Are you Career Ready?

With the start of the new month came brand new faces to the OGTC as we welcomed our Career Ready students as they geared up to undertake 4 weeks of placement with us here in the office.

“Career Ready is a UK wide charity linking employers with schools and colleges to open up the world of work to young people. They work in partnership with schools & colleges to provide students with expert careers guidance and activities they need to succeed in the world of work.”

The OGTC partnered up with the Career Ready programme to shape the way young people interact with the energy industry and to provide more STEM based opportunities for both students and staff alike.

Prior to their arrival, our interns were partnered with their two mentors within the OGTC; David Wilson, Knowledge Manager and Scott Millar, Information Systems Lead. The students were tasked with researching how technology is influencing the world of work and how it is changing skill requirements. Theo and Jordan identified what skills gaps the industry is facing and what new learnings and behaviours may be required for the industry to be successful. This all results in an end of placement presentation in front of OGTC and a select few visitors, including Career Ready representatives and School teachers.

It’s been a busy few weeks for our students but thankfully we caught up with them after their presentation as they gave us the run down on their journey over the past four weeks…

What’s your name? Where are you from and what year are you in?

Hi I’m Jordan Kamwa, I am a sixth year student at Portlethen Academy and I’m Theo Prager from Meldrum Academy, and I am currently in fifth year.

How did you find out about Career Ready?

Jordan: I found out through my guidance teacher at School back in August last year. There was a sign-up sheet about the Career Ready programme and it was on a first come first serve basis. Thankfully I’m a pretty fast runner – so here I am!

Theo:  I also found out through school in a similar way. I thought it sounded exciting, and a little different, so I signed up and here we are!

Had you heard about the OGTC before?

J: Yes, a little bit and I knew what the industry was, but I didn’t know about the Centre. My dad works in oil and gas, so I do have a bit of knowledge about it.  

T: I hadn’t really heard about the OGTC before admittedly, but now that I have finished the internship I feel as though I have learned a lot – I truly believe that this experience

will help me in the future when deciding about my future career plans. 

What were your main roles during your time with the OGTC?

J: We focused on the project that we were given. Where we went and interviewed a variety of stakeholders, both inside and outside the industry.

T: We also did independent research online to find out more too, which helped us build background information that helped shaped out our final presentation.

Was your work experience at the OGTC what you had imagined it to be like? Is there anything you would’ve like to have done more of? 

J: I wouldn’t say I would like to do more of, but I expected the workplace to be dull and everyone to be focused on getting to lunch, but in reality, it was like one big family. At times there was dogs in here, it’s really not the same as school! It’s relaxed, exciting and everyone is so nice – I couldn’t have asked for a better working experience!

T: I appreciate that the company didn’t want to overwhelm me as an intern just starting out, but I think a little more interaction with more people would have been great. However, all things considered, it was a great internship that has given me a lot of insight into the way companies work! I appreciate everything everyone at the OGTC has done to support me. I would also like to add, before working at the OGTC I never really looked in the direction of the oil and gas industry, but now, I think it’s exciting – there’s much more to this vast industry than I first thought.

What was your favourite part about working at the OGTC?

J: My favourite part was that I was comfortable being who I am, and I didn’t need to change just because I was going into a different work environment. I also got to research more about User Interface, and it is what I am interested in, so for me it wasn’t really work!

T: I met so many new people and made new friends along the way and I am sure I will stay in contact with my mentor and the company for quite some time into the future.

What sort of career are you interested in taking in the future? Has the Career Ready internship helped shape your thoughts about your future career options?

J: I want to be a User Interface designer and the OGTC has made me aware that this is possible. 

T: For me, now the plan is to complete S6 and then head off to university. After that? guess I’ll just see what the future holds. I’ve always had a keen interest in gaming and the aspects of gaming design, and my time here at the OGTC has shown me that there’s so much more to technology than I knew before and it doesn’t have to be specific to gaming. It has really opened my mind!

Any advice you would give to future Career Ready interns?

J: A working environment is not formal, it’s fun and you can enjoy going in. Talking to people that you don’t know might be hard to begin with, but it gets easier! Please… talk to everyone!

T: I’m the same, I’d definitely say just speak to people, and not to be shy. They will help you with whatever it is that you need and it’s also great practice for the future when having to speak to new people.

J: Before I started this internship, I had no idea who Theo was and now I’ve just spent four weeks working closely with him and look at what we have just produced! I would never have thought that on my first day, but it does get easier and you start to settle into your new role. 

The boys certainly ended their placement on a high, with happy faces all round and there was a buzz of excitement throughout the office and that’s not just down to it being a Friday!

How do their mentors feel? Well they’re here to tell you…

David Wilson, Knowledge Manager, OGTC:

Theo and Jordan came to us with little knowledge of the oil and gas industry and they managed to come together and create a fantastic presentation – It left everyone thinking about their future and how we can engage with the next generation.

Students at school still have a limited view of what the working environment is really like. Jordan and Theo enjoyed the working environment at the OGTC, saying that it was fun and that it felt like being part of a family rather than being at work. From before the internship, their trepidation of a dull, boring experience has, over the course of the four weeks, been converted to a genuine disappointment that it has come to an end. This is a transformation that everyone at the OGTC has helped create, and I cannot recommend this programme enough.

Scott Millar, Information Systems Lead, OGTC:

The Career Ready is a fantastic programme and it should be available to everyone, but it relies on companies like us at the OGTC making themselves available, so what I’d say to companies out there, willing to get involved is please sign up and help the next generation – it’s a huge benefit for both them and us!

Career Ready helps promote the oil and gas industry to a new audience… let’s get them invested and interested when they’re young.

More information about Career Ready can be found on their website; https://careerready.org.uk/

But from us here at the OGTC, a big well done to Jordan and Theo and we look forward to seeing and hearing about everything the future has in store for you both!