Waterford students get insight into potential of engineering
Brian Davy, Senior Engineer with EirGrid speaking with pupils at Ardscoil Na Mara, Tramore, County Waterford
Students in two Waterford secondary schools gained insight into the potential careers within the engineering sector recently when they were visited by an EirGrid engineer.
Waterford native and Senior Project Engineer with EirGrid, Brian Davy spoke to over 150 students in Ard Scoil Na Mara, in Tramore, and De La Salle College in Waterford, about their ideas of renewable energy, the work of engineers and how everyone can work together to tackle societal challenges like climate change.
Mr Davy also gave the students an insight into engineering career opportunities and the future of renewable energy on the south coast during a workshop initiative in the school.
The initiative took place to mark STEPS Engineers Week and it saw Mr Davy meet with students from the schools to highlight the variety of careers available in engineering and the importance of the profession.
STEPS Engineer’s Week, managed by Engineers Ireland, is aimed at promoting engineering education, celebrating innovation and encouraging the future engineering workforce.
“Young people must see themselves as innovators, equipped to tackle pressing global challenges, such as climate change," said Mr Davy.
“School visits like these offer a valuable opportunity to inspire students, providing them with insights to potential future careers and showcasing how they can contribute to Ireland’s ambitious goal of sourcing eighty percent of our electricity from renewable sources," he added.
During the session students learned about EirGrid’s role in managing the electricity grid, the future of offshore wind in Ireland and the role of engineers in creating a more sustainable transmission system.
The 'Powering Up Offshore - South Coast' project, led by EirGrid, will see the delivery of grid transmission infrastructure including offshore substations and underwater cables, to connect offshore renewable energy resources to points on the onshore grid along the south coast, including county Waterford.
“When delivered, this key infrastructure will have the capacity to bring 900 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity onto the national grid, enough to power nearly a million homes,” said Mr Davy.
EirGrid currently employs engineers from a diverse range of engineering backgrounds, including new graduates as part of the EirGrid graduate programme. Civil, electrical, structural, sustainability and IT engineers work alongside a host of other professions to ensure the constant development and efficiency of the national electricity grid.
