Bethany’s story: Opportunities for growth with Jacobs 

Created by VERCIDA for Jacobs

 

Bethany Higton, 28, talks about her work as a laboratory technician with Jacobs, which is an important part of her life as an independent person with Down's syndrome.

 

 

I have been working as a laboratory technician with Jacobs for nearly three years and I am very happy here. A company called WorkFit placed me with Jacobs and Martin Delaney, my line manager, volunteered to work alongside me when I started. 

We work in a laboratory that does analytical work. Mostly, we work in the health physics and environmental sectors. For example, we run air samplers, we take swabs to make sure there’s no loose contamination and we monitor everything that goes in and out of the laboratory. I am also very good at spreadsheets and computer work, so Martin gives me tasks that I can complete on my own – he checks it, but it’s always correct!  

Before I worked for Jacobs, I attended Derwent College and I had a few part-time jobs including working at Tesco and for a print shop where I became very familiar with the equipment, such as machines for trimming and stapling. My experience with science equipment at high school also helped me to adapt to my new role at Jacobs.

Training has been a really important part of my job at Jacobs. For example, everyone who works in the labs has to complete the radiation awareness course. When I was trained in how to monitor the laboratory’s laundry, Martin went through the process with me, such as taking swabs which are then counted on a machine, before everything is taken away to be laundered. Martin keeps a record of my training, so we can keep track of everything I’ve learned.

I also complete online training, with courses taking anything from 10 minutes to an hour. At the end, there’s an exam with an 80% pass mark – I scored 90% on my last one. Once I’ve completed a course, I get a certificate.

Jacobs has always been a very supportive employer. I work really well with Martin and we always have a laugh. It’s so important to be happy at work because happy people are always more productive people. We started having regular coffee breaks after a Random Acts of Kindness day at work when Martin made me a coffee – six months have passed and that’s still how we start the working day.

Getting involved in meetings at work has helped with my confidence. Every few weeks, we have Radiation Protection Advice (RPA) meetings with the radiological consultancy team. We go through our notes, discuss things that need attention, and I always ask questions. I remember one meeting that I was a bit wary about, because it was full of people I’d never met and it was in a completely new area for me. But once I was persuaded to join the meeting, which had about 100 attendees, I ended up asking three questions and I didn’t feel shy by the end. 

There are plenty of opportunities for me to develop within the company by moving to different departments. There are so many different areas to work in at Jacobs, such as engineering, decommissioning and research and development.

Outside of work, I enjoy watching DVDs, going for walks, going shopping and singing. I’m in a pop and rock choir called Beautiful Noise and we are learning some new songs at the moment. I live by myself in my own apartment and I really like doing my housework – it is so important for me to be independent. 

 

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