We have been contacted by a freelance journaliust who is looking to write an article.
The article is about Tilly Shilling who started out her career as an aeronautical engineering apprentice in the 1930s - one of the early few! The reporter wants to bring the article up to date by including some material from a current, or recently completed, female engineering apprentice, ideally an aeronautical engineer. It would be nice to give the article a 'then and now' angle. Tilly worked on Merlin engines, which were Rolls-Royce engines for fighter pilots during the war, so a Rolls-Royce apprentice would be nice, but not essential. Likewise, Tilly worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), an early forerunner of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, from 1936 to 1969, so if you are working for DSTL that would be good also, but again, not essential!
The questions are as follows:
· Can you explain a bit about your apprenticeship and what is involved, including what projects you worked on?
· What was your route into your apprenticeship and what inspired you to follow this route?
· Can you briefly describe what your current role involves?
· Do you think attitudes to female engineering apprenticeships have changed over the years? Were you outnumbered by male apprentices in your placement? How does it affect you or is it not an issue for you at all?
· Do you see yourself as a role model for girls and women seeking a career in engineering? Are you involved in any activities or programmes to help inspire the next generation of women engineers?
If you would like to get involved in this fantastic article, please contact me at womensnetwork@theiet.org
Kind regards,
Jo
