John Akinjomo from Kent, graduated with first-class Honours from the BEng Mechanical Engineering in 2015. 

He works for Costain, an engineering solutions company, as a business improvement engineer.

My dissertation saved the company thousands

I completed a one-year work placement with Cummins Inc, one of the largest diesel engine design and manufacturers, where I worked as a manufacturing engineer. The experience gave me a definite edge during my job application process for Costain.

I based my dissertation on the redesign of Cummins’ assembly work station with the aim of resolving health and safety and ergonomic issues. Several prototypes were developed using Creo (3D CAD software) and a final prototype was chosen based on ergonomic analysis of a manikin (human model) in the workstation. 

My design was implemented, initially costing the company about £20,000 but saving them a lot more in downtime and compensation resulting from musculoskeletal disorders to operators. I was delighted to get a first-class grade for the project too.

Why choose Mechical Engineering

I highly recommend this course to anyone who is considering Engineering and even those who aren’t sure of what they want to do. I wasn’t entirely sure of my ambitions when I started, but I am grateful I took it and graduated with a first as it has got me to where I am today. 

The course was both challenging and rewarding. I enjoyed the technicalities of modules such as Mechanics and Mathematics because this was where my strengths lie. I also enjoyed the group projects in designing prototypes. 

The most valuable thing I learnt was from the Business and Finance for Engineers module. It was about how businesses operate and how they win work.

Although I may not spend all of my professional career in Engineering, it has me allowed me to develop various soft skills which are transferable to any discipline. It has also developed my analytical and problem solving skills which are useful in all walks of life. 

I leave USW a much ‘better version’ of myself because it has helped me develop the knowledge, gain the necessary skills and experience required to be a well-rounded professional. It was a great experience and I learnt so much about myself and other people."

Outside the classroom

• University Mentor Scheme: I joined this to offer support and mentoring to new students 
• University Course Representative: I was responsible for voicing students’ concerns and giving feedback to the teaching staff
• Christian Union Committee: I helped plan, organise events and manage the Christian Union society