Located 1.1 kilometres beneath Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Boulby Underground Laboratory is home to a rare polyhalite and salt mine used for scientific projects. Its exceptional depth allows experiments to be carried out with extremely low natural background radiation, making it one of the few facilities of its kind worldwide.
Redcar and Cleveland College are pleased to work with Boulby Underground Laboratory to offer skills training to employees and apprentices.
We met with Bradley and George, who told us about their time at college and how it supports their work.
Bradley
Job/Course: Business Administration Apprentice
“I had always preferred to do an apprenticeship over university and then I saw the apprenticeship with Boulby Underground Lab online and applied.
“The business administration apprenticeship appealed to me as it seemed like a good foundation qualification to have. I thought it could be a stepping stone to a wide variety of things.
“My favourite module so far has been learning about stakeholder partnerships. Working in collaboration with other organisations is something I can relate to in my workplace.
“The resources and teaching at the college are good. The tutors always make time for everyone in class.
“At work, my role involves creating Excel workspaces for infrastructure and operations, assisting with the coordination of public engagement events and designing a metrics reporting system for all departments.
“I absolutely love working underground. The whole process of going underground - putting your PPE on, packing your bag, waiting for the lift - is all so exiting to me. Dare I say one of the most exciting commutes in the world! What really surprised me about being underground is how many vehicles there are down there. When walking through the mine roadways you often see vehicles passing by. It reminds me that we are in an active mine and that I am a part of a well-oiled machine.”
George
Job: Facility and Maintenance Technician
Course: HNC in Instrumentation and Control Engineering
“In my role, day to day I am working with contractors on maintenance tasks and keeping the underground lab running. I take things down the mine and make sure things are working - like water systems. If I can fix something myself then I will, if I can’t then I find the right contractors and work with them.
“Boulby helped me to find the right upskilling option for me. We decided on the HNC route at Redcar and Cleveland College. In my first year I did all classroom learning and then in my second year, the course was taught over Microsoft Teams due to Covid.
“During my HNC, I worked on a project for a fake company that wanted a certain layout of pumps and systems working. I did all the research to meet the requirements.
“The College is nice, the HNC area is set away from the main college area and has good facilities. I enjoyed being taught by Brian. He brought so much knowledge from his previous roles so he could give examples of practical scenarios.
“In the future, there are plenty of opportunities I may consider in terms of further education and possibly a degree in instrumentation or mechanical.”
Emma Meehan, Facility Operations and Outreach Manager for the Boulby Mine highlighted the importance of upskilling team members throughout the business.
She said “We really believe in supporting people to grow in their roles and upskilling is a big part of that. You don’t need a PhD to be part of world-leading science at STFC. Our scientists play a crucial role, but so do the technicians, engineers, admin teams and everyone working behind the scenes. When our people feel supported to learn and progress, it builds confidence, opens doors, and strengthens the whole team.”
If you are interested in speaking to our business team about support with upskilling your team members, email business@the-etc.ac.uk or call 01642 865 557.
