Congratulations on being a finalist of the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2022 Award! Can you tell us about this achievement?

“I was honoured to have attended the IET’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year Award as a finalist for the Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices. I may have walked away with the runner-up certificate, but to even be a finalist in such a long-standing and prestigious award is more than I could have asked for. To have been selected by the IET alongside four other incredible and inspiring young women is truly a win in itself. I’m very excited to be an ambassador for the IET and to continue to participate in STEM outreach - being part of the change I want to see in the industry.”

Why did you decide to do a Degree Apprenticeship?

“When I was in sixth form, I was listening to talks from different universities, writing my personal statement and frantically running up and down the country to different open days. Deep down, I knew that I wasn’t excited by any of the courses or the university lifestyle enough to want to rack up the debt.

I took Art, Physics and Maths at A Level, and although I’d have loved to have had the confidence to pursue art as a career, I knew that I needed stability and variety in my future. I needed to find a happy medium, where I could balance my creativity and love of problem solving with the ability to get stuck into real-life projects. An engineering Degree Apprenticeship filled that niche for me perfectly.”

What excites you about automotive engineering?

“My love of cars is entirely my dad’s fault. He inspired me to pursue automotive engineering, and I’m so glad I did. Automotive engineering is on the precipice of a new era right now, and electrification and autonomy are set to transform everything. I’m excited to be a part of an industry that is changing so quickly, and pushing everyone to think outside of the box and adapt to provide new and exciting experiences for customers. I look forward to the challenge that the autonomous driving cars of the future will bring and am excited to see where it takes me during my career.”

What does your role involve?

“I am a Body Engineering Degree Apprentice at Jaguar Land Rover and work within the Interior Lighting team. Day-to-day, I work with ambient and utility lighting to create innovative interior solutions for future vehicles while studying part-time for an Applied Engineering Degree at WMG, the University of Warwick.

I feel strongly about advocating for and improving apprenticeships, so I have worked extensively alongside the Early Careers and Future Talent teams since beginning my apprenticeship. I am the Jaguar Land Rover Early Careers Apprentice Ambassador and Apprentice Newsletter Lead. I also work more widely outside of the company to promote apprenticeships and engineering through work experiences and outreach as a STEM ambassador.”

What have you enjoyed the most so far about your Degree Apprenticeship?

“The best bit about my apprenticeship is knowing that the work I am doing is important and will actually be seen on future vehicles! I love working creatively, and as interior lighting becomes more communicative and interactive there is potential to create exciting new spaces inside the vehicle.

I also really enjoyed the work I did to help craft the first in-person work experience week after Covid-19. Together we completely changed the way that Jaguar Land Rover ran work experiences and developed a brand-new scheme of learning. I’m proud that many participants successfully applied to apprenticeships after the work experience, and the incredible feedback inspired me to become a STEM ambassador.”

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

“I hope to inspire other young women into engineering and apprenticeships, and to be a good role model for the next generation of engineers. The future is so bright in automotive engineering, and I hope that the sector, and engineering as a whole, continues to increase in diversity and acceptance. I don’t know where my career will take me, or what I ultimately want to do, but I know I’ll always be involved in opening up the conversation about apprenticeships and raising awareness of what incredible opportunities they are.”

What advice would you give to younger girls considering a career in engineering and doing a Degree Apprenticeship?

“Ignore everyone else’s opinions and listen to what your heart is saying. Engineering is so varied and so exciting and if you think it might be for you then it is an incredible industry. If you’re worried about the gender imbalance, don’t be! Working in a male-dominated industry is not only totally possible, but an amazing opportunity to have your voice heard. Jaguar Land Rover, and the industry in general, is making fantastic progress towards a more diverse industry, so chances are that if you pursue engineering you will be a part of the ongoing shift towards a more inclusive workforce, and thats an amazing thing.

If you’re considering doing a Degree Apprenticeship, just go for it! You have absolutely nothing to lose. If you’ve got a good idea of what industry you want to be in, and there’s an apprenticeship available, just apply! Degree Apprenticeships really are the best of both worlds; it’s a paid-for degree and a chance to make a real impact. It’s challenging, but the rewards far outweigh everything else.”

Please can you tell us more about your work as a STEM ambassador?

“This year I clocked 52 hours of outreach as a STEM ambassador for the West Midlands and I already have a few days lined up for next year! As mentioned before, I love getting involved with work experiences, but I also love going into schools and giving talks about engineering and apprenticeships. I want to change the narrative I was faced with in school and show students that there is a world of alternatives to university out there that schools just don’t seem to advertise or promote.”

Hear more from Connie and her passion for engineering and apprenticeships:

Visit WMG’s Degree Apprenticeships webpage to find out more about our Degree Apprenticeship courses.