Meet Erin, a third year Business Graduate
Apprentice at our Edingburgh site.
What is your current role?
I am currently a third year Business Graduate Apprentice at
Leonardo in Edinburgh. This course is specialised, so I am working as a Project
Controller and studying a BA Hons Business Management degree at the University
of Strathclyde. As a Project Controller, I am responsible for maintaining the
schedule and project plans within my area. I have moved around a variety of
teams in Leonardo and have now settled in my final placement in the Radar area
of the business.
Why did you decide to become an apprentice?
During my fifth year of high school, I realised that the
opportunities for subjects that I was interested in, like economics and
business were relatively limited in sixth year. I met with my school’s career
advisor who suggested that I explore other opportunities that would allow me to
continue my academic journey whilst gaining industry work experience. I had
heard of Leonardo before, due to its rich history in the local community, and
after researching the options, I settled on applying. Initially, I was interested
in pursuing both Engineering and Business apprenticeship career routes, so I
opted for the Business role in an Engineering sector – which I felt was a good
balance of my interests and strengths.
What does a typical day look like in your role?
In the morning, I check my emails and calendar to create a
well-rounded view of what my day will include and what meetings I need to
prepare for. I then schedule my projects and review their progress; this allows
me to see if there are any potential issues I need to raise with the project
team. I usually attend a few meetings with my integrated project team (IPT) and
work with them to update the plans accordingly, based on project progress.
There are Project Controls team meetings which allow me to ask questions and
workshop solutions to any department-specific issues. I also work on building
some of our prospect plans to ensure that we are recording future work and
recruiting accordingly.
What is your greatest achievement at Leonardo so far?
Starting my professional development through the
apprenticeship at 16 was, initially, a daunting experience. However, with the
help of my fellow apprentices and placement managers, I became a more confident
employee and was able to ask questions and take on further responsibility that
was outside of my comfort zone previously.
During my time at Leonardo, I have been heavily involved
with STEM and felt incredibly proud when myself and two other apprentices first
trialled the STEM activities that we designed at an on-site STEM event. Raising
awareness for the importance of STEM subjects and giving back to the local
community is very important to me, so this opportunity to execute something
that we created and campaigned for was extremely rewarding.
Are there any hobbies/activities you take part in outside
of your apprenticeship?
Outside of work I enjoy reading fiction and non-fiction
books to relax after a day of meetings. I also love to spend my evenings and
weekends cooking for friends and family, and I especially enjoy trying new
recipes and experimenting with different cuisines!
What are your aspirations for the future?
Looking to the future, I am looking forward to progressing
into my final year at university where I aim to achieve a first on my
dissertation and degree. After graduation, I want to continue working as a
Project Controller to develop my technical and soft skills. Eventually I would
love to move down south and therefore would like to take on a project
management role at a different site in the UK to gain exposure to the other
projects that Leonardo is a part of. I would also love to pursue some of the travel
opportunities within Leonardo as I would be interested to collaborate with
employees abroad.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship, and why?
I have and would 100% recommend an apprenticeship as an
alternative to the traditional route to employment. I think apprenticeships
offer people at all levels the unique opportunity to gain an academic
qualification whilst completing work experience and developing their personal
and professional skills. Earning a wage while you learn is obviously a huge
benefit to taking the apprenticeship route. However, my personal favourite
benefit is that you can get ahead of the game and avoid the rush of applying to
graduate courses, especially if you are doing a popular university course.
