From a young age Leah had always helped her dad around the house. Being an electrician he was always doing odd jobs at home and she would look over his shoulder and try to help out with anything she could. Although she’d never had any ‘real’ experience in an engineering environment, Leah believes that this, coupled with the fact she’s always loved to find out how things work, is what led her towards a career in engineering.
When she finished her GCSEs Leah was directed towards studying A levels, and wasn’t presented with any other options. However, after completing her A levels she successfully applied for a place on the Siemens apprenticeship scheme, and she was sent to Trafford College to begin a nine month performing engineering operations (PEO) with a day release BTEC in electrical and electronic engineering.
“The thing I am most proud of achieving so far is getting D*D* in my BTEC,” Leah says. “All throughout my school career I have had the ability to do well but have never had the drive to make me succeed. However, after finally finding something I am interested in, it meant I was able to excel and achieve the best grade possible, while enjoying it at the same time.”
Rotating work placements
When her PEO was over Leah spent the next two years rotating through different business departments at Siemens’ Princess Road and Wythenshawe sites in Manchester.
“This allowed me to find out more about the company and the roles each department played,” Leah explains. “In addition I undertook project work for my workplace NVQ. Following my BTEC I started my HNC, which I am in the last year of, while also taking on a HND in the evenings. I’m hoping to continue my studies to a degree conversion in the future.”
IET apprentice membership
Leah joined the IET a few years ago after it was suggested she’d benefit from becoming an apprentice member. With just a few years under her belt, she’s already found several of the membership features very handy.
“I found it very useful during my time in college as there are study resources available to use which helped me with some of my assignments, but it was also useful in general for networking etc. I have often had invites for events in my area, which are great at apprentice level for getting to know more about the engineering community,” she says.
Gaining EngTech as an apprentice
Due to the Siemens apprenticeship scheme being IET approved, Leah was also able to use her NVQ, BTEC qualification and the departmental experience she’d gained to apply for Engineering Technician (EngTech) professional status.
“I found the application process for EngTech relatively simple - filled out the form I was given and after a few weeks I found my application had been approved and I received my certificates in the post,” she says.
“I believe having the EngTech registration will help me in my career as it well help to show that the time I have put in to achieve my qualifications and prove that I have gained the experience and knowledge required,” she adds.
The final year of her apprenticeship
During the final year of her Siemens apprenticeship, Leah was part of a projects environment in the hardware side of the business.
“I have had experience in creating and editing CAD panel drawings, ordering and specifying equipment and completing comprehensive tests so that the equipment is site ready. I have found the hardware side a lot more interesting than I originally thought and feel like it has given me the best foundation to build upon in future,” she says.
“I plan to further my knowledge in hardware but to also move over and complete some training in programming and their associated software in order to get a full view of what goes in to the systems,” she concludes.
Updated November 2018