Plant, Construction & Quarry Awards 2018 – Student of the Year Award
South West College civil engineering student Matilda May Beattie has received a top accolade at the 2018 Plant & Civil Engineer magazine Awards.
She was presented with the prestigious ‘Student of the Year’ award, during a glittering ceremony, compered by television and radio sports presenter Adrian Logan, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in South Belfast.
The exceptionally committed student was selected by Lowry Building and Civil Engineering Ltd to undertake her work placement, and during her time with the company she worked on the £6.5m NIFRS Logistics Support Centre project on Boucher Road, Belfast, meaning a 5:00am start Monday to Friday and making a 180-mile round trip each day. She became one of the team immediately, learning and absorbing experience from Director to Operative level, from setting out the building to supporting the Site Manager with essential paperwork.
After being on Boucher Road for a few months, Matilda then relocated to the Altnagelvin Hospital site in Londonderry where she was tasked with inducting operatives and visitors and ensuring all strict infection control procedures were followed including the use of infection control overshoes, control mats placed at each entrance, weekly meetings with the hospital staff coordinating both construction and clinical schedules to ensure no conflict.
Commenting on the awards, the judges said: “All our finalists achieved a distinction in their year of study, they all achieved over 400 hours of placement and provided an excellent record of their work during their Foundation Years. All had impeccable references. However, on top of the normal duties, Matilda May Beattie impressed us on a number of other fronts and is a worthy winner of this award.”