week came to a close with a site visit to Hinkley point C marine works. This was an amazing opportunity to step into the site of one of the biggest civil operations happening in the UK in decades. It was particularly cool to be allowed to walk over the rebar of a huge concrete element that was in fabrication for the inlet and outlet tunnelling of the plant. It was evident the importance of walking and breathing in a site that you are working on and how your understanding can improve ten-fold just from talking to the people working on site. At the end of the day, there was even time for a couple of beers and the chance to explore a little bit of Bristol for which I was hugely thankful for.

– Ryan

2019 Grad Scheme - Wk 2

The weekend gave us some valuable time to hone the skills we had developed through week one. Dawn broke Monday and as the sun beamed through the windows, we all rolled into the London office with beaming smiles, ready to tackle the second session of Primavera training. Simba enthusiastically welcomed us to the user-friendly software and set challenges to be completed through Tuesday (greeted by rapturous applause). Though new to the software, we worked through these challenges supporting one another along the way with the help of coffee and Jammy Dodgers.

Highlighted during last week’s blog entry, the willingness of both the experienced colleagues and the grads, irrespective of hierarchy made us feel part of the family from the get-go. By going through problems and solutions, including where I myself had encountered problems and found a solution to the technical application, drummed in LogiKal’s supporting and encouraging expertise.

Wednesday brought new horizons with an introduction to project controls, touching upon valuable information including Schedule, Performance, Risk and Change Management. We delved into the arts of engineering and estimations of Cost and Forecasting which we will be developing our knowledge on in more detail, in progressing weeks.

Another P6 task was assigned Thursday which the grads unanimously knew was pivotal to development. This task was more complex and required teamwork and concentration and a never say die attitude, something the grads had in abundance. Progress was slow at times but together we made a solid effort, which I was very proud of as the pieces of the jigsaw began to fall into place.

We then went to our first monthly team meeting where the team came together, with special announcements for exceptional employee work and a chance to meet more of the LogiKal team. The meeting highlighted to us further the comradery and respect between peers at LogiKal. Pizza and free beer are always a win to end the day!

Whitechapel Station Crossrail - Graduate Scheme

My weekly site visit was at Whitechapel station to see the development of the Elizabeth Line. Seeing the site and the progress that had been made, 8 stories below ground running one of the longest escalators in Europe and 240m of platform, was a real eye-opener for me to see the product of how numerous individuals’ hard work comes to fruition. What I found most beneficial is the explanation and contrast between what happens in the office with the software and how that translates to the development and construction of a project. Both mentors Scott and Henry were ex grads who gave insightful and comforting advice in their journey from grad to expert and was something I really appreciated.

Great week!

– Andy

2019 Grad Scheme - Wk 3

Welcome lovely readers, this week you have the pleasure of experiencing a week in the life of Rizz and Ankit. After now feeling fully embedded in the company due to everyone’s outgoing and friendly nature, we cracked on with the third week of the graduate training. This week we started off learning the concept of Earned Value Management. This helped improve our understanding of performance indicators, forecasting and the impacts it has on project decisions.

Our allocated self-study days allowed us to take part in work outside the graduate training scheme in addition to the P6 and excel tasks, for example undertaking marketing research. We found these days extremely useful, providing us with opportunities to share our new skills. We were able to bond further through table tennis, fuβball and cards against humanity. (Rizz’s dark side seemed to shine with cards against humanity). We can now safely say we are a family.

The lovely Sophie taught us cost management, specifically highlighting the applicable sections to us. Unfortunately, the beer taps (which are in use after work) were under maintenance, so we had to satisfy ourselves with the free coffee, tea and biscuits on offer. Not to worry, all that sitting down will help you burn those calories! Late in the day, we were informed that there would be a new addition to our grad family.

Thursday arrived… and in walks Dimitrios, an instant hit. Nice work Will! Another self-study day allowed us to further sharpen our skills (see the image below for our newfound Excel skills), whilst the Birmingham squad attended their monthly team meeting. We bonded with Dimitrios in what seems like typical LogiKal style, after-work drinks! Don’t worry the Birmingham squad had their own pizza and drinks party after the team meeting.

We were lucky enough to go and visit Tideway for our Friday site visit. Although we heard of the project before, we were given an in-detail overview of two separate sites. Being able to experience Project Controls in action allowed us to gain invaluable industry knowledge. As per usual we ended with a drink in the pub. We love the LogiKal culture.

Another great week under our belt. Looking forward to the week ahead!

– Rizz & Ankit

2019 Grad Scheme - Wk 4

The fourth week of the graduate training started with a training session in Risk Management. This session had provided us with an in-depth and wider understanding of the process of Risk Management is, and how a risk should be assessed and the importance of having risk management within Project Controls. As our love for biscuits by my colleagues have been illustrated in previous posts, it is only right that I continue to talk about the matter. This week we discovered chocolate Digestives in the kitchen, which are basically gold dust around here – a nice little treat for us!

Our week is split between training sessions, self-study days and a site visit. With the graduate assessment in our sights, it is more important than ever that we make use of these days we have to solidify what we have learnt and in the case of P6 – practice as much as possible. In terms of P6, our colleagues here at Logikal are always more than happy to help us grads with any issues that we could have within the software – this is something I really like here at Logikal, because no matter how busy anyone is, they will always make time to help anyone out – which of course is important for our learning and progression at Logikal.

The second training session of the week was delivered by David, this was essentially split into 3 parts overseeing the following topics: An Introduction to Construction, Contract Change and finally Change Management. This session was interactive and involved many discussions on the topic.

This week’s site visit for me the most intriguing opportunity I have had to date. Dimitrios, Robi, Ryan and I, had the chance to go visit the Thames Tideway project over at Carnwath Rd office. It is truly astonishing the work that has been carried out over at Tideway, and interesting to see the inputs and planning behind each stage on the project. We also had the opportunity to view the models of the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) which is currently excavating the ground with a total distance of 25km. This project will in time, support London’s 150-year-old sewage and perform at better capacity preventing any overspill into the Thames. It is hard to grasp the complexity of the project let alone the size of many of the drop shafts that have been built for this project – 60 metres, taller than a 20-story building. What is also extremely good about this project, is that once each site is complete the area will be transformed into a public garden or walkway – this project has many benefits!

-Kajal

2019 Grad Scheme - Wk 5

The Logikal Training days have sadly come to an end. Looking back at these 5 weeks I could say I went through a journey of growth and change. Firstly, I didn’t meet only new co-workers, I met new friends and integrated into the Logikal family. Logikal is a bit like the feeling you get at Christmas when you come back home to your family and hometown: someone will always be there when you need help.

I will miss the 6:30AM alarm and rush to get to the office early in the morning, the full days of training that required at least 4 cups of strong coffee to survive, the laughs and jokes during the morning breaks, the lunch with Gregg’s Vegan sausage roll and the beers after work in the Wework lounge. Sadly, I soon have to say goodbye to all these memories.

The last week started with a very interesting overview of LogiKal’s marketing strategy delivered by our beloved Marketing chief Olivia. The following days, the other Grads and I had the feeling of “finals” and we started preparing (and panicking) for the Graduate Test taking place at the end of the week. Admittedly, P6 gave us nightmares and the VLOOKUP function on Excel was the hardest thing to address. However, we made it, we can say that we are officially LogiKal Graduates!

Finally, the last site visit took Kajal and I to Crossrail Whitechapel. I must admit it was an experience and we have to thank Henry and Scott for taking us on-site to explore the core of the new Whitechapel Tube station and Elizabeth Line. Kajal and I thought it was very nice to have the privilege to visit an infrastructure before it opens to the general public and contribute to its development. It is surely something to be proud of and we can only thank LogiKal for this amazing opportunity. However, dressed in the PPE we looked like Oompa Loompas!

Whitechapel Station Crossrail - Graduate Scheme 2

Good luck with your journey at LogiKal my dear fellow Grads and thank you to all the LogiKal members for giving us the support, tips and resources to succeed in this challenging yet rewarding job.

Ad maiora.

– Robi

2018 Graduate Blog
2018 Grad Scheme - Wk 1

Throughout the first week at LogiKal, one of the overarching themes I noted was the degree of time and effort which has been invested in our program, really giving us the sense that we were in good hands. At LogiKal there is a focus on creating a positive and friendly work environment which I thought was typified at the beginning of the week, with activities centring around getting to know my fellow graduates, including being taken out for lunch. Later, we met many other members of the LogiKal team, including graduates from more recent years, all of whom were keen to offer any help or advice at their disposal to all of us.

Moving through the week, we were introduced to both the fundamental building blocks which make up LogiKal’s specific approach to project planning and controls, which I found particularly interesting as it gave me an insight into what makes LogiKal’s approach unique. We were also introduced to key pieces of software used in the trade including Excel and Primavera P6, which were taught by highly knowledgeable and active members of the LogiKal team. In keeping with LogiKal’s pro-active and high paced approach, on the Friday of week one, I travelled to Birmingham in order to visit one of the HS2 North main offices, giving me not only a first-hand perspective of the work the company does, but also lending context to the theories I learned during the preceding week. Other graduates visited large infrastructure projects including the Crossrail site, and the HS2 South offices at Euston. By the end of the first week, I was left with a firm grasp both of the nature of LogiKal’s capacity as a consultancy, and as an exemplary working environment for it’s employees.

2018 Grad Scheme - Wk 2

The second week began with a further introduction to P6 Fundamentals which we had been briefed on in the previous week. We had an intensive day learning about setting a baseline, creating/assigning roles and resources and lastly reporting and printing in the appropriate format for clients. The process although very detailed was explained and reviewed, with plenty of time for questions. We were then handed the LogiKal Schedule Development Exercise to read over and understand before we were given time to begin the subsequent day. We took time to work in teams as well as individually to encourage the generation of ideas and support each other with the programme requirements. Between working we took short breaks with our other colleagues in the office playing table football and going out to get lunch. Doing these small activities further allowed us to learn from each other and what we were currently working on.

The week progressed into an introduction to Project Controls where we developed our further understanding of the key skills and requirements needed to provide the quality and defined scope required on a project. In brief this further included an introduction to earned value management, principles of risk management, cost engineering/forecasting and change management. This overview was particularly interesting as it developed the detail required to provide insightful data to be used by management. Towards the end of the week the graduates were shown how to search and construct market research specifically for their industry sector. This was an exciting prospect knowing that we would likely be supporting LogiKal with future business prospects while working alongside senior management in developing this key segment of the business.

On the Thursday evening the graduates planned a social event at the Knights Templar on Chancery Lane, where we enjoyed learning more about each other as individuals and what interests and hobbies we are involved in.

The week finished with a variety of site visits, specifically I and two others were sent to Thames Tideway where we visited their main site at BMB Tideway West and Putney. Both had significant challenges which were very interesting and worthwhile seeing first hand and through the LogiKal team we met. The work being done there was fascinating and thoroughly impressive from a variety of project controls aspects, risk management and the implementation of performance dashboards.

2018 Grad Scheme - Wk 3

The third week of the LogiKal Graduate Development Programme began with a day course on Earned Value Management. In the morning we were given a thorough presentation on Earned Value Project Management. Throughout the day we participated in various workshops, from creating Earned Value curves to using the Performance Measurement Baseline. Although the concepts were new to all of us, the teaching was detailed and informative and the workshops were very collaborative. There was plenty of time for questions throughout the day, and at the end of the session, together we summarised what we had learnt. Although the day was challenging due to a number of new terms and techniques to learn, it was enjoyable to work together as a team.

On Tuesday, we attended a Profile and CV build session. We were taken through how to create a professional profile page about ourselves which will be given to prospective clients. It was interesting to see a variety of CV formats and how each graduate had included a variety of different qualities on their CV.

On Wednesday, we visited a number of different sites that LogiKal is working on. Myself and another graduate went for an introductory meeting with LogiKal colleagues at the Birmingham office to get to know them better. We then visited the offices of LM working with HS2, where we saw first hand how the work of LogiKal greatly benefits their planning controls. The work was very interesting and was thoroughly impressive from a variety of project controls aspects, including consent from stakeholders and the implementation of performance dashboards.

On Thursday, we attended a training day on Strategic Consulting Skills held by LogiKal’s Chairman. Throughout the day we created and presented a number of presentations in the smaller groups, of a role play scenario of how we would present to a client. The day greatly improved my presentation skills and concluded in a number of personality tests. It was interesting to see how different our personalities were, and how each individual complements one another.

On Friday, we attended a Cost Management training day. We were taught a variety of topics including; investment appraisal, cost estimating, cost controlling and cost reporting. It was interesting to see some real-life examples of costing in a LogiKal consultant’s role, as we viewed Cost Dashboard for the London Tideway project.

Week 3 was very varied in terms of the different training days. It was great to feel increasingly more integrated into LogiKal and attend the monthly team meeting held on the Thursday. It was interesting to meet many new colleagues at LogiKal in a social setting and to see how the company is moving forward.

2018 Grad Scheme - Wk 4

On Monday we had an introduction to construction and engineering. It was a useful and informative session designed to give us all foundation knowledge of activities which might be occurring on site at any given time.

We spent Tuesday looking at Risk Management which although slightly more theoretical, gave us an understanding of what is involved in assessing and responding to risk within the framework of project management.

Wednesday was a big day as we reviewed the Schedule Development Exercise we had started working on in the second week. Over the course of the day we undertook different activities to assess our own work, this was a great learning tool, which allowed us to look at not only the planning and software skills but also our interpersonal and presentation abilities. I thought it was fascinating to see how all the graduates approached the task differently, it certainly offered a different perspective which I might not have seen otherwise.

On Thursday, we were given a more thorough and focused overview of Change Management. During this session, there was a decent proportion of time given for discussion within the group, I really think this is an important learning tool to use when being introduced a complex concept such as change, because it encourages you to think more for yourself, rather than just learning from notes.

During the scheduled site visits on Fridays, I have been keen to get to know the consultants who have been assigned and learn from their perspective how everything we learn is applied in practice. In this way, I have gained an even better understanding of LogiKal’s influence upon clients’ activities. On my first site visit I was lucky enough to see the HS2 Enabling Works and was amazed to see how many activities and how much data must be managed for only small a part of the project, here I really saw the value of LogiKal’s contribution to project management. At HS2 I also got an insight into Dashboard Reporting & Analytics using Power BI, a powerful piece of visualizing software which LogiKal are using to effectively communicate their work. During my visit to Crossrail, the introduction to construction course I had done came in very handy, as I was able to identify several of the engineering processes which the contractor was carrying out.

2018 Grad Scheme - Wk 5

Monday was a self-study day although not less busy than the other days, it consisted of revising the training manuals and working collaboratively with the other graduates, explaining key concepts to each other. This was a useful learning environment in preparation for our end of training evaluation. In the second half of the day I worked on developing my Oil & Gas industry knowledge to update our CEO and MD.

On Tuesday we were introduced to some Data Analytics software used by LogiKal, including SQL and Power BI, which are used to assist us in the quantification and display of data. In tandem with this, we were given an overview of data management from an extremely competent member of the team. On Wednesday, I undertook the CITB Health, Safety and Environment Test, an essential part of becoming a successful consultant as it gains you access to the sites upon which you may be doing planning.

On the Thursday of this week, all the graduates undertook an end of training evaluation, which broadly covered all the different themes we had learned over the preceding 5 weeks through a variety of testing formats. This final assessment was a great opportunity to prove what we have learnt throughout the training programme, and to highlight our strengths.

All of the grads, myself included have really enjoyed the different aspects of the training which although a steep learning curve, has hugely increased both our confidence and capabilities in a wide variety of areas preparing us to join LogiKal consultants and start working on exciting projects.

Awards highlights reel from Project Controls Expo and Awards 2021