Maddy Pennock; Engineering Apprentice at LBBC

I’m Maddy Pennock, I went to Pudsey Grangefield School from 2014 – 2019. When I left Pudsey Grangefield School, I was 16 years old. I now work at LBBC Technologies, as an Apprentice Mechanical Design Engineer.

Why did you choose to do an engineering apprenticeship in what could be perceived as a male dominated environment?

Although engineering is viewed as a male dominated industry it doesn’t mean that it has to be.  Just because I am a girl doesn’t mean I’m not good at working in engineering, anyone can go into whatever role they feel best for them. Males can be dancers or hairdresser or makeup artists, it’s all about what sparks your interest. I chose to be a design engineer as when I discovered what it entailed, I liked the sound of it, and I was interested by the job.

What do you like best about your role at LBBC Tech?

I really love my job. I have an amazing line manager and a great team. Everyone who I work with is willing to help me with any college work, or any work that I don’t understand. It’s one big family at LBBC. It’s also good that through my apprenticeship I’m learning while I’m earning money. 

What’s your greatest achievement so far?

My greatest achievement though my apprenticeship was achieving my personal achievement award with the apprentices of the year at APPRIS. This was a big thing as it was unexpected and showed how hard I had worked.  I also thing that a great achievement of mine was passing my level 2 foundation competence. This is the qualification that you learn to use milling machines and lathes, when I was at school I would have never of thought that I would have been able to make components using a lathe or a milling machine but now I can use them.

What plans do you have for the future?

In the future after I’ve finished my apprenticeship, I would like to do a degree. I think it’s a good next step to take and will not only benefit me but benefit others as well as I will have a better understanding of aspects in my job role.

Why would you choose to do a degree after your apprenticeship rather than do a degree before you started work?

When I was at school the steps were 6^th form then university. And while at school I didn’t think that I would be smart enough to do a degree, and I didn’t have a clue what in. I’ve always worried about my writing, and I always thought that writing at university level wouldn’t be something that I would be able to do. I also don’t think that I would have had the drive for it in that route. However now that I am more settled into my job and after speaking to people who have taken the university route, I’ve learnt that you can specialise in what you are good at. I’ve also learnt that by doing university it will open up a lot of opportunities within my job. And I think now that I have an idea of what it will entail ill have a better drive to complete it. I also think that by doing my job for 4 years, I will have a really good base knowledge that will set me in good stead to complete university.

Any last words of wisdom?

Apprenticeships are an amazing opportunity to consider, learning and earning on the job. And you should choose your job on what sparks your interest not what gender you are.

If you would like more information about apprenticeship or training opportunities in West Yorkshire, please visit our Employment Hub page.