Students to prepare for world of work through AFBE-UK Scotland programme

Listen to the podcast

Scottish STEM students and graduates are being given the opportunity to take part in a programme helping to prepare them for the world of work.

AFBE-UK Scotland, which supports under-represented groups, is holding Transition events in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.

The Transition programme was launched in 2012 to help provide an avenue for job applicants of minority groups in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) sector.

The events - hosted and graded by industry professionals - involve a series of activities such as CV review, mock interview and assessment centre to help identify the potential stumbling blocks during an application process.

The programme has received hugely positive reviews in the past, with many participants grateful for the ability to receive feedback on their performance, helping them prepare for real life scenarios.

The three upcoming events are:

• Edinburgh - in partnership with EnQuest - Wednesday September 25, from 12pm to 5pm, Scott Suite, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University. Hosted by AFBE-UK Scotland’s Transition team member Ismaila Ibrahim, attendees will also listen to keynote speaker Ali Talpur, Director of Global Corporate Services at EnQuest. This event is only open to Heriot-Watt students.
• Aberdeen - in partnership with Harbour Energy – Friday September 27, from 9am to 5pm, The Village Hall, Kingswells, is for graduates or those studying STEM-related subjects at university. Hosted by AFBE-UK Scotland’s Transition team member Iyke Onyegiri, speakers include Mavis Anagboso, Head of DE&I (Europe), Mark Sanders, Senior Vice President – Late Life Operations, and Gatsbyd Forsyth, Senior Vice President of HSES, all Harbour Energy.
• Glasgow - in partnership with Mott Macdonald and Balfour Beatty – Friday October 4, from 9am to 4pm, James Weir Building, Strathclyde University. Hosted by Ismaila Ibrahim, speakers include Norrie Westbrook, Divisional General Manager at Mott Macdonald, and Hector MacAulay MBE, Regional Scotland Managing Director at Balfour Beatty.

Nikki Jønvik, AFBE Transition programme Lead, said: “AFBE-UK is thrilled to offer a fantastic opportunity for students in Scotland. In collaboration with industry professionals and our partners, we are eager to help support students as they navigate the challenges of transitioning into the workforce.

“The agenda has been thoughtfully curated to ensure it is valuable, engaging and interactive. We can’t wait!”

AFBE-UK Scotland, part of the UK AFBE-UK group, was founded in Aberdeen in 2011.
As well as Transition, AFBE-UK offers a series of other initiatives aimed at young people, professionals and organisations.

Its NextGen programme aims to promote engineering as a career to primary and secondary school pupils in under-represented communities in Scotland. Through activities, they aim to present the engineering profession in a vibrant way to capture youngsters’ attention and foster excitement towards the industry.

AFBE-UK also run a lunch and learn event called Real Projects where student members of AFBE-UK Scotland can network and collaborate with engineering professionals. It also offers mentoring services.

All three upcoming Transition events are free to attend, but places are limited. For the Aberdeen event, go to https://forms.gle/KxFCTCubQbxqbaFf8

For the Edinburgh event, email Lorraine Chambers - L.S.Chambers@hw.ac.uk

For the Strathclyde event, go to https://rb.gy/79g2nm

For more information on AFBE-UK Scotland, visit: https://www.afbescotland.org