£11,000 awarded to eight South West College Engineering students.

Eight Engineering students at the South West College Dungannon campus were awarded a total of £11,000 in bursaries as they were presented with scholarships from a variety of industry-leading Engineering companies at South West College’s recent Get Engineering career fair at the Dungannon campus.

Powerscreen and BlueMac presented £6,000 in scholarships to 6 talented engineering apprentices studying at Level 3 - 5, while Strickland a prestigious annual bursary scheme organised by SWC, in conjunction with Strickland Ireland awarded £5,000 to two students undertaking a higher education programme.

Powerscreen winners were Level 3 Gold Engineering students Sam Haslett, employed at Moy Park; Teagan Dorman, employed at Mallaghan’s; and Jane McGrade, studying Ulster University Foundation Degree in Engineering with specialisms HLA, and employed at Nugent’s.

Blue Mac winners included Level 3 Gold Engineering students Thomas Armour, employed at Moy Park; and Kim Hunter, employed at Greiner, as well as Ulster University Foundation degree in Engineering with specialisms HLA student Aine Heagney, employed at McCloskey International.

Lastly, the Strickland winners were BEng (Hons) Degree in Engineering (Top Up) (validated by The Open University) students Emmet McElhill, employed at Precision Engineering, and Micheál Mackle, employed at Powerscreen Terex.

The scholarships were presented at the recent Get Engineering Careers Fair, at SWC Dungannon where over 30 mechanical, manufacturing and electrical engineering employers gathered to showcase opportunities to job seekers and those thinking about starting a career in engineering.

Alastair Booth, Deputy Head of Department at SWC, said:

"Engineering is a vital sector in the south west region, crucial for local economic growth. These scholarships acknowledge outstanding individuals making significant contributions in both their college studies and workplaces. The generous support from Powerscreen, BlueMac, and Strickland will help alleviate financial burdens associated with studying and will empower apprentices to enhance their skills and knowledge, benefiting not only themselves but also the industry as a whole. We are extremely thankful to the companies for the scholarships.

“The scholarships will greatly assist students in their studies, paving the way for successful careers. We wish them the best of luck with their future studies at South West College and in their future education and careers.”