Press Release
Secretary of State for Scotland congratulates local students on win
Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore was in Lerwick today(Thursday) and made time to meet with two Anderson High School students to talk about their recent competition win.
Michael Adamson and Ray McGinlay won the OPITO PetroChallenge UK Isles 2011 competition last month.
The competition, (which is sponsored by Chevron, BP, TAQA and the Department for Energy and Climate Change), was designed to encourage students to consider a career in the oil and gas industry and this year saw pupils from Shetland taking part for the first time.
21 teams of S5 and S6 students went head to head, playing the part of energy companies entering a new oil and gas province. Starting with $200 million in funds, the team challenge was to maximise their return on investment by finding oil and gas and investing in other team’s opportunities.
The competitors used a web-based learning tool to study seismic survey, bid for licences, contract service providers and choose where to drill wells in the fictitious province.
Mr Moore congratulated Michael and Ray on their win and presented them with their certificates. Taking part in the PetroChallenge has reinforced both students desire to enter the oil and gas industry. Michael wants to study electrical engineering at university and Ray is hoping to study at the Marine College in Scalloway before following that up with an oil and gas career.
Mr Moore also spoke with pupils from the Brae High School debating team in the Town Hall chamber this afternoon.
Drew Manson, Shaun Alderman, Joy Ramsay Iwan MacBride and Matt Williamson were joined by their teacher Irvine Tait and took the opportunity to ask the minister some probing questions.
The five young political debaters asked Mr Moore about a wide range of issues from Scottish independence, military cuts to the phone hacking scandal.
Mr Moore answered their questions in detail and spoke of the value of meeting young people face to face and finding out the issues that affect them.
Quality Improvement Manager with the Schools Service Matthew Moss said “It was great for the pupils to get a chance to ask questions of the minister today and for Michael and Ray to receive recognition of their well deserved competition win.”
