Getting the most out of Work Experience

 

Telephone the placement company before your work placement:

• to introduce yourself  to your  placement supervisor

• to ask for information about the company, what tasks you will be doing on the placement  and to confirm some practical arrangements (e.g. clothing, start and finish times)
• to answer questions from your placement supervisor, which might include explaining what you want from the placement.

 

Practice Active Listening – pay attention to other people so that they feel you understand what they are saying. You may need to do this in the following situations:

• induction briefing –  e.g. about health and safety procedures

• explanation of work tasks

• taking messages from customers or colleagues

• in team meetings where key facts and decisions are discussed

• listening and observing colleagues to learn new skills or techniques

• dealing with customers or service users

 

Speak clearly and logically:

• think through what you want to say, making sure you get the information in a logical order and do not forget anything
• write down the key points in order
• How clear was the information? Was anything missed out? Was the tone and speed appropriate?

 

Prepare for face-to-face meetings – you may need to do this with your supervisor  to:

• discuss your progress during a placement

• be given specific information about a particular task that you have been asked to do

• report or discuss a problem that may have arisen.

 

Take the opportunity to talk to people about their jobs, what they do and how they got there.

Employability

You may hear a lot about Employability – but what exactly does it mean?

Employability is about making sure young people have the skills, qualifications and personal attributes to get a job, preferably in a sector they really enjoy.

Even though getting a job might seem a long way off, you will already be developing your employability skills through any work experience you do, writing personal statements, having college interviews and choosing subjects in areas you might want to work in.

  it’s never too early to start planning…

A new website has been launched offering practical advice to young people getting ready for work http://www.whatemployerswant.org/

The British Chambers of Commerce will launch its ‘Your Future’ programme this month which will hold 250 career events aimed improving the career prospects of young people. http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/press-office/press-releases/career-skills-in-spotlight-as-schools-return.html

More useful links looking at skills and careers – they all have suggestions about career options and looking for a job

https://www.barclayslifeskills.com/about/

https://www.plotr.co.uk/

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers.htm

http://www.futuremorph.org

Finding work experience in STEM...

Over 95% of students go on work experience in Years 10 or 11. Most placements are arranged for the latter half of the summer term in Year 10, to avoid disruption to timetabled learning. Some placements last three weeks, but most finish after two weeks, or even one.

 

If you are looking for a placement related to science or maths and haven’t been able to find one through school, then you may well have to find a placement yourself. You can get ideas from friends, family, online business directories or business directories in your local library, or have a look at the list below for ideas on where you can start your research:

 

The Design & Technology Association

British Science Association

Royal Society of Chemistry

Institute of Physics

STEMNET

National STEM Centre (includes e-library resources)

icould

Institute for Education Business Excellence

Student Job

https://www.rsb.org.uk/careers-and-cpd/careers/work-experience

https://successatschool.org/advicedetails/506/Work-Experience-Ideas

For more useful careers advice, and opportunities join SATROclub by emailing satroclub@satro.org.uk

Help Light a Spark!

“Enterprise means much more than just the ability to become an entrepreneur.  It is that quality that gives an individual a positive outlook, an ability to see the glass as half full rather than half empty, and is a valuable attribute for the whole of life.  It is a quality many bring with them on starting primary school but far too many leave secondary school without.”

Lord Young, Enterprise for All  (June 2014)

 

A new Government initiative to support schools by recruiting business volunteers to help with their enterprise and careers activities is currently being piloted around the country.   The Government have set up the Careers and Enterprise Company (www.careersandenterprise.co.uk) and asked Local Enterprise Partnerships to deliver on this project.  Enterprise M3 (www.enterprisem3.org.uk) covers the M3 corridor.

 

After a tendering exercise, SATRO (in partnership with the Basingstoke Consortium) have secured the contract from Enterprise M3.  In line with the initiative, SATRO have appointed an Enterprise Coordinator whose job it  will be to recruit volunteers from all areas of business. Those volunteers will aim to inspire and help young people, when they are looking at their futures.

 

SATRO are in the process of meeting with schools in Farnham and Waverley to see what they are currently doing and what they need help with - seeing where the gaps are if you like.  The feedback so far has been very positive.

 

The next piece in the jigsaw is to recruit those volunteers from local businesses - Enterprise Advisors (EAs) - to help support the schools' careers and enterprise activities, and that is what we are asking you to consider doing.

 

The model is for one EA to be linked to one school. He or she would be able to draw upon their local connections (and new ones made through the network) to help support individual schools’ specific needs. They would be supported by the Enterprise Coordinators: not just initially, but throughout.

 

What would it involve?  Well, that very much depends upon what would best help the individual schools.

 

Evidence shows that this kind of employer/business engagement produces positive outcomes not only for the young people involved, but also for the local economy. The benefits for business include: the opportunity to make new business contacts; positive local publicity; opportunities for their workforce to learn new skills by engaging with the schools; creating a motivated and able pool from which to recruit employees and meeting their social responsibility targets. 

 

Some of us were lucky enough when we were in school to encounter a person who somehow lit a spark and set us thinking about what we would like to do with our lives, we all remember them. So, if you think that you could help inspire young minds… help light a spark… and would like to know more, please email mo@satro.org.uk . 

 

 

“Out-of-the-box thinkers” able to take a “helicopter view” are 72% less likely to get a job

CVs that claim to be able to take a ‘helicopter view,’ be ‘results-orientated’ or ‘out-of-the-box thinkers’ capable of ‘shifting the paradigm’ are 72% less likely to get candidates through to interview or to secure a job because they contain so much jargon.*

The research, undertaken by O2, forms part of their Think Big programme which is designed to help young people build their skills and employability and the gap between education and the workplace.

O2 Think Big found that one third of employers spend a minute or less reading each CV they receive, making snap judgments. They say that over-use of jargon, spelling or grammar errors or over-designed CVs mean they will immediately reject a candidate’s application.

Now, the top ten worst pieces of management speak that crop up in resumes from candidates has been identified. The research asked those involved in recruitment at UK companies to pick out the worst pieces of jargon and then rank them based on their (over) use.

The worst pieces of CV jargon

1.       “Able to take a helicopter view” (23%)

2.       “Shifting the paradigm” (18%)

3.       “Blue sky thinking” (14%)

4.       “Out-of-the-box thinking” (13%)

5.       “Results-orientated” (7%)

6.       “Road-mapping” (5%)

7.       “Strong interpersonal skills” (5%)

8.       “Leveraging my skills” (5%)

9.       “Critical thinker” (4%)

10.   “Dynamic team player” (4%)

To help combat the problem of jargon-use in CVs, O2 Think Big has teamed up with Do-it.org, the UK’s largest digital volunteering service, to launch a free mobile app (available for Android and for iOS in the near future) called Gro (http://gothinkbig.co.uk/gro). The new tool – primarily aimed at young people who may be hunting for their first role in the world of work – helps them to translate volunteering and extra-curriculum activities into language that is recognised, understood and valued by employers.

For example, if a young person has mentored or coached someone, the app will point to their listening skills. If they’ve fundraised for a charitable cause, Gro will highlight their creativity, influencing skills and trustworthiness. If they’ve campaigned for a cause they believe in, Gro will pick out their skills in communication as well as motivating and convincing others to get involved.

A recent report from CIPD encourages more employers to include questions about volunteering and social action as part of the selection process – in order to unlock young people’s “hidden talents” and experiences. According to the #iwill campaign, approximately 3 million people aged between 10 and 20 years old (12%) have undertaken volunteering and social action activity across the UK, but need help to translate the skills and experience they gain through volunteering into “CV speak”.

Jamie Ward-Smith, CEO at Do-it.org comments:  “Volunteering can provide amazing opportunities to boost career development. Enabling young people to translate their social action experiences into CV friendly terms that can impress prospective employers is a great way to demonstrate this and give young volunteers a boost in a competitive jobs market. The new Gro mobile app does just that and we’re thrilled to have worked together with O2 to launch this important new tool.”

To find out more and download the free Gro app, visit www.gothinkbig.co.uk/gro

* research conducted amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,000 UK adults on 23 November 2015, of whom 49% who responded “Yes, I regularly review CVs from prospective candidates as part of my job role” were used as the base.

BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK 2016

This week at SATRO, we have had lots going on as part of British Science Week 2016...

LEGO WeDo Workshop at Kingfield Primary School
On Wednesday 16th March, SATRO delivered a LEGO WeDo workshop for primary students at Kingfield Primary School, Pupils worked in pairs to design, engineer and programme robots using LEGO bricks, a computer, a motor and other special elements. Pupils learnt to incorporate tilt and motion sensors into their designs. They then tested their initial designs and programming; after reflecting on what did or did not work, the pupils learnt to consult with peers, adapt their programming, and adjust their designs. 


SATRO Mega-Structures Challenge at Pirbright Village Primary SchoolToday, we are at Pirbright Village Primary School delivering a Mega-Structures Workshop. 60 Year 5 pupils will be tested on their engineering skills. The day involves using design and build techniques, combined with team work to create a shelter that could be sent to a refugee camp for them to cover with plastic sheeting. This event has kindly been sponsored by Beard Construction.

SATRO 2016 Problem Solving Challenge Grand Final at ACS Cobham International School

The regional final of the SATRO Problem Solving Challenge will be held at ACS Cobham International School this evening. Teams of 6 students from schools all over Surrey and bordering areas will be tested on their engineering skills and scientific knowledge during this challenging event - all for a grand prize awarded to their school! This event has kindly been sponsored by Allianz, The Manly Trust, Give-It-Away, The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers, Frazer Nash and IChemE. 

B-Involved STEM Challenge - Bouygues UK, SATRO and Runnymede Borough Council

Tomorrow morning, 5 teams from three schools located in Runnymede will be taking to the council chambers to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges.  This year's STEM Challenge is being supported by the partners on the Addlestone One scheme along with members of the local construction industry. The students have been set the challenge of developing proposals to enhance the sustainability of the Addlestone development, as well as coming up with innovative ideas to make Addelstone a destination of choice for young people. During the past couple of months, each team has had the opportunity to seek advice from industrial mentors from Bouygues UK, BAM Construction Ltd, Crest Nicholson and Thorpe Park, on sustainability designs and processes. 

LEGO Dacta Workshop at Guildford Library's 'Geek Week'

On Satruday 19th March, SATRO will be delivering it's second LEGO workshop of the week. This time SATRO will be working with Guildford Library during their 'Geek Week' in celebration of British Science Week 2016. Children and parents will be programming the LEGO RoboLab RCX to open the car park barrier, change the traffic control lights and close automatically as their model car cuts the light beam that triggers the sensor. 

To find out how you can get involved with our events, email contactus@satro.org.uk or visit our website www.satro.org.uk

10 FACTS ABOUT APPRENTICESHIPS THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW - National Apprenticeships Week 2016

Bet you didn't know...

1. Since 2010, there have been over 2 million apprenticeship starts in England.

2. Apprenticeships are available in over 170 industries including aerospace, fashion, broadcast media and finance - with 1,500 job roles available.

3. 90% of apprentices stay in employment after finishing their apprenticeship (includes 2% self-employed).

4. 82% said their apprenticeship had improved their ability to do the job and 79% said that their career prospects had improved.

5. If you are a small business, you may get a £1,500 grant to help cover the cost of starting a new apprentice aged 16 to 24 years old

6.  70% of employers reported that apprenticeships improved their productivity or the quality of their product or service

7. 100 years ago, an apprentice could be summoned to court for being 'idle' or having a 'bad attitude'.

8. The government invested 1.5bn in apprenticeships in 2013 to 2014.

9. The National Audit Office has estimated that for every pound of government investment in apprenticeships, the economy gets £18 back.

10. There has never been a better time to employ an apprentice, or start an apprenticeship.

Visit http://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/ for more information on apprenticeships and how you can get involved.

National Apprenticeships Week - 14th-18th March 2016

Sources: SFA data; National Audit Office; Ancestry; the Centre for Economics and Business Research; National Apprenticeships Website.

 

How do I find a good Apprentice? Apprenticeships Week 14th - 18th March 2016

How do I find a good Apprentice?

The simple answer is to volunteer for SATRO! But why would that help you find a good Apprentice?

In July 2015, Minted Box began its first year-long apprenticeship with now 18-year-old Will Wright who left Ashcombe School in Dorking to learn more about something he is genuinely passionate about; Web Development. “As it happened, we found Will at a school event we were at,” says Minted Box Director Iain Bell.

This particular event involved Minted Box Head Developer James Alvarez-Buylla visiting Will’s school for ‘Career Speed Dating’. Students would sit in a big hall and business owners would rotate around, giving the students 5 minutes to guess what their job was and a further 5 minutes to talk and ask questions. “Everyone at school knew me as the guy who builds websites because I did it in my free time. So at the end of the event I got a card from James and I emailed him for advice, he turned around and offered an apprenticeship which turned out to be for the best!” said Will.

“Will was 17 at the time so we were keen not to encourage him to jump ship but we put the apprenticeship offer on the table if he wanted it and that really worked,” said Iain.
“The apprenticeship scheme is aimed at creating a rounded individual and it’s up to us as a company to make the whole environment and deal attractive enough as we've invested time into them. But Will is learning enough other things that he could take them elsewhere,” said Iain. For Will, the offer presented to him was perfect: “It turned out my AS grades were really bad. I failed my AS Levels but I was good at computers and I was good at websites, I just wasn't good in the academic sense.” “It really is different going straight from school and I stay in touch with some people from school and they are saying that A2s are really hard and I'm sitting here saying, I'm just having fun at work in a company whilst getting paid to do it.”

Minted Box really helped support Will as he knows he can ask whatever question comes up: “You can get what you need. You can get an answer that doesn't get tied up in an email chain somewhere. You just turn around and ask.”
“It’s quite cool that I'm actually involved in a big project and it's Vodafone! I was in school 2 months ago and now I'm working with Vodafone. Something is wrong here! Vodafone are a huge multi-national company, and it’s like. I'm building their website! So it's quite amazing.”

This apprenticeship has also allowed James to push Will out of his comfort zone: “I'm not a very talkative person and I wouldn't be doing the things I'm doing by myself. It's the fact that James is going: ‘Here, try this, try this.’ If I have James' approval I'm more than happy to give something a shot because he trusts me enough to do it and that's enough for me to think, ok I can do it then.”

If you are interested in volunteering for SATRO or getting involved in any of our events, contact us via contactus@satro.org.uk or visit our website for more information www.satro.org.uk

TOP TEN PIECES OF CAREER ADVICE - National Careers Week 2016

1. Study and work in whatever seemingly unrelated areas you are interested in, even if it's just a hobby. That way, when your dream job/business comes up, you'll be perfectly and uniquely qualified for it.                                    - Sarah Jansen, writer and editor



2. Important, exciting careers aren't linear or clearly defined.    
                                                                                - Anonymous  



3. Don't be better, be different. You might not have the exact experience listed on the job description, but if you can show how your unique skills would better suit the company, you have a better shot than someone who is a more technical match.
                                                                              - John Fawkes, Blogger and Career Coach


4. You can learn a lot hanging out by the printer. 
                                                                              - Anonymous



5. You don't get ahead by doing your job well - you get ahead by making new things happen that weren't a part of your job description.        
                                                                             - Victor Wong, CEO of PaperG



6. Attitude > Aptitude.                                        - Anonymous



7. Your main goal at work should be to learn and contribute. Success and promotion will follow from there.                                            - Laura Cooke



8. Talk openly about your failures. People will respect and trust you if they see that you're taking risks and aren't ashamed to learn from them.
                                                                              - Mira Zaslove


9. The best job for you won't be ready at the exact time you are 'ready'. You have to be open to and searching for opportunity all the time.                        
                                                                              - John Fawkes, Blogger and Career Coach


10. Ultimately, your career is largely a concept that exists in your mind. What you really have is a series of jobs, strung together, that form a story you are in charge of writing.
                                                                              - Blaine Lee Pardoe

For more tips and information about career opportunities in Surrey, join SATROclub. Register by emailing satroclub@satro.org.uk

SATROclub - National Careers Week 2016

Why not sign up for SATROclub as part of National Careers Week 2016?

SATROclub is a free service providing monthly updates to young people, their parents and careers advisors promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) careers in the South East region. SATROclub works with over a hundred local companies and colleges promoting STEM opportunities like work experience, apprenticeships, training and jobs. 

Surrey has many businesses who offer exciting and innovative careers for people interested in STEM. However, many of these have difficulties in attracting applicants. SATROclub aims to bridge the gap between businesses and young people in Surrey.

If you would like to register for SATROclub, email satroclub@satro.org.uk

To find out how you or your company can get involved, or for more information, email contactus@satro.org.uk

'Are there sufficient women in non-traditional roles today?' by guest blogger Keisha Smith

The Ada Lovelace Discussion on 10 December is titled ‘Are there sufficient women in non-traditional roles/careers today If not, why not?’

I’m mostly familiar with my field of STEM and engineering and based on current statistics, the answer to the first question seems to be no. The latest figures (August 2015[1]) for the UK suggest that women make up 14.4% of all people working in STEM occupations and 8.2% working as engineering professionals.

So why aren’t there more women? My recent 6 week secondment with WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) has helped me with this question. Even though girls continue to do out perform boys at GCSE/A-level STEM subject, many areas of research suggest that some girls still don’t see non traditional STEM careers or engineering for people like them and many aren’t progressing with the subject options, such as physics, that are required for the engineering profession. Although it’s about 50:50 at GCSE level for boy and girls doing physics, at A-level it approximately 80:20[2] and therefore this has a knock on effect in the work force.

Work force figures are also affected, not only by the limited number of women entering the profession, but also by retention issues whereby women leave the profession because of lack of progression/training due to the culture of some companies.

I believe that one of the actions we can do to increase the numbers in the workforce is to try and encourage girls, both at primary and secondary level, to see engineering as a career for them. As a STEM Ambassador I go into primary schools and show students (both boys and girls) what civil engineers do, the varied nature of engineering and the positive impact engineers have on shaping the society.

Working with organisations such as SATRO also helps in encouraging girls into engineering. The company I work for was recently involved in a SATRO programme where an A-level student was given the opportunity to undertake research based on an actual project. CGL provided the student a brief based on one of our major brownfield sites in London and during the 2 weeks with the company she gained an understanding of what ground engineering (both geotechnical and geoenvironmental aspects) is all about. I supervised this work placement and it was very encouraging to see the enthusiasm she had for engineering and she helped to show me that with the right encouragement more girls could be driven to consider a career in engineering.

---

[1] https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/resources/2015/09/women-in-the-stem-workforce

[2] https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/resources/2015/08/stem-a-level-and-gcse-statistics

- Keisha Smith

Giving Tuesday - why give? by guest blogger and SATRO Patron James Dubois

At a time when our minds are full of the recent horrific terrorist murders in Paris, it is perhaps good to focus on what we, personally, can do to help others. Rather than sit back and leave actions to others, we should consider what difference each of us could make to the lives and opportunities of those less fortunate than ourselves.

Material objects and hedonistic pleasures are but a fleeting pleasure: how much better to give to worthy causes with which we can identify. Whether it be £1, £100 or £1,000 – start with some gift, of any amount, to help others. It’s a good habit that rewards the donor as much as it enriches the recipient. Gifts freely donated will probably not change your standard of life, but they may make a big difference to those who need the funds.

Are you ready to make a habit of giving and, in the process, enrich your own life?

- James Dubois, SATRO Patron

If you would like to give to SATRO you can do so by texting SATR11 to 70070 or visit our website to find out how else you can support us. 

Charlotte Grobien OBE visits SATRO Mobile Classroom at Woodlands School

GIVE-IT-AWAY to make a difference!

A real example of social entrepreneurship

Surrey-based charity SATRO is delighted to announce that Charlotte Grobien OBE, a unique and very special social entrepreneur, has stepped up to the challenge of changing young people’s lives by supporting our programmes to inspire them about their future careers.

Charlotte visited Woodlands School on 1^st October 2015 to see the SATRO Mobile Classroom in action accompanied by SATRO Chairman, James Dubois and Fundraiser, Lucy Miguda.  Charlotte has very kindly sponsored this very special activity for the students for this academic year, the students were delighted to present her with a bird box they had made during their sessions with the SATRO Mobile Classroom.

Charlotte Grobien, said “I loved the visit to Woodlands.  Such a lovely school in all respects: beautiful grounds and buildings with dedicated staff and happy children.  It is a pleasure to help them with funding for the SATRO Mobile Classroom”

During the course the students have also made planters which so impressed Charlotte that she has commissioned the students to make two for her next project in Woking.  The students are thrilled with this opportunity to showcase and sell their work; for Charlotte this is real social entrepreneurship!

Charlotte runs Give-it-Away which is unique in how it raises money for charity – it builds  houses, sells them and then gives the profits to charities that fit with Charlotte’s charitable interests.  Charlotte supports small, local charities who work with vulnerable children and young people who have disabilities, learning problems, difficult home backgrounds and where there is also financial deprivation. 

Gill Lloyd, Teacher at Woodlands School commented “The students look forward to working with the tutor from SATRO each week and are very proud of their new skills and of the useful items that they make”.

Woodlands is in Leatherhead and is a school for children aged 2–19 with a range of difficulties including severe learning difficulties and complex needs. The SATRO Mobile Classroom will be teaching the schools 6^th Form Students construction skills to enable them to extend, enhance and learn new manual skills.

The school have appreciated the benefit of the SATRO offer which gives the students opportunities to develop their awareness of safety, how to follow instructions, learn new and different vocabulary, work as part of a team or in a group, learn to take turns and work independently. The SATRO Mobile Construction Classroom is very exciting for the students; and provides them with different stimulation and the opportunity to learn by doing which suits the learning style of many of the students. The school very much appreciates that this opportunity would not be available to us without the financial support of the “Give it Away” Charity or the expertise of Surrey SATRO. 

SATRO RECEIVES £10,000 GRANT FROM HEATHROW COMMUNITY FUND

 TO FUND SATRO MOBILE CLASSROOM CONSTRUCTION COURSE AT

SUNBURY MANOR SCHOOL, SUNBURY-ON-THAMES, MIDDLESEX

SATRO is delighted to announce that Heathrow Community Fund has donated £5,000 towards the cost of the SATRO Mobile Construction Classroom to attend Sunbury Manor School, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex on a weekly basis. SATRO runs a fleet of five mobile classrooms which attend schools across Surrey and its boards teaching up to BTEC Level 1 Building and Construction Skills to Years 10 and 11 students. 

Louise Duncan, HeadTeacher said “We have worked for years with SATRO Mobile Classroom for our Year 10 and Year 11 students and it has made such a difference to them.  They have relished the opportunity for more hands on practical work, enjoyed developing their skills and working in a completely different environment.  For some students it has given them an opportunity to succeed in a way which more academic subjects have not always offered them.  It has also had such a beneficial impact on their other students as they have seen the Construction Classroom as something special for them, somewhere where they can succeed and work in a different way and for many it has shown them a way into college.  We were so disappointed that for financial reasons we were not able to continue this provision and so grateful for the injection of funding from Heathrow Community Fund which means we will be able to do so.  It will make such a difference to our next cohort of Year 10 students, thank you.”

Heathrow Community Fund also donated £5,000 to SATRO to help fund a new van for this much needed programme.

Heathrow Community Fund is part of an independent grant–making charity set up by Heathrow’s owners to support and strengthen local communities close to the airport.  In the past two years it has donated more than £1 million through three grant programmes, funding projects which support young people, help protect the environment and support active local communities.  Funds come from an annual donation from the airport, donations from airline passengers and fine imposed on aircraft that breach noise limits.  

Sam Mansfield - SATROclub Extended Research Placement - KBC

Sam Mansfield of Esher College is currently completed his SATROclub Extended Research Placement at KCB Advanced Technologies, a leading independent oil and gas consulting and technology company. The research project Sam is doing will make use of process simulation to contribute to KBC's innovation program for 2015. The project will be on a refinery unit operation. 

Here's what Sam had to say about his experience so far...

"So far I have created a weathering model that simulates the effect of boil off on the composition of stored LNG and nitrogen injection into exported LNG to maintain wobbe index. It currently supports continuous import and export and adjusts the rate nitrogen injection so that wobbe index of export LNG stays at a constant defined value. It can manually simulate weathering and nitrogen injection for discrete imports and varying continuous exports, however this is a fairly high effor and time consuming process. I need to find a way to pass through values in the time series so that composition and flow rate of accumulation is conserved over each state within the time series without being overwritten by the next state's calculations so it can be done automatically. Neither I nor my supervisor could find an elegant way of allowing this within petro-sim. A meeting with the person who came up with my project idea has been arranged to discuss potential ways of coming up with a more elegant solution to this problem."

Thank you Sam! We wish you the best of luck for the rest of your placement at KCB. 

Eloise Knights - SATROclub Extended Research Placement - CGL

Eloise Knights of Tormead School is currently completing her SATROclub Extended Research Placement at CGL (Card Geotechnics Ltd). 

A large site located in Silvertown, London, immediately to the north of the River Thames which is a former industrial estate, including an oil depot, that is to be developed for mixed residential and commercial uses with multiple basements across the footprint. The site is 15ha in area and divided into 3 former wharves. An investigation scope is required to assess the ground related risks to determine the likely impact to construction of the development, both in terms of risk due to contamination and risk relating to stability of the buildings (i.e. foundations and retaining walls). Research is required on the type of ground investigation techniques available, what would be applicable and cost effective and the likely cost of the overall ground investigation. Information is also required to show the Client the importance of ground investigations in the construction industry and how early spending on a detailed ground investigation limits risk and eventually construction costs. Eloise is working with the team at CGL to help conduct this research required. 

Here's what Eloise had to say about her placement so far...

"I began the placement having very little experience of the Engineering discipline which include, Geology and Geotechnical Engineering. Despite my minimal knowledge and understanding, it became apparent that these branches of engineering were more familiar than I had anticipated. Similar to chemical and electrical engineering, Geotechnics involves the analysis and observation of  problems in order to acquire the most appropriate method to resolve the problem. Fortunately, having a mind that enjoys logic and reason, I very quickly understood the processes and engineering methods used by the company to approach the environmental and geological problems. Throughout this week, my appreciation of the significance of what the company does has grown even greater, and likewise my interest."

SATRO wishes Eloise the best of luck for the rest of her placement!