This summer, we've been fortunate to have a group of talented interns and work placement students join our teams across the country. Their passion, creativity and fresh perspectives have been truly inspiring as they've contributed to our projects, learned the ins and outs of the industry. To celebrate their efforts, we’ll be featuring each of them in an upcoming post-placement series.

Starting off, we had the pleasure of welcoming Alisa Akifyeva in our Epsom office. Despite being so young, Alisa is already passionate in pursuing a career in the M&E sector; seeking work placement by herself and choosing to forgo a week of precious summer holiday to immerse herself in our company. It's rare to see someone so young with such clear aspirations and Alisa was kind enough to share her thoughts about her experience with us:

Q: Why would you like to go into mechanical or electrical engineering?
”I want to go into mechanical engineering because I'm passionate about designing and creating systems that solve real-world problems. I'm excited by the challenge of innovating and improving technologies that have a direct impact on people's lives.”

Q: What new knowledge or skills did you gain during your work placement?
”During the work placement, I learned to perform water pipe sizing, pump sizing and ventilation calculations, model buildings using IES, solve complex cable problems and a lot of other knowledge, while simultaneously developing problem-solving skills.”

Q: Were there any specific tools or software you learned to use during your placement?
”I learned to use a variety of software and tools that included AutoCAD, Dialux, IES, and Excel Spreadsheets.”

Q: How did feedback from your supervisors or mentors contribute to your learning experience?
”All of the supervisors who I worked with were very responsive and friendly. They clearly walked me through the tasks and explained everything that I didn’t understand. Their feedback was also very helpful and constructive.”

Q: How has this experience prepared you for your future studies or career?
”This experience has helped me gain insight into the engineering industry, understand and practice the daily tasks of engineers, develop particular skills to perform calculations and use necessary software to work on projects.”

Q: What part of your work placement was the most fun or enjoyable?
”I enjoyed learning to understand schematics and modelling and then applying the understanding to perform calculations and draw conclusions.”

It’s clear that Alisa made the most of her time with us, soaking up new skills and making meaningful contributions. We’re so proud of her achievements and the enthusiasm she brought to the team.

Thank you Alisa, for choosing to spend your week with us! We’re excited to see where your passion and skills take you next - there’s no doubt you’re headed for great things!