Caitlin Stuart

"As an apprentice Caitlin is learning whilst she is employed. Her logical and organisational skills help her to carry out her role, especially as she has to balance her studies as well. Being creative supports her design work – she really is a ‘Developer’ type.Being the ‘Communicator’ type is a really important skill for Caitlin’s role as she needs to communicate her designs so that they can be produced and fitted on site. Caitlin feels these types describe her well because she works to time frames, and has to communicate well and be organised whilst still keeping the work detailed."

"As a Building Services Engineer, Caitlin designs the electrical services in buildings. This can include lighting, small power systems, fire alarms and high-level power. She prepares her designs by hand and on a computer in the office, as well as doing calculations and attending meetings. She will also go to building sites to oversee her designs being installed, and to ensure they are fitted correctly and work as she designed them. Caitlin gets to travel to amazing sites, as well as to Troup Bywaters and Anders offices all across the UK. Caitlin initially completed an advanced apprenticeship before moving on to her current studies at degree level. As a degree apprentice Caitlin is continually learning her role, and her company pays for her training. She goes to university to get her degree one day each week and she is about to start her fourth year at university. Building Services Engineers like Caitlin can earn from £20,000 to £50,000 per year."

"Caitlin’s dad is an engineer and she was always interested in what he did. She took A-Level Engineering at school and her teacher encouraged her to follow an engineering career path.Caitlin went straight into this apprenticeship after completing her A-Levels and is now in the fourth year of her degree in Building Services Engineering. She did two years at South Thames College and as she achieved high grades was able to move straight on to the degree apprenticeship, Caitlin is currently in her sixth year of her overall apprenticeship journey.She has had all her university fees paid by her employer and is earning a salary at the same time! Caitlin won the WISE Apprentice of the Year Award in 2015, she says she was really proud of this and hopes that she can inspire more girls to be engineers just like her."

"Caitlin likes to spend most of her spare time in the gym or relaxing with friends and family. She also enjoys exploring new places both in the UK and abroad. Caitlin likes to play the piano and she is also a qualified makeup artist – not things you might imagine an engineer to be doing! Caitlin’s employer has offered her the chance to go on to do a master’s degree with their support, and she would really like to do this and eventually become a partner in the company."