Sam

Why did you want to come to UTCN?

I wanted to come to UTCN due to the fantastic employer partners and because, at the time, it was the only 6th Form that offered a course in Engineering. I was already sure I wanted to become an engineer within the Automotive Industry and the opportunity to work at Lotus Cars for my work experience was a good stepping stone to achieve my goal. It was a difficult choice to move to UTCN from my previous high school as I knew no one at the School, but as soon as I went on my first open day I knew it was a place I wanted to learn at. My mother who was with me at the time also said my face said everything she needed to know as soon as I stepped through the door! 

What did you like about UTCN?

I really enjoyed a lot! The relaxed environment I experienced in 6th form at UTCN meant that I could study at my own pace. I spent a lot of my free time working in the library with the then librarian Mrs Settle, who along with the previous principal Mr Hayes, nominated me for a national award for student librarians. This was definitely a great personal achievement.

 I took A level Mathematics alongside double Engineering and EPQ and found that all the staff (especially Mr Attwell and Mr Moyo) would take the time to explain anything I didn’t understand. Mr Moyo was fantastic when I didn’t understand a topic in Maths and I’d spend many study periods with him going through problems step by step. 

I also enjoyed being down in the workshop on the machines making pieces for my coursework and the hands on elements of the course. UTCN also pushed me to do more public speaking, doing presentations to other employer partners such as Aviva, something I thought I’d never be confident to do! We also had a few career networking events and I remember an opportunity to visit a local company that had been working on light aircraft, with a tour of the facilities as a result of the networking!

Why did you decide to do a BEng in Automotive Engineering at Coventry Uni?

I went to Coventry University to study Automotive Engineering as it is a leading university in the subject. Very much like UTCN there are close partnerships with industry and opportunities to do practical elements to coursework- I enjoyed getting results in our wind tunnel for one course and learning to weld through one of the societies I am part of! The student experience is good and although it is not a campus university, everything is short distances apart.

What does your year in industry as a Design Engineer at WAE Technologies involve?

My year in industry has given me the opportunity to work in a world class leading company in the decarbonisation industry. My role is a CAD designer so day to day I use lateral thinking and problem solving skills gained at UTCN and further developed at Coventry to work on projects that are sold to consumers across the globe. I gain a lot of new skills and as part of this role I have learned a completely new piece of design software that allows me to create complex parts using basic skills learned in Mr Attwell and Mr Smith’s classes. Presentation skills have allowed me to confidently present my ideas to colleagues across the business.

What does a typical week at University look like for you?

My university week has looked completely different in years one and two, and I expect that year three will look different again! Year one was just as lockdown hit the UK so was blended learning with more of an emphasis on online learning, with me personally choosing to study the year completely remotely, while year two had more of an emphasis of on campus learning with some two of three weekly subject lectures being online, with the other a more traditional on campus lecture and seminar. 

Any tips for students currently studying at UTCN? 

I have two main tips I would like to share. Firstly I would suggest that students currently studying should explore all pathways for their future careers, whether that be a job, apprenticeship or university degree and find what they feel is the best fit for them. For me that was university but I have friends from my time at UTCN who have gained more from apprenticeships.

My other piece of advice is for those who decide to do a university course. Try and find one with the option to do a year in industry as it means that you gain life experiences and also makes you stand out from the crowd in what ever industry you wish to work in, whilst also developing your skills and potentially getting paid to do so!