Fraser's Story

I graduated in 2020 with an MEng degree in Aeronautical & Aerospace Engineering from the University of Leeds and went straight into work at EASL as a Graduate Engineer. I was promoted to Engineer in April 2022.

Why EASL?

Having worked at a medium-large sized company during an industrial placement, I wanted to join a small-medium sized company where I might have greater ownership of task progress and deliverables, as well as more opportunities to have an impact on the future direction of the company. Also, I was keen to work in industries on the edge of new engineering advancements, such as the fusion energy industry, and EASL ticks all these boxes in terms of its size, its client base and the responsibility it gives to its engineers.

A typical day at EASL

As I’m an early bird my typical day will start at 7.30 am in the office.  I generally work most days in the office as I prefer having a separate working space from home and there’s always a core group in the office for like-minded people!

I’d like to avoid the consultancy cliché of “every day is different” but my typical day has varied greatly since starting at EASL. From just the variety of technical work, a working day may be spent building a Finite Element (FE) model, reviewing historical data from nuclear power plants to plan a site survey or progressing engineering calculations for a design code assessment. On the non-technical side I’ve held the additional role of Business Development Executive which included working with the Business Development team and researching future work opportunities for the company. I’ve also completed an embedded 6-month placement at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) where I worked within a UKAEA project team helping to procure various components for the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak Upgrade (MAST-U) enhancements programme.

Most working days in the office will also include friendly and competitive games of table tennis during lunchtime!

Biggest achievement so far

My biggest achievement so far at EASL came when working on the high-temperature creep-fatigue crack initiation assessment of a boiler-tube retention loop within an Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR). Under excellent internal mentorship, I created an FE model and completed the numerical assessment of the component to determine the re-evaluated component life. When I submitted my report for client review, the client noted the high technical quality of the deliverable and task management overall and didn’t leave a single comment for amendment or clarity.

The best thing about working for EASL

The best thing about working at EASL for me is that I’m happy coming to work and doing the work I do. I think this is down to the culture created within the company, the friendly people that work here and the desire to develop individuals throughout their careers.

Also having colleagues that are keen to socialise outside of work through drinks, sports and other activities helps you settle in quickly!

Where would you like to take your career in five years?

In 5–years’ time, I would like to have achieved the position of Senior Engineer within EASL, obtained my IMechE Chartered Engineer status and led several technical projects in both the nuclear fission and fusion sectors.

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