Most former university students will remember reluctantly leaving parties early to revise for exams however not many would still be prepared to keep sacrificing their social life long after completing their degree course.
James Reid did though and is already reaping the rewards. Having initially graduated in 2010, it wasn’t long before James got his head back into the books as he looked to enhance his career and achieve chartered engineer status.
The 28-year-old project coordinator with XPD8 Solutions joined the company straight after completing an Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering with Management at the University of Edinburgh. Shortly after settling into his initial role as a graduate engineer, James thought the time was right to accelerate his development within his place of work.
He said: “After my first year at XPD8, I mentioned in my appraisal that I was ambitious and wanted to progress as quickly as possible. To do that, I identified further education courses that fitted with my role and the work we carry out.”
A distance learning MSc in Maintenance Engineering and Asset Management from the University of Manchester looked to be best suited for developing James existing skills and complemented the work carried out across all aspects of XPD8’s business. The company, based in Aberdeen, is recognised as a leader in maintenance engineering, condition monitoring and integrity services for the oil & gas sector. XPD8 agreed to give James time off for exams and funded his three-year study on the condition he stayed with the firm for a minimum period of time.
“It was quite tough especially around exam time,” said James.
“On top of that, there was course work throughout the year and there were times when we were really busy at work. At the end of some long days, I would have to go home and study until 11pm. At times, it could be quite hard as I was missing out on socialising and seeing my friends. I was the only person in my group that was still in further education and there were engagement parties and birthdays that I couldn’t go to or would have to leave early.”
The hard work is certainly paying off as James graduated in December and has also been promoted three times during his employment at XPD8.
He said: “It has definitely been worth it. All the modules directly correlated with what we do at XPD8 and because of this, I now have a greater understanding of everything we do – not just what goes on in my own department. There were a lot of people in the company who helped me with the various modules which was a great support too.
“It has worked for me and XPD8 because they’ve shown commitment to me and I have to them. Just doing the work has already helped me to gain promotions and understand more about the company. I now manage the second biggest project in the maintenance engineering department. I split my time between interfacing with the client, managing the project team and performing a senior engineer role. It suits me perfectly.”
James is now set to join the five other members of staff at XPD8 who hold chartered engineer status.
XPD8’s managing director Mark Cavanagh says he is keen to support all staff looking to develop their knowledge and skills.
He said: “It is important for us that staff can achieve their potential at XPD8 and have the opportunities to progress in the company. James has put in a lot of effort and we recognise his achievements. Also, we recently had three members of staff completing the Prince2 Project Management Practitioner course. Whether it is long-term or shorter courses, we will always consider it if it benefits our staff and enhances the service we can offer to clients.”