Spotlight on Honorary Fellow: David Goodall
In support of National Apprenticeship Week (10-16 February 2025), we spoke to David Goodall, Principal Engineer at Steve Vick International and Honorary Fellow of IGEM, who shares his experiences of working as apprentice.
After spending nearly 60 years in the sector so far, David recalls a time when he didn’t know where to begin with his career.
“After leaving school with no qualifications, feeling lost with a lack of direction. The gas industry welcomed me with open arms and has been my life ever since.”
He finally found his feet in 1966 with North Thames Gas Board as an Apprentice Gas Fitter at Ascot Gas Works.
David recalls that one of the first tasks he was assigned involved tying a wooden ladder to his bike to maintain the gas lights in Sunningdale, checking the pilots and changing mantles where required.
During his five years as an apprentice, he installed and maintained gas appliances which changed rapidly across the years. He gained new skills and evolved from a gas fitter to an engineer.
David encourages anyone to step into an apprenticeship role as it teaches you the necessary skills while earning a wage. He said: “Gaining an apprenticeship was an important part of my development and helped develop my practical skills.”
As the years passed, he held roles as a supervisor, an engineer working in special projects, a district engineer, a senior engineer and later on a lecturer.
He has gained many accolades across the years which have allowed him to add several notches to his belt. After two attempts of retiring, David joined Steve Vick International seven years ago and hasn’t looked back since.
His thorough involvement with IGEM’s London, Southern & Eastern Section has gone unwavered since he first joined 33 years ago. He was first introduced to the institution by mentor and friend Sid Clarke who also encouraged David to gain further qualifications and provided him with the confidence to succeed.
During his time as an IGEM member, he has arranged more than 40 events including 16 London showcase events and 14 Christmas events.
His dedication and commitment to IGEM is something he is deeply proud of. David said: “It’s a privilege being honoured as an IGEM Honorary Fellow in recognition of my career and achievements, especially as I have seen many changes and more importantly been an active part of those changes.”
Having given up much of his free time to visit schools and encourage students into an engineering career, he hopes that there will be an uplift into young people entering the industry.
“Making STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) exciting gives enrichment and enhancement to students and hopefully inspires the next generation. Engineers and scientists will inevitably save the planet.”
Having been involved in the conversion from town gas to natural gas, David is excited to see the next transition and how the industry will face the challenges.