A TEENAGE engineering student has landed his dream job with a multi-national company after gaining experience from as far afield at Italy.

Alex Grant, 18, will take up a role as an applications engineer when he completes his Darlington College course next month.

He won the position with Magneco/Metrel UK in Shildon after spending one week with the refractory manufacturing company at a base in Milan, Italy, and another at a site in Port Talbot, Wales, over the Easter holidays.

Alex, from Darlington, said: "Going over to Italy was some experience and it just reinforced that this was definitely what I wanted to do.

"I was actually working in the blast furnace, so it was real hands-on stuff and I'm delighted to have got the job."

Alex's success will bring to an end his long association with Darlington College, which began when he was just 14.

He spent two days a week at the college on a performing engineering operations course, which allowed him to move onto his BTEC studies.

College tutor Rob Elliot said: "Magneco/Metrel asked me if I could recommend a student who might be suitable for the role and Alex was absolutely the right person.

"It has long been his ambition to get into this industry and the new job is a just reward for all his hard work."