Engineering - Is the Sky the Limit?

Helen explains how The Year in Industry helped confirm her career choice; " I decided to have a gap year and apply for a Year in Industry placement to give me an insight into ‘real’ engineering before continuing my academic studies at university".

Helen was employed by East Midlands Airport (EMA) as Projects Engineering Technician for her placement year. At the age of 19, Helen Randell was a Project Manager for a prestigious organisation achieving outstanding results, and an award winner at The Year in Industry Regional Contribution to the Business Award Finals. For Helen, the sky is the limit!

One of Helen’s projects was to manage a 10m extension to the existing fire training rig which would allow the airport to operate larger aircraft and therefore attract more operators. Dave Mcinerney, Facilities Manager at EMA comments, "I feel the airport’s Fire Training Rig extension was a very suitable project for Helen to undertake. From conception to completion Helen was the project manager involved in the design, manufacture, civil engineering, rig installation, final commissioning and on site acceptance".

Helen’s experience with The Year in Industry allowed her to undertake interesting projects and learn how business works whilst providing an in-depth experience of engineering; "The attention to detail by The Year in Industry whilst placing me with a company was exceptional, I relished the opportunity to work as part of a team and individually on aspects of a variety of engineering projects such as the re-design of the terminal building and apron extension. During the year I was also given the responsibility to manage the creation of an extension to the airport’s fire training ground. This project was both challenging and rewarding and I soon realised that, without using my initiative to chase information vital design alterations would not be passed between contractors, with potentially disastrous consequences. The extension now allows the airport to operate a larger range of modern and more technically advanced Boeing 767 aircraft with the airport reporting a 30% increase in turnover in the three months after the completion of the rig extension".

Helen chose to do a Year in Industry placement following her experience of Headstart, an EDT scheme which provides students with a residential summer school experience course at university.

Helen took part in a Headstart course at Durham University in 2003; "The week long immersion in a wide range of student engineering design projects proved to be a fun and inspirational opportunity. The tasks ranged from a bund wall made of paper to a pin pong ball collecting boat and highlighted the diversity of engineering disciplines while reinforcing the need for good problem solving skills and team work. These experiences captured my interest in engineering as a possible career choice as they combined all the activities that I enjoyed, but had never connected with being relevant in engineering. I remained in Durham for the extra Dragonfly day where I had the opportunity to use the skills I had learned during the week to help a group of girls find their own solution to the bund wall problem".From the combined experiences of Headstart and the Year in Industry schemes I became convinced that engineering is a diverse, exciting and challenging career choice that I really want to be part of. The opportunities and contacts I have made through the EDT schemes have been inspiring and invaluable. While also helping me to find work placements throughout my university career which will continue to broaden my experience of ‘real’ engineering". Helen is now studying Engineering at Cambridge University preparing to embark on her future career.

Headstart and The Year in Industry are two schemes run by the EDT, annually the trust involves over 3000 students and aims to provide these young people with real life exposure to industry and the career opportunities available. All EDT schemes are members of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Best Programme and aim to provide the inspiration and motivation to continue on a career path in science, engineering and technology.