Engineering Modern Apprentice Louise takes career to new heights
The sky’s the limit for aerospace employee Louise Collins, who is helping her business save millions and boost productivity.
Louise is an integral part of GE Aerospace, where she was named its 2023 Apprentice of the Year for her cohort.
The 22-year-old from Kilmarnock impressed executives at a global level, when her process improvement Kaizen team initiated over $1million in annual savings by streamlining waste management processes and reduced delivery turnaround from 60 days to 48.
As a STEM ambassador, Louise has devoted over 80 hours to volunteering in schools and helps drive GE’s women’s network.
Louise said: “My confidence has skyrocketed through my Modern Apprenticeship – it has given me so much.”
Louise joined GE in 2022 and took an Aircraft Engine Overhaul Modern Apprenticeship at the Prestwick firm, where she overhauls GE’s GEnx engines.
In her role as an apprentice overhaul engineer, Louise works as part of a team to disassemble, inspect, clean, repair, assemble and test jet engines. She rotates through each part of the overhaul process to understand the business and gain knowledge of the parts, their engineering function and each individual team.
Louise said: “My communication and problem-solving skills have improved during my apprenticeship. I’ve gained more independence and I’m always developing. A Modern Apprenticeship is a pathway into the career you want.”
Described as a strong female role model who drives change, Louise is passionate about encouraging young people to enter aerospace, especially women.
She said: “It’s important to me to help inspire the younger generation and spark interest in the industry.
“I didn’t have access to opportunities which assist in the process of reaching a positive destination after school finished.
“We didn’t have many career events at school where businesses would come in and talk to us and do things like mock interviews. It shows pupils the pathways into jobs and to meet the people doing them. You never know where it could lead you.”
Louise is also making an impact in GE’s women’s network and has established new links with local women’s charities to raise awareness of societal issues in Ayrshire. She invited South Ayrshire Women’s Aid to deliver training to GE staff while the company has supported local fundraising initiatives, including one for Ayrshire Baby Loss.
Louise said: “It’s a good support system for women in the company, where they know there’s always someone there to talk to.
“It is a male-dominated industry, but more and more women are coming through. We have network lunches, catch-ups and sessions like mental health training.”
Louise’s dream of working in aerospace was fuelled in childhood, when she’d travel on family holidays.
As a teenager, she was interested in becoming a pilot and enrolled in several flying lessons while at school before researching local aerospace companies and apprenticeships.
Louise studied on the Performing Engineering Operations Aeronautical Engineering programme at Ayrshire College where she was hired as an apprentice by GE.
In her spare time, Louise loves to travel and gets particularly excited when she flies with an airline that powers its aircraft with the engines that she overhauls.
GE has supported the career ambitions of more than 350 people since introducing apprenticeships in 1980.
Apprentice Coordinator at GE, Aidan McIntyre said: “Apprenticeships support our long-term strategy by developing future leaders and specialists from within the organisation.”
Modern Apprenticeships and apprentices are made for business, developed with employers to provide skills in demand. They are jobs open to anyone aged 16 and over who wants to work, learn and earn.
Modern Apprentices spend most of their time learning in the workplace while being supported by a learning provider, like a college, to gain an industry-recognised qualification.
Louise, who was also was named Apprentice of the Year at the Ayrshire Business Awards 2024, is thrilled to be nominated in the Modern Apprentice of the Year SCQF L6+ category at the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards. Louise said: “Being a finalist is amazing, I’m so honoured and proud to be part of GE.”
Aidan said: “Louise’s development has been incredible; she has embraced everything her apprenticeship has to offer and significantly improved her confidence across her practical and meta skills. She is a proactive and valuable member of our team.”
Caroline Gillies of learning provider Ayrshire College said: “Louise is well-respected and an excellent representative for Modern Apprenticeships, GE Aerospace and the STEM sector as well as the wider community.”
The winner of the Modern Apprentice of the Year SCQF L6+ category will be revealed at the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards, which takes place on 27 February in the run-up to Scottish Apprenticeship Week (3 to 7 March).
Find out more about the award finalists and the event by visiting apprenticeships.scot.