ENGINEERING student Nadine Morrison has secured an apprenticeship with manufacturing firm Acheson & Glover (AG).
Nadine, a Level 3 Gold Construction Products Engineering Apprentice, is one of only two girls on her course but the gender imbalance in the sector never deterred her from entering the profession.
Encouraging more females to enter the engineering sector Nadine said: “It’s definitely still a male-dominated industry but that wouldn’t put me off. I like that I’m different – a fresh young face as well as one of only a few girls. It’s a chance to stand out and start creating a new legacy for these industries that will hopefully encourage more girls to follow their hearts and if they like big machines, feel ok to say it.”
Securing the apprenticeship with the Fivemiletown family-owned plant will see Nadine work on-site three days a week, balancing real on-the-job experience with two days class work. In her second year, she will increase her time outside of the classroom to four days a week, from which she hopes to springboard into university life specialising in one area of engineering.
With this in mind AG will encourage Nadine to shadow various disciplines of the business, mirroring her modules so she can get a true idea of all facets of manufacturing life and blend theory with practical knowledge.
Nadine said: “With university ambitions, this apprenticeship is an absolutely fantastic opportunity for me to learn about all aspects of engineering and in a business environment to boot. AG has put together a really comprehensive training plan for me, allowing me to shadow all aspects of its business and see the different disciplines in action – hopefully guiding me into the right specialised area to focus on at uni.
“At the minute I think a job in environmental engineering is my ideal role but who knows how this will change.”