Matthew Gibson – BEng (Hons) Mechanical & Offshore Engineering

Matthew Gibson accepted his honour’s degree in Mechanical & Offshore Engineering at the Music Hall in Aberdeen on Wednesday 8 December, exiting the stage in front of family, friends, and peers as a graduate of The Scottish University of the Year 2021. 

“I found the last year and a half challenging,” said Matthew. “Working from home during a pandemic is difficult. I had to be keep motivated to complete tasks when not able to go into classes, but I’m proud of my resilience and what I’ve achieved.” 

Before his time at university, Matthew had attended a careers fair at NESCOL where he took to heart what he was told: "you can do anything if you put your mind to it—it's all about how much you want it". The quote stuck with him and helped push him through the pandemic and toward success. 

Matthew was determined to work in the offshore or renewables industry. As the Top Modern University in Scotland for Mechanical Engineering, and for graduate prospects in Mechanical Engineering (Guardian University Guide 2022), RGU would ultimately prove to be a wise choice for his place of study. 

“When I left school, I had gained employment as an apprentice within the Drawing office of a major offshore engineering company, that also funded my HNC,” said Matthew. “I worked there for two and a half years before the oil slump hit and, part way through studying for my HND in Mechanical Engineering, I was made redundant—alongside many employees and apprentices.  

“So, I transitioned to full-time education to complete the course. With this, I was granted direct access into the second year of the BEng Mechanical & Offshore Engineering course at RGU.” 

The transition from college to university studies was a challenge. With a leap directly into the second year of the course, it required Matthew to be extra diligence in his studies to ensure he knew everything that could have been covered in that first year. However, he persevered, determined on his path of returning to the industry in which he began his career. 

His perseverance paid off—in his final year, his dissertation won the Rosen Group award for best graduating student project relating to gas. 

Matthew adds: “I was delighted, and very proud of my achievement. I chose the topic ‘CFD Analysis of Oil-Water-Gas flows in a 90-degree pipe bend’. I wanted my dissertation to be relevant for the industry I aimed to remain in. It was a good opportunity to learn more while I completed my studies and I found it very interesting.” 

Since completing his course, Matthew applied for many jobs and was delighted to be offered two roles from two separate companies. He has accepted a position at Weatherford as a Graduate Engineer. 

"Hard work does pay off,” said Matthew. “And, I look forward to continuing my career progression within Weatherford.”