I am currently a 23-year-old Project Engineer at Collins Aerospace, raised in the Midlands with a Sikh background. I also play hockey and am currently Captain the Ladies 2nd team at Barford Tigers in Handsworth.  

I have always been practically minded. I enjoy learning about the mechanics of how things work by taking them apart and rebuilding. I took GCSEs in Product Design and triple Science and my father is an engineer who also sparked my interest in engineering as so we would always work on DIY projects together and work on his cars.  

I didn’t really enjoy the school environment as I didn’t enjoy the concept of exams. This also meant I didn’t want to carry on with the traditional route of study via A-Levels and then go to University, which my mother wasn’t very happy with. Apprenticeships weren’t as big then and university was the traditional path for most people in my culture. I applied to a lot of engineering apprenticeships within the Midlands and was successful in obtaining an apprenticeship with Collins Aerospace (UTC Aerospace Systems at the time) after my second interview in 2016.  

For the first year of my apprenticeship, I learnt the core principles of engineering. I spent the first year in college and then returned to site full time in the 2nd year back on site to gain experience of the role. I was given the opportunity to rotate around the business in my function of Quality Engineering and experience different Value Streams. In my 3rd year of the apprenticeship, the pandemic hit and amongst the uncertainty, I was furloughed for 4 months which really impacted my development of practical industry experience, however I was still able to continue developing my theoretical knowledge by completing my HNC in Manufacturing Engineering and successfully gaining a Distinction overall.  

I was approached by the business in June 2020 to return to site from furlough to set up a Quality Clinic within one of our Value Streams, I delivered this project as the Lead Quality Technician. After successfully delivering this project, I was then ready for my next challenge and moved into the Gears Machining Module as a Quality Engineer. During my time in Gears, I learnt a lot here about the machining of various gear types, the mechanics of gears and key Quality Engineering principles, all of which gave me valuable knowledge and helped me shape my career to now.  

In 2023, I was ready for the next challenge and moved into Programme Management as a Project Engineer, this role involved supporting programme managers in the day-to-day running of their Programmes and projects and collating and developing metrics, during this time I also completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Manufacturing Engineering, successfully graduating in 2024 with a First-Class Honors.  

It was hard balancing my studies with a new role and completing a dissertation, but I made my parents and grandparents proud, and it was great to give my family that moment to celebrate with me. My graduation was when the hard work finally paid off!! 

Growing up in a Sikh community, I learnt the values of working hard and being honest. Seva is the act of selfless service and is a foundation of Sikhism. From this, I have always tried to give back when I can. I am currently the Chair of our EMBRACE Employee Resource Group (an ethnicity network for employees). I also support internally and externally the DEI agenda with Collins even being named the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Ambassador of the Year in 2023. The work which I have supported with the ERG has also been recognized at the British Diversity Awards and with the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. This culture of giving back has helped me to do what I have done up until now and be recognized for these achievements.  

One of my proudest achievements occurred in 2019, when I was asked to do a speech in the Houses of Parliament. I was in the presence of many apprentices and MP’s from across the country. It was a pleasure to talk about my journey and to represent not only my company, but also my community and ethnic minority women. I was selected of the 30 apprentices from my cohort to experience this opportunity – which is one I will not forget! . I also realized standing out was a positive thing and I didn’t want to miss out from these opportunities as they can truly drive your career. 

Upon reflection of my career, I would tell myself to not be too hard on myself. I would also not underestimate the jump from school to work. I suddenly had to take charge of my own life and my own career, and I was being held accountable for my work. Having that ability to adapt is vital as my environment is constantly changing – change is a good thing as being uncomfortable helps you to become comfortable!  

My advice for others would be to be fearless. It may be uncomfortable doing things, however trying your best is the most important thing. I would also say to not have such a hard plan, go with the flow and figure out what you enjoy and what you don’t. By following what you enjoy and what you are passionate about, you will gravitate towards a career that suits you. Being able to balance things yourself can be scary and can also be difficult so leaning on your support network and prioritizing things to create time for work but also time to do what I enjoy. Staying focused and knowing the end goal will always help get through those times of hard work and dedication.