Mallaigh and Caelainn are Year 13 students from Derry and attended MonsterConfidence Derry in 2018. They were 2 of 5 winners invited to spend a day at Veolia’s Donaghadee plant during April.
On Tuesday 30th April 2019 we departed Thornhill College, which was an early start to make our way to Donaghadee for our work shadowing opportunity.
We started the morning with a Health and Safety presentation that was required for the site tour of the Water Treatment Works. PPE was required and we had to wear protective gloves, hard hats, high-vis jackets, safety goggles and safety boots. Once this was complete the tour was underway. I enjoyed the opportunity to explore the Waste Water Treatment Works. It was fascinating to get an insight into how water waste is cleaned and how the waste product is used as another resource. I became aware of the different stages needed for the water to be recycled again. However, the covered site had a pungent odour and we got to see the sludge in the different sewage tanks, which was not the nicest view.
After our tour, we had the opportunity to meet other members of the Veolia Northern Ireland Team. They explained the different roles that they have in the company and gave us insight into the career pathways that led them to their current position. We also picked up some great tips for writing a personal statement that will be useful for our applications in Year 14.
I would be very interested in working with a company like Veolia in the future, in a STEM role with an ICT-based background. Although the company has many other areas that could be explored. This visit has heightened my interest in STEM and it would be great to work for a company that is future-thinking helping to preserve our environment.
Year 13 students @ThornhillDerry enjoying an insightful day @VeoliaUK . A big thank you to NI Veolia team and @Stemettes for this wonderful opportunity. pic.twitter.com/jguNJIlVUI
— Technology and Design Dept Thornhill College (@thornhill_td) May 3, 2019
To learn more about MonsterConfidence and get involved in the next tour, visit monsterconfidence.co.uk