South West College, Omagh, recently hosted an Engineering Summer School to give young people an insight into the range of engineering career pathways. The purpose of the day was to help young people clarify their understanding of the increasing range of courses in this field.
Five different workshops were set up and manned by experienced lecturers in the various areas of engineering including Design; Biomedical and Chemical; Civil and Environmental; Electric and Electronic; and Mechanical.
The day was supported by a range of agencies including Roads Service, Sligo Regional College and the Institution of Civil Engineers who freely gave of their time to explain, and advise on, the many opportunities now available to young people interested in an engineering career.
Emer Murnaghan, a Chartered Civil Engineer from Graham Construction, introduced the day. Prior to joining Grahams, Emer held the position of Assistant Regional Director of the NI Branch of the Institution of Civil Engineers and was recently elected to the various prestigious Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers in London.
Emer instilled enthusiasm and confidence into the young people saying “At age 17, I didn’t know what I wanted to do nor did I know what an engineer was – but I was always eager to know how and why things worked – so, in a sense, Engineering picked me. Twenty-five years later, would I choose it again? Absolutely! I’m still asking ‘how’ and ‘why’. Three pieces of advice - don’t worry about the future, let it take care of itself; have a plan for tomorrow but be flexible in your route – allow life to shape you; just be the best that you can be today.”
Thanking all those who contributed to making the day such a success, Eugene McGrade, Schools Liaison Officer for the College, commented that “Under the Entitlement Framework, all pupils should have every opportunity to explore and inform themselves of the range of career pathways now available. Hopefully today was a great chance to explore engineering.”
For further information on engineering courses at South West College, please contact 0845 6031881. The Facebook page and Twitter feed will also keep you updated on upcoming events and courses.