What I do

I make parts that end up on trains, buses, diggers, magazine racks, terminals by the sides of railways, tables, and even Christmas decorations. The list is endless!

Find out more about Leia's role by watching the video below...

How I became a technician

When I was 11 years old, I watched a documentary called How to Build a Supercar, which featured a young female apprentice. I remember thinking, “that could be me!”. To see a young girl doing a really technical job in the McLaren factory, building supercars, where everything is really precise, really appealed to me. I went on to do engineering and design technology at GCSE and then went to a university technical college (UTC), which was kind of a new thing then.

I was the first year, and it’s essentially a college that specialises in technical skills, so I studied maths, product design and engineering at A-level. At the end of it, I decided I wanted to do a Product Support Apprenticeship, which is more research and development based, rather than go on to university. I did that for a year, but then I got made redundant. Then the pandemic happened, and now I am on a manufacturing-based apprenticeship.

A typical day in my
working life

My work varies from day-to-day. Sometimes I’ll be in the classroom in the morning, doing 3D computer-aided design (CAD). I’ll then head to the shop floor. At the moment, I’m in the press section.

The presses are like a giant hole punch, so they punch holes in things, but they can also fold things, depending on the tool that’s in them. Normally I’ll operate a machine – putting parts in and taking parts out and doing something to them or pushing a button for the machine to do something to them.

I chose an apprenticeship as a way to get into engineering because it gives you experience in every process involved in making a product.

Manufacturing is so broad, really you can go anywhere - there are a lot of openings in offshore wind farms or travelling abroad.

The advice I'd give to
someone younger

When I was younger, I had already decided that university wasn’t an option for me. I didn’t think I could concentrate enough to do self-study and I’ve always liked the idea of being more hands-on and practical. With an apprenticeship, you also have a job, so you are earning, instead of getting a student loan. I’d probably tell my younger self to trust myself to make the right decision. It’s always scary at 16, when you finish school and you’re like “what on earth do I do now?”

A little more about
my everyday role

The equipment I use

The apprenticeship is a real mix, because we learn how to use CAD, CNC (a metal fabrication method where computer code controls the machinery) and programming, but we also go back to basics, using hand tools, filing, and making things with our hands. The equipment we use really varies.

The next steps in my career journey

I might consider moving on to an HNC or a degree. It really depends on what options are open to me, and I won’t necessarily know that until I finish my apprenticeship.

My hobbies

I have a horse, and I ride as a volunteer at a tourist attraction called Kynren in Bishop Auckland, which is like a massive outdoor theatre re-enactment, which is pretty fun. Kynren is all about the telling of English history through time.

Find out more about this role

Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.

Nine apprentices sitting on sofas socialising

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