Recently on the MTL blog, we featured the long-standing history and ethos of our successful student placements. Featuring our four talented students currently working as part of our wider team, you can see that post here.
One of these current student placements is being fulfilled by Irina Bran, a student from France and who is completing her five-month placement with MTL by giving an end-of-placement presentation.
Let’s hear from Irina now in more detail:
Irina’s reflections
Please explain your student placement with MTL and a little about your university degree in France.
I am currently in my penultimate year at CentraleSupélec, a French generalist engineering school, and will graduate next year with a specialisation in energy efficiency.
As part of my degree, I was required to complete an international placement. I joined MTL to explore my interests in structural integrity and energy systems while gaining practical experience. During my placement, I supported the naval architecture team by reviewing and updating ship drawings and 3D models to ensure their accuracy, as well as contributing to technical documentation and reports related to MTL’s Structural Integrity Management activity.
What are the main things that you have learnt during your placement with MTL?
This placement was my first significant professional experience, and it provided me an
introduction to the offshore industry. I developed both technical and interpersonal skills that will be valuable throughout my career. Attending MTL’s ship structures course also gave me
essential theoretical foundations. I learned how to read and make ship drawings, understand
offshore inspection processes and their challenges, and distinguish between risk-based and
time-based integrity management. I also gained practical insights into welding and plasma
cutting (see video below), and broadened my perspective by attending several maritime industry events.
What have you enjoyed the most about your placement with MTL?
What I enjoyed most was the supportive and enthusiastic team environment. Everyone was approachable and willing to share their knowledge, which made learning both easier and more engaging. I also particularly appreciated the structure of the internship programme. The balance between theoretical courses and hands-on workshops allowed me to better understand complex topics and apply them in practice. This combination made the experience both intellectually stimulating and enjoyable, and helped me build confidence in a technical field that was completely new to me.
What have you found most challenging about your placement with MTL?
One of the main challenges was adapting to naval architecture as a specialised field with its own methods, standards, and tools and particularly with its own vocabulary. Ship drawings differ significantly from other types of industrial drawings, and their interpretation can vary depending on the shipyard. Sometimes this can make them difficult to understand. Another challenge was grasping the true scale of offshore structures. Working mainly with digital drawings and images, it was not always easy to visualise their real dimensions, which are often far larger than expected.
What’s next for you?
After this placement, I will return to France to complete my final year at CentraleSupélec; I will specialise in energy efficiency and complex systems design. I also very much enjoyed presenting some of my work to the MTL staff team and looking forward to building on the skills I have developed here. In the longer term, I aim to pursue a career in the energy sector within a role that also involves structural integrity.
Above: Presenting on her final day to the MTL team; sincere thanks for all of your meticulous work, Irina!
Below: Irina was one of five participants who successfully completed MTL’s recent Hot Works Workshop.