What is your current role?
I am currently a first year Software Engineer degree apprentice in Luton.
Why did you decide to become an apprentice?
I decided to become an apprentice as I believed it would help propel my career in software and give me a head start, especially in such a competitive field, Not only do I get to graduate with a full degree but I get a more clarified understanding of the industry, build my network, and develop my skills practically and theoretically.
How did you hear about our Early Career Apprentice Schemes?
Through the Future Leaders programme, which is a leadership programme that helps build confidence, gain real-world skills, and make a positive impact on local communities. With them, I had the chance to visit the company in person and see firsthand the enrichment and opportunities it offers. This included tours of the Luton site as well as small tasks exploring typical roles available at Leonardo.
How do you feel taking part in the Future Leaders Programme benefited you before starting your apprenticeship?
I believe it benefited me in a number of ways, but primarily being able to visit the site and listen to other apprentices talk about their experiences and be able to ask them firsthand questions helped me refine my understanding of what an apprenticeship is and what the typical role of an apprentice concludes of. This helped as beforehand I did not know any apprentices, so I was slightly doubtful of this choice, especially as it wasn’t the traditional university route that many people choose. It also helped me get a feel for the company and a basic level of how it operates, so it felt more welcoming when I first started working here.
Would you recommend Future Leader to others who are considering taking part in the future?
Yes, as Future Leaders opens a variety of doors, especially regarding career roles, enrichment for CVs and networking.
What does a typical day look like in your role?
The events that happen in a day vary quite a bit. Usually however, I come in and join a stand-up meeting where I discuss what I did the previous day and what I plan to do to help track my progress. These meetings are common across the engineering branches as a way to track progress, but the consistency can vary. Sometimes I’ll do uni work or whatever task I’ve been assigned by my placement where I get a lot of support by my managers or team members. Sometimes I’ll volunteer for events such as the company’s STEM outreach programme, Rampaging Chariots, which was inspired by Robot Wars, where schools and youth group have the opportunity to develop a radio controlled robot. Here I typically do tasks such as counting inventory or I'll join meetings where my progress is tracked.
What is your greatest achievement at Leonardo so far?
My greatest achievement so far was probably being able to program a calculator in a language I was previously unfamiliar with. This was more difficult to me than it seemed and required me to research a lot of new syntax and methods. It also gave me a much clearer understanding of how to use Git and perform unit tests, which I haven’t done previously, so it was quite a learning curve.
Are there any hobbies you take part in outside of your apprenticeship?
If I’m not going out to see my friends, sometimes I’ll read or research random topics. For instance, I'm currently looking at a lot of videos on how to weld things together. Usually, I engage with my creative side with hobbies such as painting, scrapbooking or making things out of clay.
What are your aspirations for the future?
Career wise, I would like to become an established software engineer and have something like ‘senior’ in my title or explore other branches of engineering and develop my skills further in the field.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship?
Yes, I genuinely believe it is very beneficial in the long term, both career wise and financially. It also gives a lot of opportunities for you to develop yourself, especially if you are proactive and make the effort to take up opportunities and speak to people.
