Careers at Cadent

Meet Veronica. While on maternity leave, and after 14 years working in retail, she took a leap of faith and started a journey that took her to Cadent. We are SO glad she did.

This International Women in Engineering Day (June 23rd) we’re celebrating fantastic engineers here at Cadent. Engineers like Veronica Kandekore, in our East of England Network.

“I started having a think about what I liked to do and what was in demand,” said Veronica. “I’ve always been very good with my hands, so I thought that maybe plumbing and heating would be a great career to look into.”

Veronica enrolled on a course at Enfield College and began learning the trade that would lead her to Cadent – although it didn’t come about in quite the way you may have expected.

After gaining her qualifications, Veronica began searching for an appropriate apprenticeship but was constantly being passed over, which was becoming a frustration.

“One day I saw a Cadent van promoting vacancies, so I thought I’d take a look. There was a role in maintenance which I thought I’d be right for, so I applied.

“During the interview, I became aware that I wasn’t going to get the job, but instead of being shown the door, the interviewers told me about the Cadent apprenticeship scheme and how they thought that my experience would make me a suitable candidate.

“There aren’t too many businesses that would turn you down for a job but see enough potential in you to suggest a gateway to a whole new career.

“I took onboard everything that was said, applied, and in November 2022 I joined the intake of apprentices.”

So, what advice would Veronica offer to other people considering such a career change?

“Don’t give up! I’m 41 now and I’d advise anyone to just follow their dreams, and nothing should stop you. If you work hard, then you can achieve exactly what you want.”