Job title: Skilled Maintenance Technician
Company: Jaguar Land Rover
What advice would you give a young person considering an apprenticeship?
Don’t overthink – just do it! There are so many benefits to completing an apprenticeship compared to the traditional university route. Earning and learning at the same time, invaluable job experience and a paid for qualification.
Why would you encourage young people to consider a career as a Skilled Maintenance Technician?
Engineering is in everything that you consume. From the cars we drive, to the food we eat, the hospitals we may have to visit, and the bath bombs we indulge in. Engineering and manufacturing is on the cusp of a digital revolution. We need more young people in the industry to drive digitalisation!
How did you get into the industry?
I like so many others, chose to do an apprenticeship. My brother is an Aerospace Engineer who completed an apprenticeship too. I ended up doing some work experience with him which inspired me to go and work on robots that help build cars.
What does your current role entail on a day-to-day basis?
As a Maintenance Technician, my primary role is to monitor, maintain and implement lean manufacturing techniques to the equipment used in the manufacturing processes. This could include in-hours scheduling on conveyor drives, out of hours scheduling on pumps, motors and lifting tables, reactive maintenance to prevent down time for the production teams and project work to enable better workspaces, efficient processes and safe working practices.
What are the best parts of your job?
Being able to come in every day and fault find on equipment that helps make cars that I love. As a young girl, I was always obsessed with Range Rovers. Seeing hundreds of them being painted and built every day never gets tiring. I’ve built lifelong friendships with people that I probably never would have spoken to if I didn’t work in my industry. People who you would have probably never put together due to our differences in ages, backgrounds, hobbies and locations. These people are my work family (as cringy as that sounds). Because of my apprenticeship, I have had lots of opportunities to go out and talk about my experiences. This has included trips to Finland, Brussels and Parliament.
What advice would you give to young people when they first get into a role?
- work hard and never stop asking questions
- go out of your way to network and build relationships with people
- initiative goes a long way, so use it!
What is your proudest achievement?
Being recognised on various platforms through engineering accolades. My proudest achievement was awarded by the Womens Engineering Society – Top 50 Women in Engineering (current and former apprentices).