What is your current role?

I am a fourth year Product Support Engineering (PSE) Degree Apprentice.

Why did you decide to take on an apprenticeship?

Although I enjoyed the idea of a university lifestyle, I was never completely sure on what direction I wanted my career to go in. I took A-Level Business, Mathematics and Physics, but had no clue what job role would suit me.

After looking into the various options, I found the Degree Apprenticeship Scheme. For me, this was a no brainer – I could gain valuable work experience over the five-year course, complete a Level 6 Degree and be paid a salary.

Specifically when researching Leonardo’s Degree apprenticeships, I found the PSE course within the company’s helicopter business. Since Core Engineering seemed daunting to me and I enjoyed Business Studies at A-Level, the blend of technical and customer support sounded ideal.

What areas of the business have you worked in since joining?

During my four years on the scheme, I have been able to work in a variety of functions:

• AW159/AW101 Platform Support – supporting both the AW101 and AW159 platforms by aiding in-service issues and analysing customer data
• Fault Investigation – conducting a variety of investigations into failures or faulty components to support product improvement and reliability of parts
• Training Operations – configuring and improving training courses for flight crew, as well as exploring and providing opportunity for remote teaching
• Technical Validation – supporting practical validation activities to validate procedures within the aircraft publications
• Integrated Logistics Support – supporting the Norwegian contract with regard to achieving and maintaining KPIs by providing technical in-service support.

What has been your greatest achievement at Leonardo?

Being a trainee at Leonardo has allowed me to get involved in many extra-curricular activities. In my third year, I was the School Liaison Lead for Yeovil’s STEM Committee, which aims to inspire and attract young people into the world of STEM through activities such as site tours, school visits and careers fairs.

I was fortunate enough to support a campaign within New Zealand last year as a result of this role, by planning and delivering STEM events to schools and colleges around the country. Not only was this an incredible opportunity and a privilege to be selected for this trip, it was a fantastic chance to enhance presentation and communication skills, and the small STEM team was really proud of the execution of the STEM activities and the positive response we got back from the students.

Aside from this, looking back at when I first started, my technical ability and knowledge has significantly increased, as well as my personal skills such as communication, presentation and ability to mould into different teams. The apprenticeship is full-on, so maintaining a work/life balance has been an important skill to adopt.

What are your aspirations for the future?

Once I have completed my apprenticeship, I would love to continue working within the PSE team at Leonardo’s helicopter facility in Yeovil. I would like to understand all programmes in good detail and work my way up to becoming a people manager within one of the functions.

Would you recommend an apprenticeship, and why?

I would thoroughly recommend an apprenticeship – whatever level it is, the experience you gain will be invaluable. Engineering in particular can be a difficult industry to compete within, so having work experience is really important. Additionally, companies such as Leonardo with a large trainee population can mimic the social side of university.

Do you have any tips for someone thinking about applying for an apprenticeship at Leonardo?

I would recommend anyone considering applying for an apprenticeship at Leonardo to do the work experience that Leonardo offers too. This programme provides an overview of the company and its output in technical and non-technical departments. When applying, be yourself and not who you think the company wants you to be. Leonardo is very interested in what makes you an individual; grades and qualifications is only one side of the story, but there is a great culture on site that is a result of a diverse population of personalities.