RSE Recognises Achievements of Graduate Apprentices

RSE is recognising the outstanding achievements of two women who have recently completed Graduate Apprenticeships in their engineering disciplines and have since been successful in securing full-time Graduate positions within RSE.

Kathryn Dalgleish

Kathryn Dalgleish, RSE Graduate Civil Engineer, embarked on a graduate apprenticeship in Civil Engineering whilst at Heriot Watt University, completing her degree whilst gaining on-the-job experience with RSE. After a year studying full-time, Kathryn undertook a summer placement at RSE and learned of the Graduate Apprenticeship opportunities that Heriot Watt offered. As a result, Kathryn approached RSE with an interest in continuing her studies as an Apprentice and RSE agreed to support her in completing the final 2 years of her degree whilst working as a member of the Civils team.

Kathryn opted to pursue a career in engineering as Maths, Physics and Chemistry were her strongest subjects at school, and she additionally enjoyed Graphic Communication. Kathryn had no previous experience of the engineering or construction industries but decided to follow a degree within an engineering discipline regardless. Kathryn’s summer placement with RSE confirmed her passion for engineering as she gained a particular interest for a career in the water sector.

Kathryn graduated from her degree in Civil Engineering with a First-Class Honours, an outstanding accomplishment which is testament to Kathryn’s hard-work and determination in earning her degree whilst gaining first-hand engineering experience. To further her career, Kathryn aims to gain more experience onsite and within the Design department, to better understand how RSE’s teams collaborate on projects, with a view of progressing her career to Project Manager level.

Kathryn Dalgleish, RSE Graduate Civil Engineer, said:

RSE have been very supportive in my development in allowing me to become a Graduate Apprentice and gain practical experience. My line manager has been very helpful in identifying upcoming projects that I can get involved with that will help broaden my experience. I’ve also been a part of RSE’s Graduate Engineering Programme which has given me the opportunity to have a mentor in another department of the business, which provides me with an insight into the various work that RSE do and the projects I could be involved with in the future.

Laura Mair

Laura Mair, RSE Project Engineer, undertook a Graduate Apprenticeship in Engineering, Design & Manufacture (Mechanical) at Heriot Watt University. Laura opted to study her course alongside full-time employment due to the invaluable benefit of being able to compare theory with real-time industry operations. The course was predominately work-based, comprising of a 30% university-based learning and 70% workplace learning split.

Laura’s initial interest in engineering stemmed from her passion for cars and being fascinated by the ever-evolving technologies in the automotive industry. This passion, alongside Laura’s aptitude for problem solving, ignited her desire to pursue a career in mechanical engineering.

Laura recently graduated with a First-Class Honours degree, an amazing achievement which demonstrates her ability to apply theoretical mechanical engineering knowledge to real business requirements. Since graduating, Laura was offered a permanent position with RSE as a Project Engineer, requiring her to be responsible for the day-to-day management, design and delivery of projects. Laura’s role allows her to expand her experience with the mechanical processes involved within water treatment and develop a comprehensive understanding of wider engineering principles and practices.

Laura Mair, RSE Project Engineer, said:

I love being on-site and tackling problems as they arise, as I have learnt how to deal with these types of situations during my apprenticeship. I’m particularly enjoying being able to utilise my degree in alignment with RSE’s business demands, as my role allows me to continue to develop and use my skills as part of my career progression.