Meet the apprentices - Lequesha Gonsalves

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Friday 10 February 2023 10:04 AM

Meet the apprentices - Lequesha Gonsalves

Why did the apprenticeship appeal to you?

Honestly, I stumbled onto the apprenticeship by accident, I was going to join the RAF or BAE but I saw the Rolls-Royce apprenticeship come up during my application and it was my first time realising they didn’t work on cars, so I was just curious what other misconceptions I had.

What are the benefits of an apprenticeship?

Easier to stay focused and motivated on your goals because you are constantly surrounded by influential older people that encourage you to be the best version of yourself. You grow up a bit earlier than other peers, but you learn to budget and navigate the real world.

Who inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?

My secondary school D&T teacher had a lot of faith in me back when I used to be a troublemaker and suggested I apply to the Arkwright Scholarships. He always made sure to remind me I was capable of great things even at a time I would have never considered engineering.

How will your apprenticeship give you skills?

Understanding how to master a work-life balance and learning to communicate with a variety of people from different backgrounds, ages and genders is something you can only learn on the job and helps you overcome fears such as presenting to large crowds.

Proudest achievement?

Created a datasheet using macros that I learnt in two days to document blade parts and where they were in their process. This ensured that time was not wasted unnecessarily locating blades and to make sure they were processed accordingly to avoid losses.

Most challenging part of an apprenticeship?

Managing your time because you can’t spend hours binge watching Netflix. You have a full-time job whereas other peers might be at university and have much more free time which could result in you missing out on social events.

Any tips or advice for potential apprentices?

Personally, I think apprenticeships are way more worth your time than going to university. I learn so much valuable stuff at work ranging from how to conduct myself professionally to how to program robots using drone technology.

To learn more about our apprenticeships in the UK click here.

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