Experience Proving Beneficial For South Down Student

Eamon Byrne from Loughinisland is confident the practical experience gained during an onsite engineering placement will stand him in good stead for future employment, having been the recipient of a new scholarship award, writes Anne O'Hare.

Eamon received a scholarship through a partnership between Electric Ireland, part of ESB Group, and Queen’s University which seeks to support students from MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering. As part of the tailored package Eamon completed a placement at ESB’s substation design offices in Fleet Street, Dublin and feels the experience gained as a member of the substation’s design section has given him a practical insight into the industry.

He said: “By working with professional employees I gained an understanding of the working environment of a professional engineer and how things operate within a large organisation like ESB.

“Often I was on-site at the electrical substations and at various information tour days which were set up for fellow students. I found this experience has given me the opportunity to see firsthand the impact of the work I was undertaking which can be missed by being solely in an office. And it also gave me a much greater understanding of different elements within this division of engineering.”

Since returning to study at Queen’s University, Eamon has already experienced positive benefits from his placement. He added: “What I learned during my work placement through Electric Ireland impacts greatly on my studies at Queen’s. For instance, in the more electrical modules my personal experience helps greatly and I feel I have an advantage having actually worked with what we learn in class as theory. This gives me a much deeper understanding of various concepts.

“Overall this was a valuable and extremely fun experience and I see engineering to be a very good career path choice with excellent prospects for the future as it opens up a wide range of job posts.”

The placement was provided through a partnership between Electric Ireland and Queen’s University and Susan Kinane, Electric Ireland Business Markets Manager, said: “We are proud to support the engineers of tomorrow by providing practical experience and I’m delighted Eamon has found this to be beneficial to his studies.

 “I am confident this experience will strength Eamon’s opportunities in seeking employment in these challenging times. Our partnership with Queen’s University reflects Electric Ireland’s commitment to developing the workforce of the future through support of STEM initiatives, helping to build a strong and robust future economy in Northern Ireland and helping individuals prepare for their career in business.”

Eamon Byrne from Loughinisland has been reaping the benefits of his engineering placement as part of a partnership between Electric Ireland, part of ESB Group, and Queen’s University.  Pictured along with Eamon at the time of his receiving the award is (l-r) Tony Gallagher (QUB), Susan Kinane (Electric Ireland) and Dr Stephen Farry (Employment and Learning Minister)