Class of 2022: Rhianne Leach

Class of 2022 pupil Rhianne Leach has successfully secured a place on the prestigious BAE Systems Aerospace Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Programme. 

Rhianne wanted to thank Priory Teacher of Design Technology and Engineering Mrs Shaw for starting her on the path to her dream of becoming a Chief Engineer by helping her with the NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Engineering at school.

“I wanted to take the Engineering course at Priory, however I was limited by the number of subjects I could take. I had to prioritise the subjects I needed for college.

"Mrs Shaw made sure I could take the engineering qualification in my own time, two nights a week after school and in my lunch break. I sat my exam at the same time as everyone else and received a Level 2 Distinction *. 

"The support I was given by Mrs Shaw provided me with the foundation that I am now building upon and helped to spark my ambition within the subject.

"I always wanted to do something STEM related, having always had an interest in physics and maths. It was only when I went to look around universities that I saw these subjects being applied and how worthwhile and useful it was. I saw how engineering looks in the real world and decided that it was the path that I wanted to follow.

"I will be completing industry placements alongside university study in order to obtain my Bachelors Degree in Aerospace Engineering. It’s the next step towards my dream of becoming a Chief Engineer. 

"But ultimately, the first step was the work that Mrs Shaw helped me to complete throughout my earlier studies.”

Rhianne went to Lancaster University School of Mathematics (LUSoM), and applied for the extremely competitive BAE Systems' position.

“It was an extremely long process. There was the initial application, then an AI screened interview followed by an extensive personality test and gamification. The final step was a two hour in person interview with two Engineers.

"Overall, BAE Systems nationally receives 20,000 applications for all their apprenticeship positions, for which there are 600 available across all the sectors. 

"I received a phone call just before starting my A-Levels to say that I had been selected for one of the 30 places on the Aerospace Scheme. I start in September and will be initially based at the Samlesbury site.

"The chance to travel around the world really excites me. I am aware of many people who have travelled to Japan, Germany and many more countries that the company works with. There are some truly amazing opportunities that this degree apprenticeship will open up for me.”