Hull teenagers secure top engineering apprenticeships with Airbus, Jaguar Land Rover and the Merchant Navy

Ron Dearing University Technical College students Scarlett van Raamsdonk Will Nickolds and Joshua Wormald have secured roles with the Merchant Navy, aerospace giant Airbus and car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover.

Scarlett will spend three years as an engine cadet in the Merchant Navy fleet attached to global cruise line MSC Cruises as part of a three-year engineering degree apprenticeship.

She will be based in the vessel's engine room and will also carry out ship's watches following five months of initial study at a marine school in South Shields.

She said: "This is my dream job and I’d love to work up the ranks and become a chief engineer in the future.

“My dad is a marine engineer and I travelled and lived on ships until I was four years old, so my whole life revolved around that and I wanted to go back to it.

“I don’t think I would have had this opportunity if I hadn’t become a Ron Dearing UTC student. They have helped me so much with my CV and helped me to stand out from the crowd. I’m so excited.”

Will, 17, will begin a four-year engineering degree apprenticeship at Airbus Defence and Space, a division of the world’s largest airline manufacturer, in September.

Based at the company’s UK headquarters in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, he will be involved in mechanical analysis work for a range of space missions including the ExoMars rover searching for life on Mars, as well as global telecommunication satellites for phones and television. His course will be accredited by Lancaster University.

He said: “I’m over the moon to have this opportunity, as I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in engineering. Aviation and space has been my lifelong passion and I used to go to air shows with my grandad, who was a logistics man in the Royal Air Force.

“Ron Dearing UTC has opened up a whole world of opportunity for me and I’ve gone from building remote control drone planes in my back garden to doing something professional. They’ve given me the guidance and knowledge to progress.”

Joshua, 18, will move to Coventry to begin his four-year electrical and electronic engineering apprenticeship at Jaguar Land Rover.

His role will include programming electronic systems and designing electronic circuits and safety systems for the company’s luxury vehicles.

Joshua said: “Ron Dearing UTC has high expectations of its students and they treat you like an adult and as equals, which sets you up for life and helps you prepare for work.

“Jaguar Land Rover is an amazing place to work and I’m really excited to see what the future holds.”

Ron Dearing UTC, in Hull city centre, opened in 2017 and is an employer-led school that caters for students aged between 14 and 19 and has a specialist focus on digital technology, creative digital and engineering. Partners include local employers KCOM, Reckitt and Siemens and the sponsor is the University of Hull.

Senior assistant principal Kathy King said: “We’re really proud of all our students and the diverse pathways and destinations they progress to, whether it be university, apprenticeships or other.

“At Ron Dearing UTC, it’s about more than just the curriculum. It’s the information, guidance, support, training and additional skills provided by our employer partners, our personal development programme and the huge focus on employability skills alongside the students’ studies.

“With Joshua, Scarlett and Will, they’re covering land, sea and air, and these are fantastic examples which demonstrate employer-led education works.”