Hear from 6 young women in STEM

In light of National Engineering Day (13 November), hear from 6 inspiring young women in science, technology, engineering and maths careers. 

You can’t be what you can’t see.' - Marian Wright Edelman, American activist.

American activist, Marian Wright Edelman, originally coined this quote. She believed that children are less likely to be inspired for their future if they don’t have visible role models. Her idea has been used to challenge gender stereotypes, especially where girls and young women don’t see enough female role models in male-dominated industries. 

We know that girls and women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) are always doing amazing things. Our studies show that 1 in 5 (19%) girls aged 7 to 10 who are interested in STEM subjects say they’re teased for it. A third (34%) of girls and young women aged 7 to 21 think there’s a lack of women in these subjects including very few role models, not enough women teaching them, and barely any women scientists shown on TV.

Our work with Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce and Girlguiding share a commitment to challenging stereotypes around science, technology, engineering and maths. We’re working together to inspire a new generation of young women into these industries. Rolls-Royce sponsor the innovate skills builder and have co-developed the activities to encourage girls to discover more about STEM.

Hear from women in STEM

In the spirit of showing girls more of who they can be, we’ve caught up with 6 Rolls-Royce’s apprentices who have kindly shared their stories and career advice with us. These are the extraordinary women we caught up with:

• Amelia is on a business management degree apprenticeship scheme where she works in the business alongside completing her degree. Amelia joined Girlguiding as a Rainbow and is now a leader. She loves creating fun meetings and teaching guides about STEM and life skills.
• Eleanor is an engineering degree apprentice. Eleanor has been part of Girlguiding for most her my life - all the way from Brownies up to Rangers. She’s also been both a Brownies and Guides leader.
• Georgia is also a business management degree apprentice for Rolls-Royce.
• Louise is a final year engineering degree apprentice studying mechanical engineering with electronics part-time at university. Louise joined Girlguiding as a Rainbow and has been through all four sections, she also became a young leader during her Duke of Edinburgh's award.
• Neha is a final year degree apprentice, currently in her dissertation placement. Neha has volunteered for almost 2 years with both Rainbows and Guides which has helped her with her organisation and public speaking skills.
• Phoebe is a fourth year engineering degree apprentice, currently part of the physics team at Rolls-Royce.

What behaviours and skills do you think are the most important in your role at Rolls-Royce?

Georgia - 'I’d say personality and being able to converse and collaborate with all types of people. Collaboration is a huge part of working here so my mantra is if you don’t put yourself out there you will close doors on opportunities!'

Louise - 'In my experience, the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively are the most important. During the early stages of my career, I need to connect with others with different experiences to build my knowledge. Very few projects involve working on your own – so being able to collaborate with others in different job roles and positions is really important.'

Neha - 'As an apprentice, you need to be eager to learn and connect with your colleagues, so being approachable and curious are very strong behaviours to show. You’re also likely to make mistakes, which is a great way of learning and growing - so it’s important to be honest and welcome constructive feedback whenever it’s needed.'

'The most important behaviour to have as an engineer is staying curious. It is really important to always ask why and try to understand what you’re working with - the saying ‘no question is a stupid question’ really applies in my role at Rolls-Royce. - Phoebe.

Phoebe - 'Problem solving and being keen are also important to have, you can figure out a lot with these attributes despite any gaps in experience and knowledge.'

What transferable skills do you think your Girlguiding experience helped you with in your career?

Amelia - 'Girlguiding teaches everyone to be kind, inclusive, honest, passionate, and a willing to try new things - these are all skills that are used in every job role and companies look for this within all their employees.'

As a Guide, you get the chance to meet people from all over the world, foster connections and forge life-long friendships. In a business environment, the ability to network opens new doors wherever you go.

One of the biggest lessons I learned as a Guide was resilience and that it is alright to get things wrong sometimes.' - Eleanor.

It is how you learn and build back up that is important. Whatever career you go into, you will make mistakes. Being resilient and carrying on will help you push forwards and become the best version of yourself possible.'

Neha - 'Girlguiding provides you with a range of opportunities to be curious, be social, have responsibilities, be confident and trust in yourself and others - the list in endless. These qualities can all be brought into the workplace so you are confident to ask questions, connect with your team and produce high quality work.'

I'm trying to decide what the best option for me is after A levels - what is your experience of either full-time university or an apprenticeship?

Eleanor - 'Being an apprentice is definitely hard work - balancing work, university, hobbies and social life can be difficult sometimes, especially if you have recently relocated. However, as an apprentice, you'll have a strong support network surrounding you. There’s help available if you are struggling, and the new network of friends that you will create will always be there for you!

I feel as if there is a strong stigma surrounding apprenticeships – corporate zombies with no social life or hobbies. This could not be less true! I spend a lot of time with my apprentice friends - hiking, having movie nights, nights out and so many other things. I would go as far to say that my social life as an apprentice is even busier than when I was at school!'

'Both university and apprenticeships have their advantages but, for me, an apprenticeship was the right choice and I’ve had an amazing time throughout the programme. I’m part of an incredibly supportive apprentice cohort and have experienced a lot of variety in the work I’ve done.' - Neha.

Some highlights include visits to customer sites to see our products in action, meeting a director at the Ministry of Defence, visiting another manufacturer, and supporting and hosting apprentices from 5 different companies. You are still able to get involved in university societies and meet with full-time students, so you don’t miss out there!'

Phoebe - 'I chose the apprenticeship route over the traditional university route due to the ‘learning on the job’ style of teaching, I still get a degree in engineering but don’t have the debt and have 2 years industry experience working on real-life projects, making it a very attractive option. I’m able to apply my university degree in real life applications which helps to solidify it and further my understanding. I have worked in a variety of areas across the business including manufacturing, design and test - having 6 month placements has really helped me see what Rolls-Royce does as a whole and get an appreciation for the different disciplines.'

I'm interested to understand what progression could look like following an apprenticeship versus graduate entry - what's your experience?

Georgia - 'I would say the graduate scheme is shallower because it’s shorter, so you don’t get to explore so many job areas. Whereas the apprenticeship gives you 6 x 6 month placements over 3 years plus a final year one so you definitely get more breadth of experience. End jobs are roughly similar, but you get there more quickly as an apprentice - as soon as the apprenticeship is over, you join the team.'

Neha - 'For me, the main difference is when you join the company in a permanent position. When you finish an apprenticeship, you’ll typically be the same age as those who’ve just finish university meaning you’ll be about 2 years ahead of those starting a graduate programme. You’ll also have at least 3 years more experience both in the company and your job role. So progression at the beginning of your career could be faster but, as you develop in your role, progression is based on merit, experience and the choices you make.'

Phoebe - 'After a degree apprenticeship, you are at a higher ‘grade’ than someone just coming in from university and at the same one as someone who has just come off a graduate scheme. I have found that it is easy to climb the career ladder provided you are pragmatic and good at your job. There is a common misconception that apprentices hit a ‘glass ceiling’ and there is no room to progress but I haven’t found this to be the case.'

Some of the most senior (and well-paid) managers are ex-apprentices and really advocate for this career path. Rolls-Royce as a company encourages career progression and moving job roles to gain experience aims to facilitate this.' - Phoebe.

What career opportunities are there at Rolls-Royce outside of STEM and engineering roles?

Amelia - 'Human resources, marketing, finance, legal, risk management plus many more careers that are linked to STEM but would not be fully described as a STEM career.'

Eleanor - 'Rolls-Royce has a diverse workforce and a myriad of roles, including project management, purchasing and people. Rolls-Royce offers many non-STEM degree apprenticeships, which can all be found on their website.'

'My role is business rather than STEM based. But I have options to choose what interests me so could do some STEM-related placements. An apprenticeship is what you make of it and I can be office based, shop floor based, hybrid working, or working off site with suppliers and business visits.' - Georgia.

How is an apprenticeship structured and how do you find balancing work and study?

Eleanor - 'For the majority of the first year I was in university full time, so being paid to be a student! From then on, I was on placement in the business for 4 days a week and at university for one day. University day-release is definitely intense but I have a whole week to get my head around the content before the next one.

In terms of the balance, it is definitely different for everyone. My advice is to continue doing things that you enjoy - making time to continue your hobbies and social life will keep you motivated and maintain good mental health. The difficult thing with balance is that the only way to work it out is to get it wrong, but once you have found the correct balance, you feel unstoppable with everything that you do!'

Neha - 'The work and study balance can be challenging at times but my line managers know what I have to do and are supportive – for example helping to manage workload especially during exam and deadline periods. I find having the change from academic to work-based learning also provides some variety to the week.'

Phoebe - 'My apprenticeship is 4 years in length and the structure is similar to a full time 9-5 job. I work 4 days a week and attend university 1 day a week - all of my lectures and tutorials are taught on a single day between 9am- 6pm. For my first year I was in a workshop gaining practical skills welding and machining while attending Uni every other week on week release.'

For more information about career options at Rolls-Royce and tips on making applications, please visit their early careers page.