Corbin works as a Designer at Elia
Everything we build, install and maintain at Elia first has to be studied and designed. A team of designers turns ideas for electrical installations into concept and detail studies, ensuring that every infrastructure project meets all the relevant technical requirements. Meet Designer Corbin.
At the drawing board
“As a Designer, I’m jointly responsible for studies on secondary systems, specifically for electrical protection, monitoring and control equipment, and automation and measuring equipment for the high-voltage facilities forming part of the power grid. In practical terms, I design protection cabinets for cables and lines based on design briefs from project managers. It’s quite a challenging job because being a Designer isn’t something you can learn at school or university. So the cliché of ‘learning by doing’ – with knowledge acquired on the job – certainly applies here. After my bachelor’s degree in electromechanics, I did an internship at Elia, and have never looked back.”
Varied tasks
“A Designer’s job is very varied, entailing many responsibilities across multiple phases: from the study phase through to commissioning, where I present my study to the test team. Studying and developing designs involves working on your own, but at the same time teamwork is also essential as I liaise closely with the operator, suppliers and the firms responsible for installing the electrical equipment.”
Upskilling
“In my job as a Designer, no two projects are the same. That’s what makes the role so exciting. The issue of safety – one of Elia’s corporate values – runs like a thread throughout my work. What I really appreciate about my employer is that I’m constantly encouraged to take part in training. For instance, I regularly attend a BA4 refresher course on working safely with electricity, as well as training on remote signalling. This top-up training is vital to enable me to do my job accurately.
Feet on the ground
“An eye for detail, a positive attitude and an eagerness to learn: by capitalising on these strengths I’m able to give the best of myself in my work at Elia. At the same time, I try hard to learn lessons from the occasional mistakes I make at the drawing board. And most importantly, I share these learnings with my colleagues, so that we continue to challenge each other and raise each other’s knowledge to a higher level.
I prefer teamwork and fieldwork, as it keeps me in touch with day-to-day reality on the ground. I definitely want to continue doing this job for several more years, while also completing another master’s degree by distance learning.”