Take off without uni

Apprenticeships will give you wings

HAPPY LANDING Madeline working on wartime bomber

Madeline Whiting’s working life took off when she started her apprenticeship in conservation engineering two years ago – she spends her days lovingly restoring and taking care of vintage aircraft for the RAF Museum in Cosford, Shropshire.

“At the moment I am working on the little remembered Second World War Hampden Torpedo Bomber. This one crashed and has been hiding in a corner of the museum needing some attention,” says Madeline, 19.

One day a week she attends college. In her first year she did fabrication and welding, and now she is working on manufacturing engineering.

Madeline explains: “The conservation work I do is so niche, but the qualifications I get will give me access to other engineering roles. Not that I want to stop this.

“I love it with a passion, but it is a very small job market. At school, I couldn’t decide whether to pursue history or engineering – now I do both. It couldn’t be more perfect. I feel I am doing something valuable.”

When she’s not at the museum workshop or college, Madeline is often in London at the RAF Museum in Hendon.

“Whenever aircraft have to be moved we are called in as the wings and tails need to be removed for transit and that requires specialist skills.”

Wherever the planes go, Madeline is likely to go too. In recent months she’s been to Bahrain, India and Norway. Not bad for a teenager who stopped doing her A Levels after one year.

Madeline says: “I didn’t want to go to university and looked at apprenticeships. When I saw this one on the official apprenticeship website I couldn’t believe something so spot-on for me could exist. I was so happy when I got offered it. It has been so worth it.”

Jobfairs 500+jobs