Andrew Peoples - Renewables Engineer

First, tell us a bit about yourself! What did you study at university? Where are you based, and did you relocate for the grad programme?

I’m Andrew Peoples and have recently completed the 2-year SSE Renewables Engineering Graduate Programme. I studied a 5-year integrated Masters in Mechanical Engineering with Aeronautics at the University of Strathclyde, graduating in 2021. I’m based in Glasgow and joined SSE in September 2022, having worked for a defence company for the year prior.

Which sectors did you consider applying to for your graduate role? What made you choose SSE Renewables?

During my latter stages on university, I had a keen interest in the renewables industry, with my group masters thesis focusing on the development of a marine turbine. I also chose classes in my 5th year, and completed internships through my years at Strathclyde, that were relevant to a career in renewables. After a short stint in defence after finishing my degree, a career in renewables was what I was after, and SSE Renewables seemed like a great place to start due to the scale and variety of projects.  

How did you find the recruitment process?  Do you have any advice for students considering applying for the SSE Graduate Programmes?

The recruitment process is split up into a number of stages and each one is competitive to get through. The online tests are challenging so my main bit of advice would be to practice as much as possible before doing the real thing. After you get through the test stage, there is an online interview, presentation and assessment centre. At each of these you will be able to get across your personality, passion and motivation for joining the company much more. When attending interviews, it’s really important to know abut the company and what we are doing, so I would also say a big bit of advice would be to research projects and get to know some of the challenges SSE Renewables are facing, and some of the achievements we have reached.

Tell us a bit about your experience on the graduate programme?

During the graduate scheme I completed 3-month placements in 8 different teams across the 2 years. I spent time in onshore wind, offshore wind and hydro, all of which had different challenges and led to me getting involved with lots of interesting projects. A highlight for me was my 2nd placement, which was site based and led to me relocating to Shetland to work on Viking Wind Farm for 3 months. I worked on the site during the construction and installation phase of the project which was a great experience to witness firsthand how a wind farm in build, and all the challenges that come with it.

For those who have completed the programme – tell us about your substantive post and how the graduate programme helped you prepare for this?

After completing the graduate programme, I have since moved into my substantive role as a Mechanical Engineer within the Offshore Mechanical Engineering Team. During my time on the graduate programme, I completed a placement within the team and also worked alongside the team on other projects throughout the 2 years. I found the blend of technical work and interfacing with OEMs interesting which led me to pursuing a role within the team.