Rachel Barrett

"Rachel agrees with being the ‘Service provider’ type as her work supports other teams to ensure that ships systems work correctly and are safe at sea. A lot of the work that Rachel does is electrical fault finding and testing, she is methodical and organised and this role really fits with her ‘Quality Controller’ personality type. She is persistent and practical which is evident from her determination to be an engineer despite having started in a career in music! These are good skills to have when it comes to finding faults as she needs to understand how everything works and to keep going until she finds what is wrong."

"Rachel is an electrical engineering apprentice for the global engineering company BAE Systems which provides defence, security and aerospace equipment and services. She now trains and works on ships in navel dockyards all over the UK. Rachel has the job of testing and commissioning the electrical equipment on new and refurbished ships. She may be researching or preparing drawings in the office, or she could be spending time fault finding and testing if something is not working correctly. She often goes onto the ships to investigate what is happening, to check on the work, and to solve problems. It is an important role as she must make sure that the ship will operate correctly and be safe at sea.Rachel loves being in a job that she really enjoys and seeing ships every day. She likes not being in an office all the time. She even has the opportunity to go to sea, as well as travelling to other dockyards.Electrical Engineers can earn from £20,000 to £60,000 per year when fully trained and experienced."

"Rachel took an unusual route into her present career. She worked in hospitality and catering and then did a degree in music! While studying for her music degree, Rachel worked at an electronics company to support herself. She so enjoyed the work that she decided to change her career from music to electronics because she wanted to do something she really enjoyed.Rachel applied for an apprenticeship with BAE systems, starting at Level 3 and then moving to Level 4. Her employer paid for all her training so she could work and study. She has been inspired by one of the female senior managers within BAE who has a good work life balance with a fantastic career and a family. Rachel is looking forward to having opportunities to study more and to progress in her role. "

"When she is not at work, Rachel enjoys singing, reading and swimming. She also likes to go out and to spend time with her friends.Rachel says that she always has her nails painted, even when she is working on engines or electrical systems!"