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Emma Wilding

Emma Wilding

Applied Engineering Programme

Vehicle Safety Engineer at Jaguar Landrover

Why did you decide to do a Degree Apprenticeship?

I liked the idea of being able to study whilst working. Completing a Degree Apprenticeship with Jaguar Land Rover gave me this opportunity. As a kinesthetic learner I know that I learn best when I am able to apply what I am learning into a more practical scenario. So being able to study and then go into work the next week applying what I have learnt directly to my job was the perfect way for me to learn.

Briefly describe your role and your apprenticeship

I have completed the Jaguar Land Rover Degree Apprenticeship. My role is within Product Engineering working in Vehicle Safety. I am responsible for crash testing of vehicles to sign off that they are safe for sales globally. Typically, I am responsible for a car programme and will take it from early development through to full vehicle crash and final sign off.

 

What did you enjoy the most about your studies?

I enjoyed being able to study whilst working. Studying part time suited my learning style and being able to take the week out of work to focus at university was perfect. I also enjoyed that most of my lectures looked at real world examples, or we were asked to look at case studies within our area of business to refer to during questions and assignments. Through my studies I was applying the learning directly into real world experience.

What is the most useful thing you learnt?

I found one of the most useful things that I learnt was within the business focused modules. I find a lot of the engineering skills were being learnt and applied on the job to supplement my studies, but the business modules gave me a much greater understanding of how the business as a whole worked. This is something that I was not often exposed to within my role but is very useful to know.

What are you doing now?

Whilst completing my degree apprenticeship I was training within Vehicle Safety at Jaguar Land Rover, and since completing the apprenticeship I am now working full time within Vehicle Safety as a fully qualified Engineer.

What skills are you applying to your role?

Within my role I need to have a broad understanding of many different engineering principles. Stress analysis and Computer Aided Engineering are the key skills that I use daily at work. Throughout my studies I have also learnt report writing and presenting skills whilst working with people with a range of abilities from different backgrounds. This has helped when presenting findings of a test case at work.

What are your ambitions for the future?

My ambitions for the future are to continue with my studies. I would love to gain a Masters degree, but I also want to keep progressing within my career. The degree apprenticeship has given me a really good step up on my career as I have many years’ experience at a relatively young age and I am hoping this will help me throughout my career.

What’s the best piece of advice you could give someone thinking about doing a Degree Apprenticeship?

I would highly recommend the Degree Apprenticeship to anyone wanting to enter further education but prefers being able to learn in an environment which allows you to instantly put what you have learned into practice. It is hard work and can be tricky to balance work and studying at times, but it is also incredibly rewarding.

emma