Roxanne Pollard (pictured) studied her A-levels at The Link Sixth Form, near Yate, Bristol, where she discovered her passion for product design. She joined Renishaw in 2010 as a technical apprentice in mechanical and electronic engineering, completing an HNC and an HND before starting her degree.
She then went on to complete a Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of South Wales while working at Renishaw four days a week. Throughout her studies, she helped develop new metal additive manufacturing (AM) machines to streamline the AM process and improve end results.
Says Pollard: “When I was at school, I thought university was the way forward. Before starting at Renishaw, I completed my A-levels and even had a place at university.
“I decided that an apprenticeship would suit me better than university, as I wanted to get stuck-in and gain practical experience. During my time at Renishaw, not only have I completed a full honours degree, I’ve also worked on cutting-edge projects. This has built my confidence and improved my practical skills.”
Adds Renishaw head of communications Chris Pockett: “There is a misconception that apprenticeships are simply an alternative to university,” explained. “However, around 70 per cent of Renishaw’s apprentices go on to achieve full honours degrees, developing their academic abilities, at the same time as gaining practical hands-on experience.”
First-class Renishaw engineer awarded university prize
1 min read
A mechanical design engineer at Gloucestershire-based engineering company Renishaw has been awarded the TATA prize, which is given to the highest achieving part time student at the University of Wales.
