High flyer Emily wins apprenticeship with Rolls Royce (From The Advertiser Series)
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High flyer Emily wins apprenticeship with Rolls Royce
7:00am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News
By Barry Nelson, Health Editor
Barnard Castle School student Emily Smith to join legendary firm
A TALENTED student with a passion for designing and building small-scale steam trains has won a Higher Engineering Apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce.
Emily Smith, 17, is currently studying physics, maths and biology at Barnard Castle Senior School and will begin her three-year apprenticeship in September at the company's new state-of-the-art Apprentice Academy in Derby.
To secure her place, Emily took a series of online tests in numerical reasoning and logic followed by a rigorous assessment and interview day, where she and 12 fellow candidates were put through their paces.
Emily said: "When I found out Rolls-Royce was hosting an open-day I decided to go along and was very impressed with the people and facilities. Learning on the job, gaining qualifications and earning money at the same time really appealed to me.
"My dad builds small steam trains for shows and exhibitions so I've always been interested in mechanical engineering, especially the design side. Maths and physics are excellent at Barnard Castle which is why I chose to study them for my A' Levels."
During her three-year Higher Apprenticeship Emily will study for nationally recognised qualifications, including NVQ Levels 4 and 5, with the option to continue to study to degree level and beyond.
Alan Stevens, headmaster at Barnard Castle School, said: "The Rolls-Royce training programme is ranked as one of the best apprenticeship schemes in the country. Emily has always had her sights set on becoming a mechanical engineer and we wish her every success for the future; I know she'll give it her best shot."
Rolls-Royce has been training apprentices for over 100 years. Its apprenticeship programme is an industry leader; awarded Beacon Status by the Learning & Skills Improvement Service and graded 'outstanding in all areas' by OFSTED. In all, 98% of its apprentices successfully complete their training, compared with a 74 per cent national average, and many go on to senior roles within the organisation.
