Laura McEwen

"‘Coordinator, ‘Manager’, ‘Quality Controller’ is a pretty accurate way to describe my current role as a Lean Specialist. My job is to coordinate groups of people to identify areas of waste. Waste being anything that the customer is not willing to pay for and trying to remove or reduce as much of that waste as possible. Waste can come in many forms; time waiting for tooling, movement of engine components, doing more to the part than what the customer wants. "

"Make positive changes to the business to improve process time and remove cost from the business. It is an exciting and energetic role to be in. I have been in several roles in my career so far and by far this is the best. I love the feeling of playing my part to make things better & easier; this role gives me that opportunity on a daily basis. I enjoy working with the mechanics to help enable them to make the changes. It is a highly satisfying role. "

"I started off as an apprentice with GE Caledonian in mechanical engineering; this was the best start to my engineering career. Earning money and learning hands on skills and obtaining academic qualifications all at the same time. I have my Dad to thank for this, as he encouraged me to apply. Once I qualified, I worked as a mechanic in the gearbox area and then engine assembly. This is where I learnt so much about engineering and tried to take in as much advice and knowledge from the more experienced mechanics. I will be forever grateful to these guys, as they were so patient with the apprentices and seen it as their responsibility to make you the best mechanic you could be. After several years, I wanted to challenge myself to use my knowledge and experience by moving into an Engineering role; problem solving and decision making across the full facility whilst working shifts. This is the role where I have learned the most. It was a very demanding role which involved having good time keeping, organisational and communication skills. An opportunity arose where the company were looking for someone to look after the apprentice program. I feel passionate about the Apprenticeship Scheme, so I felt I could bring my technical knowledge and enthusiasm to this role. I managed the sites apprentices by working with our local college and qualification regulators. It was a fantastic role and great to work with the companies newest employees and help to kick start their engineering careers. Before my current role, I worked in the Planning Department, coordinating the engine inductions into our facility; working with the airlines. It was a very data analytical role, which was good for me to learn as I felt it was an area of my career that I was weak on. I like to try and identify where I lack experience and challenge myself to embrace it and learn. "

"I like to travel with my husband and 2 young children. We are currently trying to visit as many countries in Europe as possible. I also like doing science and engineering experiences with my children out in the garden. And we have two dogs called Rusty and Ruby that we like to walk out in the countryside. I have run the New York Marathon, cycled from London to Paris and carried the Commonwealth Baton for my STEM work within my community. "

"A typical day for me would be preparing for or kicking off an Action Work Out event in an area of our engine overhaul facility. Somewhere that components are queuing for a long time to get processed, or it is taking a long time to process them (this could be removing them from an engine, cleaning, inspecting, repairing, or installing them back on an engine). We would analysis data, draw out the process steps and then take action! This could be through re-laying out the area differently, introducing new tooling or equipment, creating better ways to present engine components to the mechanics to make it easier for them to find the parts. But whatever changes we make; they must work for the mechanics and be compliant to our aviation regulations. "

"NC, HNC, HND – Manufacturing SystemsHC, HND – Mechanical EngineeringSVQ level 2, 3 – AeroEngine OverhaulPDA – Assessment Using Direct and Indirect Method"