AN Airbus apprentice is following in her grandfather’s footsteps while smashing stereotypes and building a successful career in the industry.

Rosie Boddy, 20, is an Aero Systems Craft apprentice at Airbus and is advocating for more women to consider a career in STEM subjects like aerospace engineering this Apprenticeship Week Wales 2023.

Her love for aerospace came from her grandfather, who was a design engineer apprentice for Hawker Siddeley and then British Aerospace.

Rosie moved from Farnborough for the opportunity and said: “My grandad’s passion for aircraft rubbed off on me from an early age. I grew up at the home of aviation and spent much of my weekends going to air shows and discovering the engineering side of the industry.

“I went on to study aeronautical engineering at college and absolutely loved my time there, so I began to look at my next steps.

“I knew that Airbus in Flintshire is one of the best places to work in the industry, so when I saw the apprenticeship opportunity come up, I made the big decision to move to Wales and my apprenticeship journey began!”

Rosie, now in her fourth and final year based on the site, has especially benefited from the hands-on learning during her apprenticeship.

She added: “I’ve absolutely loved the practical side of my course and getting stuck in with my hands. It’s been particularly helpful to put the theory I learned at college into practise by working with the plane parts in real life.”

Rosie also found her experience working under pressure useful when competing in the WorldSkills UK National Finals last November, where she came away with a Gold medal in the Aircraft Maintenance category.

WorldSkills UK sees competitors from all four nations compete against one another in their chosen skill category to achieve national recognition.

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She said: “Competing at WorldSkills UK made me realise just how many skills I had developed, but it also helped me build my knowledge base and expand my horizons.

“When I won Gold, my family and employer were so proud of me, and it just boosted my confidence in my apprenticeship even further. It just goes to show how invaluable my apprenticeship experience has been, with me now being the best in the UK at my skill!”

Rosie is also a big advocate for getting more women into male-dominated industries like aeronautical engineering and believes the balance is beginning to shift.

She said: “While aeronautical engineering is often perceived as a very male-dominated industry, the gender split and stigma around women in STEM is nowhere near as bad as it was when my grandad was doing his apprenticeship.

“I’ve been so grateful that during my apprenticeship at Airbus, women working within the company is commonplace that I haven’t even needed to think about it. This is how it should be, in my opinion.”

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said: “Skills and qualifications are the biggest single influence on a person’s chance of being in employment, and on them earning a good income and offering a route out of poverty and protection against it. Apprenticeships can help futureproof, motivate and diversify a workforce – offering people the chance to gain high-quality vocational skills. They are also crucial to our ambitious vision for a Wales where no one is held back.

“Apprenticeships are a genius decision, for both employers seeking to future-proof their workforces and nurture the talent that exists within Wales, and Rosie is a great example of how apprenticeships can help you progress your career and develop your skills at any time of your life.”