Ryan Grier Achieves First-Class Honours Degree

How Has Your EFP Journey Been?

Reflecting on my eight-year journey with EFP, I have been provided with great support throughout my career and my studies. I started in 2015 as an apprentice and have worked my way up to my current role of Engineering Manager at our Livingston site. I’m grateful for the support and flexibility EFP have provided along the way, enabling my continued development.

What Inspired Your Engineering Career?

I always knew I wanted a job that was hands-on as two of my most enjoyable subjects at school were Design and Graphics which involved a fair bit of hands-on working. Pursuing a degree in Design and Manufacturing was the next step.

Tell Us About Your Graduate Apprenticeship Program

This Graduate Apprenticeship program was significantly more challenging than my previous academic experiences. Initially, it involved intense eight-hour lectures, with a huge amount of detail to process. There were sacrifices I had to make, like giving up holidays and social gatherings, these were tough but necessary for my studies.

Throughout my apprenticeship my mentor, Billy McMahon, was invaluable in gaining hands-on knowledge in the field. I always turned to Billy for guidance as his wealth of engineering experience was a constant source of learning. The most valuable skill I have gained over the years is problem-solving, which have evolved immensely since my original apprentice days, gaining experience in both mechanical and electrical engineering aspects has set a solid foundation for my future.

What’s The Biggest Accomplishment of Your Apprenticeship?

The biggest accomplishment of my life is achieving a first-class honours degree whilst working full time as Engineering Manager. It was a massive challenge requiring lots of hours at university and extra days at work.

What are Your Career Aspirations?

Now, having achieved this milestone, my focus shifts towards becoming a great manager. I plan to undertake various courses and guidance from my line manager, who has extensive experience in management. My aspiration is to climb the ladder at EFP and explore where this journey takes me next. This latest qualification is a great steppingstone which I believe will help open doors for new opportunities within EFP, complementing the years of experience I have built up.

Are There any Innovations in Engineering that Excite You?

Innovations in engineering that excite me, and that I am very interested in, are robotics and AI (artificial intelligence). I studied programming and robotics at university, and this was something that I really enjoyed, especially being able to program a small pick and place robot and seeing it work successfully.

What Is Your Key Takeaway from your Academic Journey?

When I think back, I recall a saying from my college mentor which really resonates with me, “What you put in, you will get out”. He was right, the hard work I put in over the 4-year apprenticeship resulted in first-class honours!

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