Earning and learning: undergraduate apprenticeships at Airbus

What made you choose an apprenticeship and why did you join Airbus?

Engineering was an area I was keen to get into as I’ve always been fascinated by aircraft and how they fly and stay in the air. By doing an apprenticeship you get a degree like everyone else but you also get a lot of career experience. It is something a lot of businesses look for now to show that you can put what you have learned from your degree into practice. People at university have the theoretical knowledge but they may not have the practical knowledge you get from an apprenticeship.

Another benefit from an apprenticeship is the money. You are getting your degree paid for and earning a salary instead of ending up with thousands of pounds worth of debt.

What’s your typical day like?

A typical day is very difficult to describe. I am working within the Manufacturing Engineering Department in a Technical Support role. Our job is to support the build and fix any issues which operators are having with the build of the aircraft. If they need any additional tooling, any tooling to be repaired or any modifications to tooling then it is my job to raise documentation to get these changes made. If they require support on any issue whilst completing the build, whether that be the processes that are used to build the wing or enquiries with drawings then again that is where I will be supporting them. Other tasks which the department complete include updating processes, informing