Trainee Aircraft Mechanic: Katie Lockwood
Whilst studying with us Katie decided to apply for an Aeronautical Engineering Apprenticeship with AirTanker, a consortium of the leading aerospace companies delivering the Ministry of Defence contract for RAF Voyager. The application included multiple interviews, aptitude tests and a written exam, following which Katie was one of six young people to be selected from 300 to take up an apprenticeship. We recently caught up with her to find out how she's getting on...
Katie said: “I am now currently in my 4th year at AirTanker and completed my apprenticeship in September 2020. I was successful in applying for a permanent position and am now working as an Aircraft Technician working on base maintenance. My role is involved with the long-term and in depth maintenance of aircraft inside the hangar, and work includes servicing, modifications and replacement of major components. In the future I'm looking to continue progressing my knowledge by obtaining the next level of aircraft engineering licence.
"I moved to Lincoln UTC at the start of Year 10 so that I could study engineering, but the impressive equipment and links with employers also influenced my decision. I liked the fact that I could work with my hands to make things and apply my learning in a practical way.
"My experience at the UTC was invaluable in helping me to secure a place on the Aeronautical Engineering Apprenticeship. I had lots of opportunities to speak to employers and work on projects with them, and this made me more confident at the interview stage of my application.
"Studying a specialist STEM curriculum meant that I got to start my career two years earlier than if I’d stayed at my previous school, and gain skills that I couldn’t have in mainstream education.”