From Part-Time HNC to Delivering Mega-Projects Around the World: Craig’s Journey
Craig Paterson is an experienced project director who has spent the past 20 years delivering major projects across the UK, Europe, Australia and the United States. His career has included leading the Hawkei Protected Vehicle contract in Australia and the Parramatta Light Rail project in Sydney. He is now leading the new light rail project delivery team in Austin, Texas.
Craig’s journey began at Fife College, where he first studied Electrical Engineering at our Kirkcaldy Campus before returning to complete an HNC in Computing part-time at our Dunfermline Campus, known then as Lauder College. The qualification proved pivotal in securing his first Project Controller role with RACAL, now part of French defence company Thales, and set him on a path to delivering major projects around the world.
“I started my HNC in Computing in 1998/99, studying part-time in the evenings. Computers were becoming much more common in the workplace, and I wanted to learn some new skills and stay ahead of the curve.
I really enjoyed the course. It had a great mix of programming, software development theory and practical skills, such as building and repairing your own PC. I also loved my time at Fife College in Kirkcaldy. I made many friends there, and some of those friendships have lasted to this day.
Achieving the HNC in Computing was pivotal in me securing a job with RACAL. Combined with my project management skills, and the commitment I had shown to studying in my own time, it helped me secure a Project Controller role and set me on the path to the next 20 years of travelling around the world delivering major projects.
Since then, I’ve worked across the UK, Europe and Australia, progressing into project leadership and gaining an Advanced PM Diploma and professional certification as a Project Director. I’ve delivered Sydney Metro and Parramatta Light Rail, and I’m now leading the Austin Light Rail project in Texas.
Two achievements stand out the most. The first was leading the Hawkei Protected Vehicle contract in Australia, where a small local team designed and built blast- and bullet-proof vehicles that could be airlifted by helicopter. We successfully competed against major global companies and won the Australian Government contract, with the vehicles still in production and service today.
The second was leading the Parramatta Light Rail project from design and construction through to opening to passengers at the end of 2024. Being on the first train as we opened for service, with the media and public there to celebrate, is something that will live with me forever.
Working internationally has taught me that being willing to listen, learn and adapt is just as important as the technical skills you bring with you. Every country, organisation and project has its own way of doing things.
What continues to motivate me is delivering some of the world’s most complex projects, working with the next generation of engineers and project professionals, and building teams that can succeed.
My career certainly didn’t follow a straight line, and I never had a master plan for where I would end up. What I did have was a willingness to keep learning, take opportunities when they came along and put my hand up for the next challenge.
My advice to current and future Fife College students is simple: qualifications may not open every door for you, but they will stop many being slammed in your face. Don’t be afraid to take on responsibility, even if it’s something you haven’t done before. You will be challenged, and sometimes you will fail, but what matters is how you react and, most importantly, how you learn from your mistakes.
You don’t necessarily need to know exactly where you are going. Sometimes you just need to take a risk, learn from it, and be ready when the next opportunity comes along. From a part-time HNC at Lauder College in the evenings to leading major projects around the world, I certainly never imagined where that qualification would take me.”