Tom

Why did you come to UTCN?

 I came to UTCN in year 10 as I really liked engineering. I had been gliding for a few years and therefore had a real interest in Aviation engineering in particular.

What did you like about UTCN?

I was really impressed by the engineering facilities which are unlike any other school I’d seen. I also had a really good relationship with some of the teachers and that really made the school for me.

Why did you apply to Swift Aircraft to be a Technical Advisor?

Swift Technology Group came to UTCN and Mrs Skipp introduced me to Mike (Business Development Manager) and Rebecca (Marketing Manager) and I later also met with the MD, Dave. We hit it off immediately. They were impressed with my experience of working in Norfolk Marine boatyard which had given me an understanding of working with fibreglass which is a really important skill in my job. My experience of gliding was also important to Swift.

What do you do in your job? What do you like about it?

I am a Technical Advisor. This means that I have a variety of roles and am based between the workshop and the office. I’ll normally start my day looking at emails to see if any orders have come in. I’ll then package them up and if a part needs to be made, I prepare the moulds and make all the composite parts. Recently I’ve also been working on a Europa Tri Gear aircraft which is exclusively manufactured by our company.

As part of my contract, my employer is also paying for me to do my Private Pilot’s License (PPL). I start lessons in December. I will take my lessons during my working day. Luckily my experience of guiding means that I don’t have to complete as many training hours in order to gain my PPL.

What advice would you give current UTCN students?

Get as much experience as you can. UTCN offers you a lot of opportunities to meet employers and gain the soft skills you need in the workplace.  That’s how I met my employer!