Leading North East offshore technology supplier Osbit has welcomed two graduates and two further permanent staff members to its Northumberland-based team.  

The new employees have joined Osbit’s 110 strong workforce as the business celebrates ten years of operations, with the company also confirming a third engineering graduate, who will commence employment later in the summer.

Osbit’s two new graduates, Katie Protheroe and James Brewis, both recently completed Mechanical Engineering degrees at Newcastle University, and join the business with Graham Sullivan and Phil Waters, who take on the roles of HSEQ Coordinator and Osbit Engineer, respectively.

All of the new starters are already involved with the firm’s live projects, as the business continues to deliver technology to support offshore handling and well intervention, as well as subsea trenching and wind turbine foundation installation. Osbit’s current orderbook includes the firm’s largest project to date, the 1,150-tonne FTAI Ocean well intervention tower, which is currently under construction on Teesside.

As with the majority of Osbit’s team, the new starters are currently working remotely, but will be based between the company’s Port of Blyth assembly facility and Riding Mill office, the latter of which was extended by 300 square metres in 2019 to accommodate its growing workforce.

Osbit’s Managing Director Brendon Hayward said: 
"We’re delighted to welcome these bright and ambitious individuals to the Osbit team.

"Although it may seem counterintuitive to be hiring in such uncertain times, Osbit’s success is built on our staff. Therefore, we must always be looking to strengthen our team if we are to continue leading technological innovation in the rapidly changing energy market.

"We work hard to ensure that our people have a fantastic place to work and we provide extensive opportunities for learning and early progression. As a team, we are doing our utmost to ensure a smooth transition into work for our new starters during this challenging period, and I hope that they will enjoy many happy and successful years here, as they develop their careers to the highest level.”

Osbit Engineer Katie Protheroe added: 
"I haven't been able to meet most of my colleagues in the flesh yet, but I already feel like part of the team. Osbit has a really collaborative way of working, it's easy to ask questions and everyone is really supportive.

"I became interested in Osbit when I watched a presentation by the company in my first year of university and, as I learned more, I really started to like the company setup, with the high levels of responsibility and broad range of work undertaken.

"Osbit was my first choice when applying for a graduate role, and I’m really enjoying getting stuck in, working on my first project. I’m also proud to join as Osbit’s second female mechanical engineer and encourage other young women who are thinking about a career in engineering to go for it, as there is a lot of help and encouragement available.”

In 2019, Osbit was ranked within the Journal’s top 50 Best Places to work in the North East.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Osbit