Training

At Dougall Baillie Associates (DBA), we believe that investing in our people is fundamental to delivering high quality engineering services and sustaining long term success as a business.

Our approach to training and development is built around supporting individuals at every stage of their career, from school leavers and apprentices through to experienced professionals and future leaders.

We are proud to be an ambassador for the University of Strathclyde Graduate Apprenticeship Programme. Through this partnership, we actively support young people entering the profession by enabling them to combine academic study with practical, hands‑on experience in a live consultancy environment. This “learn while you earn” pathway allows graduate apprentices to gain a recognised degree qualification while developing real‑world skills, commercial awareness and professional confidence.

In addition to graduate apprenticeships, DBA has a long‑standing commitment to apprenticeships more generally. We regularly welcome staff who join us directly from school and provide them with structured training, mentoring and day‑to‑day support as they develop their technical and professional capabilities. This approach enables individuals to build a rewarding career without the need to follow a traditional university route and reflects our strong commitment to social mobility, local employment and skills development.

Professional qualification is a cornerstone of our training philosophy. DBA actively supports all technical staff in working towards chartership and professional membership through the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). We provide structured mentoring, internal guidance, technical experience opportunities and practical support throughout the qualification process. Over the past 40 years, 20 members of staff have successfully achieved professional qualification through ICE, with a pass rate of nearly 100% – a record that reflects the quality of our internal support and the strength of our development culture.

Alongside external qualifications, DBA places significant emphasis on high quality internal training

We deliver a rolling programme of in‑house and external training across a wide range of disciplines, including:

  • Technical software and digital engineering tools
  • Management and leadership development
  • Emerging technologies and innovation
  • Specifications, standards and best practice
  • Health, safety and wellbeing

This internal training programme ensures that our staff remain up to date with industry developments, evolving legislation and modern working practices, while also building the leadership and commercial skills required for career progression.

Through apprenticeships, graduate programmes, professional qualification support and continuous internal training, DBA provides a structured and supportive environment in which people can thrive. Our commitment to training reflects our wider values as a business – developing talent, encouraging lifelong learning and ensuring that our people are equipped to deliver excellent outcomes for our clients and communities.