Wood Group PSN has taken in more than 100 graduates, trainees and apprentices into its UK business over the last 12 months – the most in a single year by any of the Wood Group companies.
It follows fierce competition for places last year, which saw more than 1,040 applications for places on the group’s graduate programme and nearly 500 application’s for apprenticeships at the company’s Design Academy.
But it is not just new entrants joining the business on trainee schemes – the company’s graduate and trainee programmes include career development and cover multiple disciplines, from engineers to HR, finance and supply chain roles.
Jagoda Wojnowska, now a trainee piping designer, joined the company two years ago as a catering assistant.
On learning about Wood Group PSN’s Design Academy, Wojnowska went to college to get the necessary HNC in mechanical engineering, completed a short work placement and was offered a place in the 2011 Design Academy programme.
She said: “I learned about Wood Group’s business during my time working here, albeit as a sub-contractor, and developed an interest and subsequent desire to do piping design.
“You get to be creative, to design something new and tangible, for example routing pipes on a small and very busy platform, while ensuring the design is safe and will work.
“Wood Group PSN also puts you through additional training to increase your qualifications and knowledge, so you learn while working.”
Robin Watson, UK managing director at Wood Group PSN, said: “The size and diversity of our graduate, trainee and apprentice intake is something we are incredibly proud of.
“The quality and scale of our people development programme is a benchmark of our success and to be able to offer a record number of people the opportunity to join our industry is a real celebration for us.”