BEng Electromechanical Engineering Degree Apprenticeship
Meet Sophie
I am a Technical Project Engineer Apprentice in the EcoFit department at Schneider Electric, an energy technology partner driving efficiency and sustainability through electrification, automation and digitalisation.
I am based at the Leeds site, where we manufacture medium and low voltage switchgear solutions. As a Technical Project Engineer, I will have responsibility for the technical and commercial management of projects from order to completion. Within EcoFit, we deliver low-carbon modernisation solutions that give new life to ageing equipment.
As part of my apprenticeship, I am completing four six-month placements across EcoFit to gain a broad understanding of the department. I am currently working in supply chain, managing orders, suppliers and material shortages, with future placements planned in Spares & Repairs, Production and Testing.
What influenced your decision to study at the University of Warwick?
I have always been very academic, and I wanted to study engineering, so in the past someone in my position during A-Levels would have been pushed towards university.
There seems to be a misconception that apprenticeships are just practical work, perhaps being an ‘easy’ option compared to university, as there is less studying.
This isn’t necessarily true – apprenticeships can be academic too! This is one of the reasons I was keen to study at the University of Warwick, since it’s a Russell Group university with an academic course that really interested me.
How do you balance your academic studies with your professional responsibilities?
I am on block release at university, so once a month from January to June I will spend a week at university studying and attending lectures. On a weekly basis I have Fridays in the office to complete university rather than company work to help manage my workload, since it’s a demanding academic course.
A degree apprenticeship is very demanding and can be difficult at times, but it is definitely worth putting in the hard work now as it is such a rewarding path to choose and has so many future benefits.
In what ways has the course contributed to your professional development?
One of the modules I study at university is based on developing professional engineering competencies and gaining the skills needed in the workplace. This has helped me develop knowledge on how to behave and act in order to adhere to the industry standards.
One example is studying engineering ethics, giving me an awareness of how to think and evaluate when in a critical situation. This has contributed to my professional development by giving me the ability to go into the workplace with professionalism and confidence.
What advice would you offer to someone who is considering a degree apprenticeship?
Don’t procrastinate applying to apprenticeships! The first time you submit an application it will feel really daunting and you may not be completely confident that you know what to say in your application, but that’s okay. I recommend applying to a wide range of apprenticeships, and you can improve your applications every time.
Tailor them to each company and role to show you are interested in that company and role in particular. If you aren’t successful with one application, don’t let that knock you down. Degree apprenticeships are so competitive, so you may not get an offer for every role you apply for. That just means it wasn’t the role for you, so keep searching!
What aspects of your degree apprenticeship have you found most rewarding?
The most rewarding and perhaps even the most shocking aspect of completing my degree apprenticeship has been the level of responsibility that I have been trusted with.
From my first week in supply chain I was trusted to email suppliers directly and reach out to expedite orders, and within only a couple months I was managing the material for projects individually. It has been so rewarding to be able to contribute to the team and have my views and opinions valued.