William Banyard - GA BEng (Hons) Engineering: Design and Manufacture

At just 23 years old, William Banyard has completed a Graduate Apprenticeship in BEng (Hons) Engineering: Design and Manufacture. Joining the programme straight from secondary school, he successfully combined full-time industry experience with academic excellence, laying an exceptional foundation for his engineering career.

Having always known he wanted to earn a university degree and with a passion for maths, engineering and science subjects during his time at Grove Academy, pursuing a career in engineering was a natural path for William.

William attributes his initial attraction to the course to his participation in the MATE ROV competition in his final year of school.

“I already had the required Highers by fifth year, but I chose to stay on to take part in the MATE ROV competition, which my school offered as a more practical alternative to Advanced Higher Engineering Science.

“As a team, we designed and built an underwater ROV and competed against schools across Scotland. It was a fantastic experience and made me realise I wanted a hands-on route after school.

“At the same time, I knew I wanted a university degree, so I started looking for different options and came across RGU’s Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) programme and quickly realised it was exactly what I wanted to do. I applied and was fortunate to start at Well-Safe Solutions as a Trainee Well Engineer in August 2021.”

Although the GA often involved unsociable hours and periods working away from home, William says it has all been incredibly rewarding.

“Having now completed my degree and gained four years of experience at Well-Safe Solutions, I’m really happy I chose the GA route. My time included working offshore in the North Sea and spending months in Northern Germany on a land well project. For most of my course, I was living at home, working a 3/3 rota from February to August 2023, and then switching to a 2/2 rotation when I headed over to Germany from August 2024 to January 2025.

“Balancing university studies with a full-time job was challenging at times, especially while working offshore or abroad. But looking back, it’s an experience I’m really proud of, and I’m now enjoying having my evenings and weekends back while reflecting on everything I’ve achieved.”

The course structure, its relevance to the workplace and the RGU staff supporting him were key highlights for William.

“Through assignments, reports and my honours project, I could directly link RGU’s content and lectures to my work at Well-Safe Solutions. My honours project focused on a major ongoing rig project, letting me collaborate with colleagues onshore and offshore while applying what I’d learned at RGU.

“All the lecturers, module leaders, course leaders, and support staff were incredibly understanding and supportive throughout the four years, which made a huge difference.”

Now a graduate, William has joined a one-year graduate programme at Well-Safe Solutions, positioning him to progress into a Well Engineer role. He is eager to continue building practical experience and credits the GA for preparing him for the future.

“I learn best through hands-on work, especially offshore, and the GA route set me up perfectly. It gave me a degree plus four years of experience, so I’m not starting from scratch. It also helped me secure a full-time role, which is a huge advantage. Many graduates struggle to find jobs, so I feel lucky and glad I chose this path.”