Inspiring the next generation of aerospace engineers

05 November 2024

Last week, Leonardo welcomed 20 students from 12 local secondary schools for a three-day work experience programme at its site in Yeovil, the Home of British Helicopters.

Run in partnership with educational charity EDT, the programme was designed to inspire the year 11 students interested in pursuing a future career in aerospace engineering.

Through a series of talks from Leonardo senior leaders, graduates and apprentices, along with a variety of engineering-related activities, participants gained an insight into STEM careers. These included challenges to test students’ knowledge, teamwork skills and critical thinking through an activity to design a helicopter. They also learned about Customer & Support training, project management and communications, and participated in a speed networking session with 12 current apprentices and graduates, focusing on CV writing and interview role-plays.

Three of the students explained why they would encourage others to take part in the future.

Lucy Newton from Preston Academy said: “The Leonardo work experience has been eye-opening to the jobs available to me after school. I previously took part in the Flying Start Challenge, which is what first got me interested in engineering.”

Lydia Norbury, who attends Thomas Hardye School, added: “I've been really inspired by everyone who has given a talk and arranged activities this week. I’ve wanted to go into aerospace engineering since taking part in the Flying Start Challenge with my school.”

Harry Spencer from Thomas Hardye School: "The talks and information provided throughout Work Experience week have been really useful when thinking about future careers. I'm really interested in photography so it's been great to see how that fits into the business. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to take part in Work Experience."


Work experience will run again at Leonardo’s Yeovil site from 2025. Students from across the UK can apply for the programme, with full application details available on the work experience page of the Leonardo Careers website.