Ukrainian engineer rebuilds his career on Teesside after starting again in a new country
An experienced Ukrainian engineer who settled on Teesside after leaving his home country has rebuilt his career with the help of local training, language support and a new opportunity in Stockton.
Yurii Machenko, 42, moved to the UK with his family after leaving Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. Now living in Norton, he has secured work as a telecommunications engineer after completing a career-focused training course through DTN Academy, supported by the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Adult Skills Fund.
Before arriving in the UK, Yurii had already built up years of experience in digital telecommunications. He worked as a telecoms engineer and fibre optic cable splicer, bringing valuable technical skills with him to Teesside. But starting again in a new country came with barriers that many people never see from the outside.
Alongside the emotional weight of leaving home, Yurii faced practical challenges too. He had to improve his English, navigate a new employment system and find a way to gain recognised British qualifications so he could return to the industry he knew.
Determined to rebuild, he enrolled on ESOL courses, attending classes at Stockton Business Centre and Stockton Riverside College. He also took part in volunteer-led English lessons with Middlesbrough-based Ukrainian teacher Keteryna Poliievets, while continuing to study independently using online tools including YouTube and Duolingo.
While working towards his new future, Yurii also worked part-time as a delivery driver, volunteered at Stockton HUB and took part in additional training organised by the Red Cross and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
The turning point came when he was referred to DTN Academy through Jobcentre staff.
DTN Academy provides telecoms training pathways, combining practical learning with online and classroom-based support. Its skills bootcamps are designed to help adults build sector-specific skills in areas such as telecoms and civils, with links to employers and interview opportunities.
Through the course, Yurii received both theoretical and practical training, including fibre splicing. This helped him gain the qualifications he needed to work in the UK telecommunications sector.
Yurii said learning about the academy “became my dream come true” and described receiving his invitation letter from DTN Academy as “the happiest day in two years.”
He also praised the tutors for helping him feel calmer and more confident while learning in English, saying they slowed down when needed and gave him printed materials to help him prepare.
During his training, Yurii was invited to an interview arranged through DTN Academy. That interview led to him securing work as a cable engineer with Stockton-based Commplex Network Services Ltd.
Commplex Network Services is a North East-based telecommunications company specialising in fibre optic network build, working with major internet service providers to deliver digital infrastructure. The company is based at Primrose Hill Industrial Estate in Stockton-on-Tees.
For Yurii, the job is more than employment. It is a return to his profession, a step towards stability and a chance to use the skills he had already spent years developing.
He said he was incredibly happy to have the opportunity to work in his industry again and wanted to keep improving and expanding his skills.
The support was funded through the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Adult Skills Fund, which is designed to help local residents aged 19 and over access training, improve skills and move into work or progress in their careers. The fund also supports adults looking for second-chance opportunities or career changes into high-demand and growing sectors.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said Yurii’s story showed what can happen when people are given the right support and the chance to use the skills they already have.
Cllr Lisa Evans, Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Tees Valley Combined Authority Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, said the support put in place locally had helped Yurii rebuild his career in Stockton-on-Tees.
Yurii’s story is a reminder that skills do not disappear when someone crosses a border. Experience, ambition and determination travel with people. What they often need is the right bridge: language support, practical training, recognised qualifications and someone willing to open the door.
On Teesside, Yurii found that bridge. And now, after two years of rebuilding, he is back doing the work he knows, helping build the digital infrastructure of the region he now calls home.
