Mother Technologies took on our first year-long placement students in January 2015. Michal Cebera, 27, and Matthew Lees, 22, are undergraduate students at Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon’s University, both studying for a BSc Honours degree in Computer Network Management and Design.

Their remit at Mother involves the delivery of IT helpdesk services and involvement in a variety of projects. Cebera and Lees were delivering first line support to customers relatively independently after the first few months and have since progressed quickly. Learning opportunities have cropped up frequently with the pair gaining experience across Mother’s technical disciplines in IT, connectivity, telecoms and cloud.

Cebera says of the experience “I really enjoy working here at Mother. The atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly. Since I started I haven’t had a single day where I feel like not coming into work. I really like that no one is afraid to ask questions, and even better there is always someone who can assist and teach me something new. We have been learning from week to week. All engineers are involved in different types of projects, so that’s given me the opportunity to learn about many different technical specialisms. Because of the wide variety of services that Mother offers you never get bored, there is always something to do!”

Lees added “The role of Systems Engineer with Mother Technologies has been a fantastic placement opportunity, I’ve been learning about a wide range of technologies and disciplines from experienced engineers. I’ve gained great hands on experience with areas I was already familiar with, such as networking, but also areas that I had no prior experience in, such as telecommunications and server environments. I’d say that at times the placement has been challenging, but because of that also very rewarding. I hope to continue working in industry after I graduate, so I believe the time I’ve spent with Mother is going to stand me in really good stead.”

Steve Redhead, Managing Director, said “The experience we have being giving them has very much been geared around the course they are studying and learning outcomes required by RGU. Both have been heavily involved in the networking aspect of our service and they have had great hands on experience with Cisco, the leading recognised vendor in the industry. Engineers who go on to be accredited by Cisco are highly sought after. We have also switched them round various technical disciplines every 12 weeks to make sure there is breadth as well as depth to the skills that they take away from this.”

He added “The programme has been a phenomenal success for the company. Matthew and Michal are a delight to have around the office, they have brought so much enthusiasm and good energy. They have given the experienced engineers a run for their money. Not only that but it gives a taste for the quality of students RGU are producing, and I have to say I’m impressed. We are likely to be recruiting again in 2016 and these two will undoubtedly be in pole position.”

Based on the success of Michal and Matthew’s placements Mother will continue taking placement students on an annual basis going forward, with another 2 students offered places in 2016.