One year on: LEEA Robert Gordon University award winner
It's been one year since Archie Newbold was the recipient of the LEEA Robert Gordon University Award and now the graduate engineer is working as a project engineer, UK division, at Alatas Worldwide Crane Services.
‘Since we last spoke I've worked on a whole range of areas moving into an ad hoc pool, gaining experience with different clients and then at the end of last year, I moved onto a dedicated contract for one of the major North Sea operators, helping to plan, manage and run jobs across their six North Sea assets,” said Newbold.
“Ranging from calibration load tests, annual mechanicals slew pump, spine inspections, gearbox change out, rope change outs. I've done a bit of everything including SLI upgrades, offshore site visits and big pipeline projects due to start in the next couple of months.
“Since receiving the LEEA award, it’s given me a lot more exposure and understanding of the industry because one of the things coming from university is that you don't really touch on the standards or the codes behind the engineering that you do.
“And then from winning my award and speaking to LEEA, it gives you a better idea of why we do what we do, the codes that govern us and the reasons why we look into certain safety aspects or how we would approach different jobs.
“The association also provided me with a good technical background and they're always willing to give you advice. For example, there's a few things to do with certification which we wouldn't touch upon purely as engineering, but you can go to LEEA and they'll give you a full explanation, which means that you can then go back to the client and give them more detailed and an in-depth answer ensuring compliance with health and safety making sure everybody is happy for the job to go ahead.”
Talking about encouraging other young engineers to enter the industry, Newbold said: “From my first 12 months coming from university into the industry, a lot of connection points were lost during COVID and maybe the oil downturn in Aberdeen, where companies were getting involved with universities and actively trying to recruit from university or offering placement opportunities.
“The way I came into the industry was by completing two job placements and then moving into my graduate training role. But by doing so, I came in with six months experience plus. Also, my dissertation, which made the transfer from academia to working life a lot easier.
“I think graduate placements are a good opportunity to get exposure to industries because at university you're not 100% sure what you want to do afterwards. Whereas once you get into the working world, you realise there's different things you find more interesting than others, which is where placements are a good way to guide you.
“The one thing that has surprised me since taking on a full-time role is how busy it is and how every single day is different. When I first left university, I wanted to take a break from academia and training to get a bit of experience. I think 12 months in now, I've seen where my strengths and weaknesses are and now I’m looking towards taking more online courses, such as the ones LEEA offer to gain a more background knowledge, even if it's not directly beneficial to my job, it could still lead into something else, especially with all the lifting codes and standards that we have.
“My advice to anyone wanting to join this industry is to go out there and try to get some industry placements. Look at all the different opportunities, do a bit of everything and don't be afraid to ask questions.”
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