Meeting our future workforce at Teesside Uni's Future Careers Fortnight

Giving students and graduates the opportunity to find out more about offshore wind careers

The Sofia team met more than 60 potential future employees at the Engineering, Digital and Creative sector day of Teesside University's first ever Careers Fortnight aimed at students and graduates.

Joining a number of other construction, engineering, technology and consultancy firms, RWE's Sofia had a stand with information available about the project, offshore wind careers and RWE's graduate programme. Visitors to the Sofia stand also had the chance to virtually visit a wind farm with the virtual reality headset.

Sofia engineer and package manager Lawrence Marley and education consultant Mike Cargill were on hand to talk to students who were studying or who had recently graduated from a range of courses including: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and project management.

Teesside University's Events and Systems Co-ordinator, Emily Hopwood said the fortnight was a great way for employers to meet talented students and graduates, and to promote graduate jobs, internships and work experience opportunities.

"We thought that by spacing the event out over two weeks it would encourage the students/graduates to come along to their designated sector days, and maximise the employers that we could accommodate on campus.

"The engineering day was particularly busy and we have received a lot of positive feedback from students who attended."

One of the students pleased to meet with the Sofia team was former Redcar and Cleveland College student Phil Tosh who had taken part in Sofia's Champions for Wind programme before arriving at Teesside University.

"The work I did around Sofia and the offshore wind industry as part of the Champions programme really gave me the passion for engineering that I have today. I was extremely grateful for that experience which was instrumental in me choosing to continue my engineering studies at Teesside University.

"I learnt and developed skills during Champions that I didn't think I would have, including presenting the model made at College to the Sofia team. It opened my eyes to what can truly be achieved and how engineering can improve the world for the future.

"It was great to catch up with the Sofia team at the Teesside University careers event."

The day was an ideal opportunity for students to speak with employers who they may not usually have considered or approached, with many finding out that they had skills and experience they could offer in sectors they were not particularly aware of. 

Sofia's Lawrence Marley with Teesside University student Phil Tosh