In college I picked Maths, Chemistry and Biology at A-Level as they seemed open so I could do anything with them, and I always liked STEM subjects. I also knew I wanted a degree, but didn’t want the debt so I talked to my tutor at college. She suggested I look at doing an apprenticeship, which is how I found this opportunity. Rolls-Royce fully sponsored my degree, so I’ve now qualified for a BSc in Project Management plus I’ve had three years of work experience, which is amazing.
My focus is less related to engineering products and more on the business side, budgets, and resources. There’s a big business change happening in the area I’ve just left - processes are changing and I had to co-ordinate with loads of engineers and project managers in process transformation. I really felt like I had a purpose and belonging in the company. This is my sixth placement, and they’ve all been so different. On another placement, there was lots of engagement and push back from stakeholders, so I had to do lots of negotiating. It was amazing for me to be able to do that.
I’m not from Derby, I’m from Preston which I thought might hold me back. But other apprentice and colleagues are from the North West, or London or even outside of the UK. There is a big focus on diversity and inclusion in the company. There are employee groups at Rolls-Royce for women that help to empower us and drive equality within the workplace. Engineering can be male dominated, but I’ve always had a positive experience. My cohort was 50/50 women and men, and people are from all sorts of different backgrounds.
I chose Rolls-Royce as I thought there would be lots of opportunities and you’re encouraged to move around to push your development. There are so many different areas I could go into so it’s very varied and exciting.
Learn more about all our apprenticeship opportunities for school leavers or career changers https://careers.rolls-royce.com/united-kingdom/students-and-graduates/apprenticeships-and-school-leavers