ATAL’s corporate environment allows its young engineers and employees to thrive and many have liked it so much they have stayed with the company for decades. Below, three long-time staff regale their experiences and share their career journey at ATAL.
Plotting a course to career success
Alfred Wong, Project Manager, Environmental Engineering
Alfred Wong started his career in ATAL more than 20 years ago and now is the Project Manager in Environmental Engineering who started as a graduate trainee – says he stayed with the company because of its excellent structure and organisation, which make it a perfect place for a budding young engineer looking for long-term career development.
“I was very lucky to get to work in the area of environmental engineering – not that many companies were doing this kind of work at the time,” Alfred says. “I’ve worked on six or seven mega-projects, which is a great opportunity for a young engineer.”
After spending more than two decades with ATAL, Alfred says the most important thing he has learned is that three things are needed to do an engineering job well: a good relationship with colleagues, where everyone trusts each other; good time-management skills; and cost control over projects. He explains that ATAL’s working environment allows these three factors to thrive and helps him feel a great sense of job satisfaction.
Providing a solid platform for young people
Bob Chan, Project Manager, Environmental Engineer
Started his career as a bright eyed engineering graduate fresh out of the university of Hong Kong 18 years ago, Bob Chan was looking for an opportunity to put his learning into practice. He had great ambitions to turn what he calls his “ordinary knowledge” to extraordinary projects.
“Our company provides a solid platform for young people who intend to build their careers,” Bob says. “There are many opportunities and a vast range of professional engineers and experienced technical people who can guide you – it’s well equipped in every aspect.”
Bob recalls that when he started as a graduate trainee, he had the opportunity to help build a construction plant. By actively participating in commissioning and testing during the later stages of the project, he was able to draw on what he had learned at university and put this knowledge to practical use. And because the whole team had a chance to work together, he was able to learn from his mentors, tutors and supervisors.
Treating employees as family
Donald Cheung Project Manager, Building Services
Donald Cheung was first drawn to ATAL as a fresh graduate in 2001 because the company provided an integrated Scheme “A” Training programme for graduate trainees in the area of building services.
Unlike other traditional building-services companies in Hong Kong, he says, ATAL offers a scheme that provides graduate trainees with a full range of building-services training. These include HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), Electrical, FS (fire service) and P&D (plumbing and drainage), as well as maintenance services. With ATAL for 15 years Donald says the company was an ideal place for him to further his career. “ATAL contributes to an employee’s ability to develop a career path by making transparent the knowledge, skills, experience and job requirements of each position within the company. With this information, I can plan and prepare for various jobs and opportunities,” he says.
Donald says the company treats its employees as family, fostering a close working environment which in turn allows for greater flexibility and support for project execution and management.
With the company’s sturdy support, Donald has a string of achievements to his name across a number of huge engineering projects. One in particular, he says, was the HK$100 million high limits expansion project in Macau, which was successfully completed within the tight time limit of 150 days.
