Alan Anderson

MEng in Road and Transport Engineering

Sligo

Can you share your career path to date?

• Emulsion technician with Colas Ireland
• Emulsion Engineer with Colas Ireland
• Senior Project for the Cork Airport Regeneration Project
• Project Engineer with Colas Ireland

What does your current role involve?

As a project engineer with colas Ireland, I am responsible for all technical aspects of the bitumen emulsion section of the business. This involves calibration and testing of our emulsion spraying fleet, problem-solving and technical support for the Ireland of Ireland. I am also involved in my initiatives with the company most recently I have been tasked with providing EPDs for our products.

What motivated you to start studying?

I wanted to expand my knowledge in the specific area of engineering and create opportunities for myself in my workplace.

Why did you choose this course from ATU Sligo?

I achieved my undergraduate degrees from ATU Sligo and I knew the college offered the support and guidance in my further studies. The course offered by the college is very applicable to the field of engineering I am involved with and it is the only one of its type in the county.

 How did you find the process of studying online? What elements did you find helpful? Were there elements you found challenging?

I found online studying to be an excellent way to deliver the lectures, the recorded aspect made it flexible and a lot easier to balance with working full time.

How did you balance work and study?

I had the full support of my company and they encourage continuous professional development, they were very accommodating during exams and for any in-person practical sessions carried out on the campus.

In terms of your employer, were they supportive of your decision to study? Were there elements of the course that were particularly relevant to your current employer?

The course covered several modules which have brought me benefits in my professional career and thus helped my company

What advice would you have for anyone considering studying online?

Consider the effort required, and make sure you have a full support network.

In what way has studied online with ATU Sligo benefitted your career?

The MEng has offered me the to opportunity progress in my career and it has put me well on track to achieving my Chartered engineer status

Did this course provide any unexpected benefits to your career?

The networking gained with my classmates has provided excellent contacts with my customer’s basis across the country. Having achieved this qualification is a great topic of conversation within our industry.

Did you find that the elements you were studying had practical relevance in your day-to-day role?

Yes, by completing the thesis research we were able to develop a new product which is used in our emulsion manufacturing that has greatly improved our product.

What were the key skills you took away from your time studying at ATU Sligo?

The course provided very relevant modules to my industry I gained a greater knowledge of legislation and government policies. I also developed my research skills by completing a project which directly correlated with my work.