Celebrating experience, loyalty and the power of long careers in infrastructure

In infrastructure, experience isn’t just an asset, it’s a competitive advantage. As the UK continues to invest in major rail, highways, utilities and energy projects, the value of older workers has never been clearer. They bring deep knowledge, strong work habits, leadership, and an understanding of safety and quality that only decades on the tools (and in the boots) can teach.

In a sector where continuity, reliability and skill are essential, older workers have become the steady hands supporting the next generation of talent and shaping the future of our national infrastructure.

Why older workers bring such value to infrastructure

1. Unmatched experience built over decades

Infrastructure is a sector where practical, ground‑level knowledge matters enormously. Older workers understand how projects evolve, how conditions change, and how to deliver safely under pressure. Their experience helps to avoid mistakes, solve problems faster, and shape more efficient ways of working.

2. Mentors for the next generation

With large-scale programmes creating huge demand for labour, younger workers entering the industry rely on experienced colleagues to guide them. Older workers pass on the habits, judgement, and technical insight that can’t be acquired from a textbook. They anchor teams, raise standards and accelerate the development of newer workers.

3. Commitment and reliability

When someone has spent 20, 30, or even 50 years in the industry, it reflects a level of dedication that strengthens teams and stabilises workforces. Their presence fosters trust, improves team morale, and reinforces professional values across a site or programme.

4. A safety-first mindset

Safety is the backbone of infrastructure work, and experienced workers often bring a mature, instinctive understanding of risk. Their leadership helps to prevent incidents and instils safe habits in everyone around them, creating healthier, more consistent safety cultures.

5. Skilled adaptability through industry change

Infrastructure workers who have spent decades in the sector have lived through transitions in technology, standards, company structures and delivery models. This adaptability proves invaluable as the sector accelerates digitisation and modern builds adopt new methods of working.

Why a long career in infrastructure can be so meaningful

Infrastructure offers something rare: the chance to build a lifelong career with purpose. Many workers stay in the industry for decades because it provides:

• Job security through long-term national programmes
• Clear progression routes across roles, sites and sectors
• Work that genuinely matters, keeping the country moving and powered
• A sense of pride in contributing to major national achievements
• Strong team culture and relationships forged over many years

A long career in infrastructure isn’t just a job. It becomes part of a worker’s identity, and the legacy they leave behind is often visible in every track, bridge, renewal and upgrade they’ve helped deliver.

---

Celebrating success: Aldo’s story

Few careers embody the spirit of dedication and resilience like that of Aldo Puzella, who recently retired after an extraordinary 51 years in Rail, including 15 years with MSS Infrastructure (MSSI). Aldo’s journey is a powerful reminder of why older workers are so essential to our industry and why long careers in infrastructure are   so meaningful.

A lifetime committed to the railway

Aldo was born in a small village in Italy on 26 January 1956. At 16, after years in boarding school, he joined his family in the UK, following the same path of opportunity his father had taken. After trying a few jobs, his father encouraged him to join the railway, promising it was “a job for life.” He couldn’t have been more right.

From trackman to supervisor: decades of growth

Aldo joined the railway in 1975 as a Trackman with British Rail. By 1979, he was promoted to Leading Trackman, then Track Chargeman in 1984, and eventually Managing Supervisor in 1990. Through company transitions across employers including Centrac, Carillion and Amey Colas, Aldo adapted, grew and led.

When he joined MSSI in 2010, he brought with him a depth of skill and experience that enriched every team he worked with. He never looked back.

A legacy of loyalty, leadership and professionalism

At almost 70, encouraged by his family (including four grandsons, and “more to come,” he laughs), Aldo decided it was time to hang up his boots. But not without looking back on a career he describes as rewarding, progressive and filled with pride.

He leaves with gratitude and we feel exactly the same. His values, dedication and skill have shaped colleagues, uplifted teams, and contributed to the safe delivery of countless works across the rail network.

The power of experience

As the infrastructure sector continues to grow, older workers will remain at the heart of its success. Their hard‑earned knowledge, leadership, and work ethic strengthen projects, elevate safety, and create opportunities for younger generations.

Aldo’s story perfectly captures what long careers in infrastructure can offer: stability, pride, progression, and a lasting legacy.

At MSSI, we celebrate and value every worker who has dedicated years - or decades - to this industry. Their experience is not just welcomed; it’s essential.