If a busy and small team like Ai Exploration can find the time to host a 5th year High School student for a week of work experience, then I would encourage all in the industry to do so.  

Here is Adam’s story

My name is Adam, I’m a high school student at Trinity Academy. In S5, moving into s6 in August 2024 and I do best in Maths and Physics. 

I am keen to find some work experience with companies in Edinburgh to give me further insight into the industry and hope that your company could host me for one- or two-week work experience over the summer. 

Soon I will be applying for theoretical physics courses in the University of Edinburgh and probably a couple of others. I’m currently sitting 6 exams: Higher PE, Higher Physics, Higher Mathematics, Advanced Higher Mathematics, Higher Computing, and Higher History. 

I’m interested in physics because it provides real-world logical challenges that can be solved mathematically. I think I got inspired towards physics when I saw part of Brian Cox lecture in which he described and partly derived time dilation. 

I like to find out more about physics from looking at YouTube videos to finding a gap in my understanding of material I learned in school and trying to find a solution to it. Alongside that I enjoy my time through solving mathematical problems I come up with either through attempting to find a proper mathematical solution or by making a simple computer program. 

If you could help me or find any use for me, I would love to participate in the process of applying physics practically. In my ideal world, the process would involve using different properties of light to achieve a desired effect. 

Week 1 of work experience: Ai – Exploration 

Ai-Exploration provides world-class sensors and analytical solutions for the energy sector. Ai Exploration has developed solutions for the Oil & Gas and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) industries, with plans to expand their capabilities in the future hydrogen economy. Based out of Edinburgh, Ai-Exploration maintains a well-equipped R&D lab separate but collocated office space, and a multiphase flow loop facility used for technology testing located at the National Subsea Centre in Aberdeen. 

It was great to start my work experience in a small company as I am not very outwardly confident, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed working in this professional but relaxed and friendly environment. I was fortunate as the company had a clear plan of what was going to be done that week. 

This was a wonderful experience working with a small team and under the guidance of Dr Nicola Black I had my first practical experience of working with lasers. First, I had to do some reading up on the preparation for safely working with lasers. Understanding safe working distances and what can happen with lasers. This was followed by work preparing the lasers.  

I was absolutely thrilled as this was exactly the kind of hands-on practical experience that I was hoping for. At the end of the process, it was a highlight getting to fire up the laser and measuring the results. 

What was really nice was to learn how focused the company was and how the different people brought their skills together to work as a team and collaborate. 

The experience helped me see how I would use what I am learning at school and see maths and physics applied in a real-world setting. From this experience, I now know that I can do some things in the real world and am inspired to move forward. 

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