Less than a year after graduating from university, engineering graduate Aoife Murphy, now works to prepare Ireland’s electricity grid for the future as part of the EirGrid graduate programme. She is part of the first cohort in the EirGrid programme to have more female engineers than male.
The talented graduate from Salthill has been marking Engineers Week and International Women’s Day by sharing her journey and experiences into the profession.
Aoife has always had a passion for climate action, the environment and fixing things, but this was fully ignited when she arrived at University of Galway and joined a team of students building a battery powered electric car.
“Throughout my four years in college I was part of a team of students that designed and built a battery powered electric car. In my final year we were able to bring the car to France and race it against other colleges in the Shell Eco-Marathon. Working on this project for so long only heightened my interest in climate action.”
Having researched EirGrid – the operator and developer of the national electricity grid – during her time at university, she subsequently completed an eight-month college placement in EirGrid during her third year.
“I’ve always had an interest in climate matters, following the movement on social media and doing my bit where I could. I liked working for a company who strive to have a positive impact on the climate.”
By 2020 nearly 40% of Ireland’s energy came from renewables, such as wind and solar. By 2030, EirGrid is leading the transition to achieve up o 80%, with the help of Aoife and the entire graduate team.
Following graduation, Aoife now works on the EirGrid Connections team as part of their graduate programme.
“I am nearly six months into my first rotation. I’m working alongside project managers on various projects, learning about the processes involved in getting new generation sites connected onto the grid. Part of this involves mapping the new projects to identify potential snags early in the process.
“I have developed my knowledge of the transmission system and electrical equipment since starting the role.”
A big factor in Aoife’s choice to join the EirGrid graduate programme was the chance to work across various departments, and use her broad knowledge gained at university.
“We rotate between three different teams throughout the two-year programme, so we get a wide view of the work being done. As a graduate, I get the opportunity to work alongside experienced project managers and people who have been in the industry for many years. There is so much opportunity to learn.
“I’m also enjoying connecting with other graduates from different backgrounds working in different parts of the business. There are science and business grads as well as engineering grads and it’s very interesting to hear about the jobs everyone else is doing.”
When asked if she had any advice for other considering a career in engineering Aoife said: “A degree in engineering is not easy, and it will challenge you but that it is also very rewarding. Seeing the projects you’ve worked so hard on come to life is so satisfying, and now, working in EirGrid, I get to do meaningful work that makes a difference. It’s a very fulfilling career and I would highly recommend it.”
