Engineering a bright future for local youngsters

Our success is built on the talent we find right here at home. Based in the rural community of Oldmeldrum, we’ve grown into an international leader in piping for the energy sector. But we're only as strong as our team, which is why we partnered with our local schools to find the next generation of engineers and technicians.

Last year, we reached out to David Hooper, SkillsDevelopment Scotland (SDS) Careers Adviser at Meldrum Academy. We were looking for ambitious young people to join our internal trainee programme. As David explained to us, a lot of locals didn’t realise a global company like ours was right on their doorstep, offering amazing career prospects without the need to leave the area.

Our strategy is straightforward and involves bringing in school leavers who have a passion for hands-on work and develop their skills using our proven techniques. As our training lead, Harley Sherret, explains,“We've identified a gap in the market for specific disciplines, and we believe the solution is to grow our own talent. Our local recruitment approach means that things like transportation and accessibility are never obstacles for young people looking to start their careers.”

The partnership with David has been incredibly helpful. He successfully connected us with students from both Meldrum Academy and InverurieAcademy, giving them valuable exposure to the roles within our company while also helping them prepare for interviews. It’s an exciting prospect for these new graduates, knowing they can work on sites across the UK and even worldwide.

We quickly saw potential in both Kai and Keigan who came from Meldrum Academy and David worked closely with them to ensure they were well prepared to make a good impression on their trial days.

Keigan was initially interested in the military, but he soon realised a career with us offered the same chance to travel and work outside of an office. Kai, who wanted a hands-on job as an electrician, was excited about the prospects we could offer that he couldn't find with many other local companies.

Both young men were successful in their interviews and joined our 18-month training programme. Now, two years later, they’re flourishing as Mechanical Technicians. They’ve already gained invaluable on-site experience, both in the UK and abroad.

This partnership has become a cornerstone of our recruitment. Just recently, David sent us seven more pupils for our latest recruitment drive, and we’re thrilled to say we successfully hired two from each school. We've even had Kai and Keigan help us induct the new starts, showing how far they’ve come.

We’re proud to provide these opportunities and help young people in our community build a bright future with us.