Students and staff attend historic bridge opening

Abertay students and academics were invited to attend the historic opening of the £1.35bn Queensferry Crossing.

Head of the Division of Civil Engineering David Blackwood was joined by structural engineer Margi Vilnay and chartered water and environment manager Dr Daniel Gilmour at the event, which was attended by Her Majesty the Queen.

Student who have enjoyed paid work placements on the project were also invited to the exclusive event.

Abertay is the only university in Scotland to offer a guaranteed work placement with every undergraduate civil engineering degree and the invitation to the opening was as a result of strong links forged with the project.

A series of students have worked on the Queensferry Crossing since construction began in 2011, with some paid a wage of up to £1,000 per month while they learn on the job.

Prof Blackwood said it was an honour to be invited to the ceremony and paid tribute to Transport Scotland and partners Jacobs and Arup for their professionalism and enthusiasm in helping to cultivate the next generation of civil engineers.

He added: “The Queensferry Crossing is a truly magnificent piece of engineering and it has been a wonderful project for our students to be part of.

“All civil engineering employers are looking for experience straight off the bat, so a degree from Abertay guarantees that extra edge and offers an invaluable chance to build up industry contacts before entering the jobs market.

“Many of our students go on to secure full-time paid contracts with the companies who have taken them on placement and that is a direct result of the opportunities provided by Abertay.”

Director of the Queensferry Crossing project David Climie previously hailed the long standing relationship with Abertay, saying he was “very impressed with the consistently high calibre of the students involved who have been both enthusiastic and diligent in their periods with the client team.”

Not all Abertay work placements are paid and any payment is at the discretion of the employer.

For more information on Civil Engineering at Abertay visit https://www.abertay.ac.uk/studying/undergraduate/civil-and-environmental-engineering/#d.en.24790