Abbie Macaulay

Abbie Macaulay

Employer: Rolls-Royce

Job title: Manufacturing engineering apprentice

Course: BEng Manufacturing Technology degree apprenticeship

Q. What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?

I grew up ten minutes away from the Rolls-Royce factory in Inchinnan, so it’s been visible for my whole life. When I was at high school we did a project with Land Rover, and ended up competing in a national competition. Through that, I got work experience at the Rolls-Royce factory. Now I’m doing my degree apprenticeship there with the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre.

Q. Why did an apprenticeship appeal to you?

Even though I always wanted to do an apprenticeship, after school I started an engineering degree at the University of Strathclyde. I saw this apprenticeship advertised and applied for it without telling anyone. After passing the entrance exam I was delighted to get a place, and I left my university course to start the apprenticeship.

It was a big change — I had never been to England before starting at the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre. Now I work at the Rolls-Royce factory in Inchinnan and travel to Sheffield once a month. I love visiting the AMRC Training Centre as I get to meet people from the course who are working at different companies.

Q. How is your apprenticeship giving you the skills and knowledge you need for a rewarding career?

It gradually builds up the knowledge I need to be an engineer. Learning the theory and the practice together gives you a head start for your career, because you have the experience and you know what you're doing. I’m reaching the end of my apprenticeship and it’s been such a good experience. Seeing the results and getting the grades makes all the hard work worth it. This year I’ve been nominated for the Make UK Engineering Apprentice of the Year.

Q. What is the best part about doing an apprenticeship at the AMRC Training Centre?

The wealth of knowledge that the lecturers have is amazing — they are industry experts who are also really helpful. The classes are much smaller than when I was at university, so it’s a lot easier to speak to them and ask questions.

There are also some very cool labs at the AMRC Training Centre. The work is as practical as possible, while still giving you all the theory and knowledge you need to pass your degree. In my first year I got to do sand casting with aluminium, which is something you’d never get to do on a standard university course. It helped develop my skills — as well as being really fun.

Q. What do you do in your job at Rolls-Royce?

On the apprenticeship you move around every three to six months to a different department so you get to see all areas of the business. I’ve worked in forging, milling and the metallurgy labs, as well as the business areas like IT and capability acquisition. In this way you build up the basic skills, from computer-aided design (CAD) training to computer numerical control (CNC) programming.

As the apprenticeship has gone on I’ve been given more responsibilities. I’m now in my final year and I’m leading a big project around factory transformation, moving our machines around and bringing in new equipment to increase capacity. This work is critical to our output and it’s giving me a good understanding of technical standards. My project covers the entire business, and it’s good to spend time with everyone I have worked with in different areas over the course of the apprenticeship. After the course I want to stay with Rolls-Royce. I love the practical side of troubleshooting machines and I’d love to specialise further as an engineer.

Q. What advice would you give to other people looking to do an apprenticeship?

Take every opportunity that you can. I’ve travelled to Germany and worked with the manufacturing engineering team there. I’ve been down to London. I’ve visited the Derby factory. I’ve met so many people and built so many relationships. You’re always learning, and I feel it’s really set me up for my future career.