b'WoodwardPrestwickmaintainsthemajorpartsof anaircraftsfuelsystem.KnownasaMaintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre, it serves customers acrossEurope,theMiddleEast,AfricaandAsia. Themanufactureofnewproductsandindividual parts is carried out at Woodward HQ in Illinois. Most of the employees at Prestwick are trained technicians, many of whom started out as apprentices. KirstyAPPRENTICE Q. What do you like best about being TO TECHNICIAN a technician?Kirsty Harvey joinedA.Itsreallyhandsonandtheres Woodward as an apprenticeagreatvarietyoftasks.Plus and is now a fully qualifiedWoodwardisafantasticplace towork.Eventhoughwhatwe technician. doisreallyresponsible,theres Q. Why did you become nopressureonus.Woodward an apprentice? look after their staff and are very sociable,alwaysorganisingdays A. After school I tried different things,out and parties! but wasnt on a proper career path. ImQ. What opportunities does a hands-on person and liked the ideaWoodward offer?of engineering, so decided to aim for an apprenticeship. I went to collegeA.Thetwomainonesare for a year and completed an SVQ inqualificationsandtravel.Ifyoure Performing Engineering Operations.doingwellandworkinghard, While I was there, I had the chance ofWoodwardarehappytoletyou work experience at Woodward. At thecontinue your education. A number end I was offered the post.of staff are studying for qualifications Q. Whats Woodwardsjust now. Then there are the trips to apprenticeship programme like? the States. All new product training happensatWoodwardHQ,just A. I really enjoyed it. I spent the firstoutsideChicago.Fourofuswent twoyearsmovingthrougheachover for two weeks to learn about the segmentofthebusiness,soaswellGEnx engine which goes on the 787 as the workshop, I got to experienceDreamliner. It was a great experience. sales, stores, receiving and shipping,Q. What are your future careerEVERY TWO engineering and the main office. It was good as it gave me anunderstanding ofambitions? SECONDS, AN how the business works.A. I want to stay at Woodward and onceIvegotmydegreehopetoAIRCRAFT Q. Is it difficult juggling workand college? work in the Engineering departmentTAKES OFF whichcarriesoutinvestigations A.No,itsgoodtohavethemix. into faults and leakages. WoodwardCONTAINING I started with an HNC in Mechanicalhasgivenmethecareerpath Engineering.OnceIdfinished, I wanted, and Im going to see howCOMPONENTS Iimmediatelygotatechniciansfar I can go.job, but I went back to college forDEVELOPED BY an HND. Now Im doing a BEng onday-release at UWS. WOODWARD INC.26'