Spotlight on EngTech: Will Starling
We're proud to shine a spotlight on our members. This month, we feature Will Starling, EngTech MIGEM, whose career journey highlights the opportunities available to those starting out in the gas industry and the importance of professional development, innovation and learning from experience.
Will began his career in the gas industry in 2018, joining Cadent's Engineer Training Programme (ETP). The programme provided him with a combination of academic learning and practical experience, including training, site visits and an introduction to the gas distribution sector.
Reflecting on his career journey, Will said: "The programme gave me the perfect platform to kick start my career, allowing me a balance of continuing academic learning, gaining an understanding of the gas distribution sector through various training and site visits, while also still preparing me for my future role in Cadent's Engineering Team."
Following completion of the programme, Will became an Emergency and Repair Engineer within Cadent's 2 Bar and Below team. Over the next five years, he gained experience across a broad range of engineering activities, including reviewing and updating critical policies and procedures, providing technical support, completing assurance activities and supporting the introduction of new innovations.
He later moved into his current role as a Design and Construction Engineer within 2 Bar and Below Engineering (2BB), where he is currently Engineering Lead for the introduction of GO SafeControl, an application designed to digitise Cadent's Safe Control of Operations process.
A particular highlight of Will's career so far was competing in and winning IGEM's Young Person Paper Competition (YPPC) in 2025. Alongside his colleague Chris Melia, he presented EcoVENT, a project they had taken from an initial idea through to reality. The device reduces carbon emissions from commissioning activities by 99%.
He said: "Participating in the competition pushed me beyond my comfort zone, significantly improving my confidence in communicating with others and providing valuable opportunities to raise my profile within the industry."
Will became an IGEM member for a number of reasons, including the opportunities to connect with other professionals at the beginning of their careers.
Will said: "IGEM's Young Person Network gave me the opportunity to connect with others in the industry who were at the start of their careers like myself, and the events and site visits gave me insight into different areas of the industry that I may not have been able to experience without my membership.
"IGEM have given me opportunities to connect with people within the industry who I may not have crossed paths with otherwise. IGEM's Professional Registration also helps me to ensure I am aligning myself with the UK-SPEC, and I hope that I can continue with my professional development as I look to gain my IEng status."
As the energy system continues to evolve, Will believes there will remain a role for gas during his working life.
He explained: "Despite being in the early stages of my career in the industry, I am extremely confident that the requirement for gas as an energy source will not vanish during my working life."
He recognises the importance of moving towards cleaner energy while highlighting the scale of investment that would be required in the UK's electrical infrastructure if gas were removed from heating and cooking.
"While we all want to push to a future of clean energy, it's no secret that the UK's current electrical infrastructure will require significant investment to not only convert to completely renewable energy sources, but to also deal with the increased demand for power if we move away from gas for heating and cooking."
Will sees hydrogen as a potential alternative to electrification, particularly within the industrial sector, while also recognising that further work is needed to make it an attractive domestic energy source.
He added: "I believe the future for our industry sits somewhere in between, utilising Hydrogen for our industrial sector where possible, and moving towards Hydrogen blending and Bomethane to offer a low-Carbon solution for our domestic customers."
Engineering has always been close to home for Will, with several members of his family having worked in engineering or the offshore oil and gas sector. His brother Olly also works for National Gas, having followed a similar route into the industry through an ETP scheme.
However, Will's personal engineering hero is his grandfather, Colin, who took a significant career risk in 1970, leaving an engineering role in shipbuilding in the North West to pursue a career in the oil and gas industry.
Colin went on to rise through the ranks at Shell and was involved in Lord Cullen's inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster.
"My current role, being part of the team who is responsible for Cadent's Safe Control of Operations, wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the outcomes and recommendations of that inquiry."
For Will, attracting more people into the gas industry means ensuring young people are aware of the routes available to them.
"Training Programs, like the ETP Scheme I joined through, as well as Apprenticeships and other work-placed training schemes are fantastic ways into the industry, that should be encouraged more. Allowing young people the opportunity to learn and train while starting their career."
Having discovered these opportunities through his own research after studying engineering at college, Will believes greater awareness of these routes is needed.
"When leaving college, having studied engineering, it was only through my own research did I find these schemes. We need to ensure these fantastic routes into the industry are known by individuals who are looking to start their careers in engineering."
His advice to those beginning their careers in the gas industry is straightforward:
"Get stuck in. Sometimes, the best way to learn is to go out and experience it yourself."