Diane Connolly Philip - GA BSc Built Environment

At aged 35, Diane decided to leave her job at Jaguar Land Rover in Inverness where she’d worked as a workshop controller for sixteen years. She joined Highland Council on a Graduate Apprenticeship scheme, as it gave her the perfect opportunity to retrain whilst working and earning a wage.

Diane had left Culloden Academy after fourth year, as at that age, she'd felt school wasn’t for her. Returning to education was something she felt ready for as a mature student.

“I felt my sixteen years’ experience in the motor trade and the last six of that running a workshop of sixteen men had equipped me with a lot of transferable skills to move and thrive in the construction industry.”

The Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) in Construction and the Built Environment BSc (Hons) course at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment appealed because it gave Diane the chance to earn a degree, whilst learning on the job, all whilst earning a salary. 

Looking back on her achievement at university, Diane is very positive.

“I feel immensely proud of what I’ve achieved in unprecedented and difficult circumstances. I started the course with a one-year-old son in lockdown in September 2020. The journey at the start, was bumpy but I got into my stride with the course content.

“Doing a university honours degree in lockdown was tough at times as I was working from home as well as doing my uni work from home, but I also feel it served as a distraction from the horrible things there were happening in the outside world and I immersed myself in the course.

“I finished with a first-class honours and also gained accreditation with The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), gaining a certificate of Excellence for finishing with the highest mark in my class.

“Throughout my course, I absolutely loved my on-campus days with other classmates. You get the benefit of learning from each other, whilst getting to know each other. The lecturers were fantastic and very approachable, which gave everyone a chance to talk openly, voice any concerns and ask any questions. I made a concentrated effort to travel from outside Inverness to Aberdeen on these days as I could see the value in them.

“Whilst studying, I was promoted twice, the last time in February of this year, as a Project Officer. I am currently delivering an Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme (EES:ABS) and leading two place based, multi tenure, multi funded projects in Caol and Balintore.

“I absolutely love what I’m doing just now and feel really passionate about it, however in the future I hope to progress my career within the Climate Change and Energy Team.

“The GA has given me a solid foundation and I’ve been able to put into practice the skills and knowledge I’ve learnt on the course, whilst gaining hands-on experience on the job. It’s the best of both worlds for my career and I’d really recommend the GA to anyone.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at RGU, to be honest more than I expected. I’m even considering moving forward to do a master’s in Project Management.”