Employee feature: Developing the skills to meet future energy needs

At Ashtead Technology our success depends on our people and we continue to invest in growing our talented teams to support our customers’ projects worldwide. Part of our recruitment strategy includes visiting local colleges and universities to meet face to face with the next generation of talent and provide them with valuable insight into the career opportunities we have available. This process also gives potential new recruits the chance to ask questions and make direct contact with our hiring, technical and operational teams whilst getting a feel for the culture of our business.

Andy McKie is a Workshop Technician for our Survey & Robotics service line, based at our facility in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, UK. Andy joined Ashtead Technology in June 2018 as a Trainee Technician after attending one of our recruitment fairs at a local college, which then led to his appointment.

In this article, Andy shares his experience of joining Ashtead Technology since leaving the North East of Scotland College (NESCOL) in Aberdeen with an HNC in Electrical Engineering, and discusses how his role has evolved based on the experience he has gained over the past few years.

My experience as a Trainee

“I was first attracted to the role at Ashtead Technology as the company seemed like a dynamic and progressive business with plenty of opportunities to learn from a highly experienced team.

“I spent my first two years at Ashtead Technology as a Trainee Technician, working in three different teams within the workshop in order to gain a thorough understanding of the full range of equipment in the fleet and the testing, preparing and sometimes repairing that needs to be done to ensure all assets are in a project-ready condition. Based on the variety of projects we deliver for customers and the breadth of equipment in our rental pool, no two days are ever the same which makes my job very fulfilling and interesting.

How my role has evolved

“Since being promoted from Trainee Technician to Workshop Technician, I have continued to broaden my knowledge of the extensive range of equipment in Ashtead Technology’s global fleet. I have spent time on a boat calibrating one of our units, which was a great experience as it gave practical insight into how the equipment will be deployed in an offshore environment. I have also been able to travel to our offices in Houston and Broussard to assist the teams with their workshop operations.

Future career opportunities

“In the absence of a Senior Technician in my team, I often have the opportunity to step-up and lead the team. This involves providing dedicated support to Trainee Technicians along with managing a busy workload to ensure all daily tasks and project priorities are met. I plan to continue developing my career with Ashtead Technology and the next stage is to progress to the role of Senior Workshop Technician.

Working at Ashtead Technology and advice to others

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time working for Ashtead Technology so far. The team work incredibly well together to ensure we provide the best equipment and service possible for our customers. Due to our fast growth, we are continually seeing more vacancies arising across our global operations which provides the opportunity for further career progression and international travel. 

“I would highly recommend Ashtead Technology to anyone looking to gain experience working for an exciting and fast-growing technology and service-driven company in the global offshore energy sector.”