Fylde coast Apprentices show success of schemes

Sean Gallagher who has won BAE Systems Bee Beamont Award for young engineers

One young engineer has just picked up a prestigious BAE Systems award while two others have shown how beneficial an apprenticeship can be in furthering a career.

Blackpool-born Sean Gallagher, pictured, has won the The Bee Beamont Award, named after one of BAE’s top test pilots, for outstanding achievements of an engineer in the early stages of their career.

He works in the company’s New Product and Process Development Centre at Samlesbury developing ways to manufacture products in the future using technologies including additive manufacturing, or 3D printing.

He completed his apprenticeship in 2012 and went on to complete an engineering degree last year.

Sean said: “I have had a great career so far, completing a degree following my apprenticeship, working in a state-of-the-art engineering environment, working with people across the company and industry both nationally and internationally.”

Fellow BAE worker - project manager Rachel Hoyle, 29 - started a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Aerospace Engineering with the company when she left school at 16.

She was supported her BEng (Hons) in 2015 got the Stevenson Award, in recognition of her work in developing and promoting a career in engineering to young people. She said: “There are lots of routes to successful careers – doing an apprenticeship allowed me to open my eyes to global businesses sooner than if I’d taken another route.

“It made me realise the work that needs to be achieved to progress in a company. I think maybe I wouldn’t have been as aspirational and motivated if I hadn’t been exposed to the business in the same way, as my apprenticeship allowed.”

Rachel Jackson, 28, having done an apprenticeship herself ten years ago, now uses her experience to train others at the Busy Bees Training Academy.

She started as a part time worker, went on to an apprenticeship with a personal trainer and then was promoted successively to her present role as learner support officer and training officer for the Busy Bees Training Academy.