Glen Ebsary on placement
Harper Adams is the only UK university to offer the MEng degree in Agricultural Engineering that Glen Ebsary is studying. Now in his fifth and final year, the 24-year-old is looking forward to a full time job with the test engineering company he spent his work placement with.
“I must have done something right as MI Technology wish for me to return after I finish my studies,” says Glen, who is originally from Somerset. “During the placement period I worked as an engineer in the structural test department running tests for external customers – this involved designing and manufacturing test fixtures, running tests and reporting the test results back to the customer. The best things about placement were being in a real world environment, earning money, gaining invaluable experience in the engineering sector, and meeting lots of new people and contacts for future career paths. My role after graduating will be a continuation of what I did on placement – running tests and reporting back to the customer.”
The MEng is a Master’s level degree that puts great emphasis on research, project management and leading design teams, all areas that Glen has embraced. “I have developed technical engineering skills and knowledge of complex engineering systems such as CANBUS systems. I’ve also learnt about engineering processes that enable efficient and precise manufacturing of components and assemblies.”
Engineering students are treated as professionals from day one, and work on ‘real world’ projects that are developed and often assessed by industry figures. Glen’s projects have included building an agricultural robot (as part of a team) and developing a stereoscopic vision system mounted on a remote controlled vehicle for his dissertation.
During his five years at Harper Adams University Glen has made the most of the social events organised by the Students’ Union. “I played lead guitar in the SugarBeets group in my second year, and a group of us play squash on campus two or three times a week. I also take part in the 4X4 club events, usually as a passenger taking photos and videos. I also attend local IMeche and IAgre events and lectures.
“Harper Adams is a great place to study with the perfect balance of academic and social aspects. There are some fantastic lecturers at Harper Adams who strive to get the best out of you, and lots of support is always available.”
