Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I FOUND MY SOLAR FLAIR
DETERMINED to work as an engineer, Kiera Wright imagined she would go to university and take it from there.
But after spotting a fantastic local job, Kiera, 19, from Buckie in North-east Scotland, opted for a graduate apprentice engineer role which has her working and studying in the solar industry.
What do you do day to day?
I started eight months ago with AES Solar who have just won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development. It is so exciting.
We fit panels on buildings as diverse as Balmoral Castle to the Scottish Parliament.
Every day is different, but my main responsibilities include making applications to gain permission from the grid to install solar systems, using computer aided design to create schematics and layout drawings of our panels and systems, and technical support to those having issues with their systems. It is really diverse.
What do you love about it?
It feels really exciting to work for a company that aims to improve the future of energy (and the world) by harnessing the power of the sun to create clean, green electricity.
What sort of engineer are you?
My degree is a Beng (Hons) in Instrumentation Measurement and Control, which means I am working towards becoming a qualified instrumentation engineer. This is the study of the measurement, control and analysis of industrial processes using instruments as well as software.
It includes many different things including electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and design engineering. I have every Wednesday morning off work to focus on my studies.
Is it traditionally a man’s world?
I have never been given grief for being a woman at AES Solar. I am actually the company’s first female engineer, though the company does have an even split of male and female staff.
Reflecting back on my education however (I previously completed an HNC in Engineering Systems) I have received some pushback and difficulty with my lecturers. In a class full of my fellow male students, I often felt like I was the one that was picked on as a few of my lecturers could be quite tough on me compared to the males in my class.
However, I would say, if anything, this pushed me harder to aim for success.
That’s why it’s so refreshing to come to AES Solar where my personal success is being encouraged in a positive, supportive environment.
Why did you decide to become an engineer?
For a long time I was unsure about what I wanted to do with myself. In my fourth year of high school I fell in love with physics. After that I knew I wanted a career that was physics based and allowed me to continuously learn new things. I hit the jackpot with AES Solar and the graduate apprenticeship.
It’s exciting to work for a firm which harnesses the clean power of the sun
Why didn’t you go to university?
Originally, I was set to go to Aberdeen after my HNC. I had a spot and was all ready to go when an advert for my job came up.
I was randomly Googling apprenticeships about two months before I was due to leave Buckie and saw the job advert. I thought I’d apply as another option for myself.
I didn’t really want to move away from Buckie but thought it was my only option to continue my learning.
I was over the moon to find out I would be able to get my degree at home as well as earn a wage instead of creating the usual student debt required to move away from home to attend university.