National Apprenticeship Week Case Study: Chloe-Marie Boucher, Level 4 Apprentice, Airbus

Chloe-Marie Boucher, 19, started their apprenticeship to become a Space Engineering Technician with Airbus after finishing their A-Levels last year. They’re looking forward to learning about the company’s different departments and career opportunities as their training progresses.

What made you interested in a career in this field?

I’ve been very interested in space for a long time! I’ve enjoyed watching documentaries about it since I was around 10 years old and still do now in my spare time. I’ve wanted to pursue a career in this field since primary school, so it’s been an almost lifelong ambition.

The space sector is a very broad field to work in, and new discoveries and technology mean the field is constantly evolving into something new. It’s very exciting to work in.

Why did you decide to take the apprenticeship route, and how did you find out about the Airbus opportunity?

I was originally planning to apply for university in my first year of sixth form, but when I started year 13, we received a talk on apprenticeships and how they work. It gave me new insight about the different benefits that come with apprenticeships. I ended up switching from applying to university to looking for apprenticeships soon after.

I think doing apprenticeships give you the opportunity to learn what it’s like to work in a particular field and gives you experience in a job rather than just the knowledge of it.

Did you have to spend some days at college and some days at work?

I’m studying to receive an HNC qualification in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, with the potential to move on to HND if I choose to.

I spend three days at college and two at work. I have my HNC classes (such as electronics, maths and design) on Monday. Tuesday is workshop day which lets me get experience working on different machinery, and Wednesday is a study day for me to catch up on any assignment work. When I’m at work on Thursday and Friday, I work on projects that I get given by my manager with my cohort.

How are you finding your apprenticeship so far?

I’m really enjoying it! It’s a very different learning experience from what I’ve been used to – I find it very refreshing! I like the way the BTEC system works for assignments and assessments, and I think it suits me better compared to the A-Level structure. I’ve been able to learn new things in the HNC since I haven’t had any prior experience in engineering, as well as brush up on older maths skills. I get to apply them to real-world situations – it helps you understand the equations better.

I also enjoy the workshop days a lot – everything I learn there is something new. I was quite nervous at first to be using heavy machinery, but my instructor has been very helpful and patient with me, explaining all the things I ask about. As for work itself, I mainly work on presentations set by my manager, but even those have been great for helping me get my confidence up in delivering them, as well as improving the layout of my PowerPoints. A highlight for me so far was the presentation we gave on elements on the periodic table. We were scored for our performance as well as the information in our presentation, and I scored the highest – I have a 3D-printed trophy on my windowsill as proof!

What are you looking forward to in the programme?

I’m looking forward to starting placements on site later this year to get hands-on with all the different departments. I’ve shadowed some of the older apprentices, so I have an idea of what work in some of them is like already, but I’m excited to work there myself and see what place I might like to continue with in the future. What do you hope to do in the future - where do you see your career going?

I’m still not exactly sure what position I want to work in, but I know I want to stay in the space industry. It’s a very diverse field to work in, so I’m open to anything I find that I enjoy. The most important thing to me is that I’m happy with the work that I do.

Airbus offers a range of apprenticeships across the UK – to find out more click here.

During his apprenticeship, Josh studied at Havant and South Downs College (HSDC). You can find out about their apprenticeship opportunities here.