Euan Petrie

I was encouraged to partake in the Arkwright Scholarships by my Technological Studies teacher when I was at school. Now, over 10 years later, I have been involved with the organisation in many guises; from being a Scholar, to interviewing new Scholarship applicants, to being the guest speaker at the annual awards ceremony.

"Euan is one of the first Engineers I think of when faced with a task that needs specialist input or is slightly out with normal bounds , he uses all his knowledge and experience to ensure work is carried out to a high technical level and is completed on time and in budget. Euan has the potential to become a technical authority within his discipline."

Andy Holden, Engineering Group Lead, Aker Solutions

My sponsorship from The Gannochy Trust allowed me to purchase a computer to help with my studies - both for the theory and practical elements (it was taken apart and rebuilt more times than I care to remember!). This, along with my farming background and Lego obsession, led me to a degree in Engineering at Aberdeen University. The first two years of my degree covered many aspects of engineering – civil, mechanical, electrical and electronics. This was a beneficial experience and has helped me greatly throughout my career, working in multidiscipline teams.

In my final year of university, I completed a 10 week summer placement with Aker Solutions, a service company in the oil and gas sector. During my placement I worked on solving a real issue for the company which resulted in the development of a potential new product.

Once I graduated from university, I started in a research and development role with Aker Solutions, designing and qualifying printed circuit boards and subsea communications equipment. Since then I have progressed through product development and now am in a project role designing the topside control equipment for subsea control systems. This role has allowed me to work on multimillion pound projects, provide support to operating oil fields and travel all over the UK and the world -  a highlight of mine was an offshore trip in Angola aboard the Dalia FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) vessel - shown in the header photo above.

I am currently working towards my CEng (Chartered Engineer) status. I have my interview in a couple of weeks and I know the Arkwright Scholarship and the support I have had from the Trust will be invaluable in that process.

My Arkwright journey has been a valuable experience which has led me to meet many people from all walks of life, all of whom have the same passion for engineering. I would recommend the experience to anyone who has an interest in engineering.

Fourteen years on from when I was awarded the Scholarship, it is still benefiting my career!