Graduates are given real responsibility from day one, supported by experienced professionals, and have opportunities to travel internationally, visit offshore operations, and contribute to projects that make a tangible impact.
The programme combines structured development, technical and professional training, and hands-on project experience, helping graduates build the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to progress their careers in the offshore energy industry.
Our graduates gain exposure to the full project lifecycle, from tendering and engineering design through to offshore execution. You will contribute to live-work, learn from experienced professionals and build the confidence to progress in offshore energy in just 12 months.
Getting Offshore Ready
You'll gain the essential qualifications and knowledge needed to begin your offshore journey. Build a strong understanding of how projects are delivered safely and efficiently.
Learn Core Engineering Processes
You'll work alongside experienced Project Engineers to develop practical project delivery skills. Gain confidence in the systems and processes that support offshore execution.
Experience life on a working vessel and observe offshore operations firsthand.Understand how engineering plans are delivered offshore and how disciplines work
Take Greater Ownership
By the final phase of the programme you'll start leading smaller tasks independently with support from mentors. Be ready to progress into a Project Engineer role with a broad understanding of offshore operations and project delivery.
We are proud to showcase three recent graduates, Donald Matheson, Ciaran Murray, and Jonny Tait, who successfully completed the Graduate Programme and have recently been promoted to the role of Project Engineer.
Through hard work, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace every opportunity, they have developed into valued members of our project teams and are already making significant contributions to both onshore and offshore operations.
Project Engineer
"One month into the role, I was leading pre-shift meetings offshore with experienced personnel. The responsibility can be challenging, but that's what makes the experience so rewarding. Ocean Installer gives graduates real opportunities to learn, contribute and develop from day one."
Why did you choose Ocean Installer?
Ocean Installer offers the opportunity to work on exciting and technically challenging projects alongside experienced professionals who are genuinely invested in helping you develop. The culture is supportive, there is plenty of opportunity for growth, and graduates are trusted to make meaningful contributions from the start.
What opportunities has the Graduate Programme provided you with?
Since joining Ocean Installer, I've been involved in multiple tenders and live projects, working with specialists across different disciplines. I've been given responsibility early in my career, including leading my own work package from planning through to offshore execution. I've also had the opportunity to travel internationally, visit offshore operations, and complete a range of training courses that have accelerated my professional development.
What has been your proudest achievement so far?
One of my proudest achievements has been managing the successful loadout of concrete mattresses and conduits at Montrose Port. Having overseen the package for several months, it was rewarding to see the work come together successfully. Identifying and resolving a discrepancy before it became an issue demonstrated the importance of attention to detail and gave me real confidence in my abilities.
What makes Ocean Installer a great place to work?
The people and the culture. You're surrounded by knowledgeable and supportive colleagues who genuinely want to help you succeed. There is a strong focus on learning and development, and you are encouraged to ask questions, take ownership, and learn from your experiences without fear of making mistakes.
What have you learned that surprised you the most?
The sheer scale of the energy industry. You can read about projects and see photographs, but it isn't until you stand on the deck of a construction vessel or witness offshore operations firsthand that you fully appreciate the size, complexity, and impact of the work being carried out.
What is the best piece of advice you would give future graduates?
Make the most of opportunities both inside and outside of university. Get involved in clubs, societies, internships, networking events, and personal projects. Building relationships, gaining practical experience, and showing initiative can be just as valuable as academic achievements.
What opportunity have you had that you didn't expect?
I never expected to be leading pre-shift meetings with experienced offshore personnel so early in my career. It was both exciting and nerve-wracking, but experiences like this have helped me build confidence, develop leadership skills, and grow professionally much faster than I anticipated.
Project Engineer
"One of the most rewarding experiences has been seeing engineering work I helped develop being carried out offshore. Ocean Installer gives graduates the opportunity to take ownership, gain real responsibility, and contribute to projects that make a visible impact."
Why did you choose Ocean Installer?
I was attracted to the by the scale, complexity and variety of projects Ocean Installer delivers. I wanted a role where no two days would be the same and where I could follow projects from early engineering through to offshore execution. Ocean Installer stood out because of its expertise in SURF and mooring installation projects, its supportive culture, and the opportunity to gain responsibility and develop quickly.
What opportunities has the Graduate Programme provided you with?
The Graduate Programme has given me exposure to every stage of the project lifecycle, from tenders and engineering studies to offshore operations and project execution. I've had opportunities to work across different departments, travel internationally, and spend time offshore seeing firsthand how our engineering solutions are delivered in the field. These experiences have accelerated my development and broadened my understanding of the industry.
What has been your proudest achievement so far?
One of my proudest moments was working offshore aboard the Normand Vision in the Norwegian Sea. Seeing procedures, task plans and layouts that I had helped develop being successfully executed offshore was incredibly rewarding. Watching work move from a CAD drawing on my desk to a real-world offshore operation gave me a great sense of accomplishment and highlighted the impact of my contribution to the project.
What makes Ocean Installer a great place to work?
The combination of opportunity and culture. There is a huge amount of experience within the business, and colleagues are always willing to share knowledge, provide support and help you develop. Alongside challenging and interesting work, there is a strong sense of teamwork and camaraderie that makes Ocean Installer a rewarding place to build a career.
What have you learned that surprised you the most?
The amount of planning and preparation that goes into every offshore operation. The level of detail involved in engineering activities, combined with the industry's strong focus on safety and its no-blame culture, has been particularly impressive.
What is the best piece of advice you would give future graduates?
Take every opportunity that comes your way. Some of the biggest learning experiences come from supporting projects behind the scenes or getting involved in areas outside your immediate role. Being proactive, curious and willing to learn will help you develop faster and gain a broader understanding of the industry.
What opportunity have you had that you didn't expect?
I didn't expect to gain exposure to areas such as tendering, commercial activities and wider project management so early in my career. I was also trusted with responsibility for work packages much sooner than I anticipated, which significantly accelerated my professional development.
Summer Intern
As a Summer Intern, Luca has workedalongside experienced engineers, developing his technical skills while gainingvaluable insight into the offshore energy industry. Throughout his internship,he has been trusted with meaningful responsibilities and has had theopportunity to contribute to project work that directly supports the widerteam.
One of Luca's proudest achievementswas producing two client-facing reports that were positively received, givinghim the opportunity to see the impact of his work firsthand and buildconfidence in his engineering capabilities.
What stood out most to Luca was thescale and complexity of offshore projects. While he expected projects to belarge, he was surprised by the level of engineering, planning, coordination,and collaboration required to deliver them successfully.
The people and culture at OceanInstaller have also made a lasting impression. Luca describes the team aswelcoming, supportive, and always willing to share their knowledge, helping himto grow both personally and professionally during his time with the company.
His advice to future interns issimple:
"Ask plenty of questions andtake the time to speak with people across different teams. Everyone hasvaluable knowledge and experience to share, and you'll learn far more by beingcurious and engaging with the people around you”
A highlight of Luca's internship wasthe opportunity to visit project sites and observe offshore operationsfirst-hand, helping him connect the engineering work completed in the officewith the practical challenges and realities of project execution offshore.
All of our Graduate Engineers are part of highly competent, dynamic, and diversified Engineering teams. They all get to jump straight into one of our projects, where they are given tasks depending on their background and competence.