Aerospace Engineering students from Solihull College & University Centre were recently visited by Engineers from one of the world’s largest suppliers of aerospace and defense products – Collins Aerospace.
The four engineers spent the morning speaking to students about their aircrafts, the future of aerospace, and their careers in this highly competitive field.
Collins Aerospace will visit students again in the future to engage them in a variety of activities
Senior Specialist Electronics Engineer, Jaspreet Mann, completed her PhD in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Cranfield University. She explained the future of Electronic Propulsion to students and delved into the four basic configurations then asked students what challenges they think electric air vehicles will face.
Students were engaged in the discussion and mentioned to engineers that some of the facilities they were talking about mirrored what they have available to them at the College, such as the motor simulation. Asking a wide range of questions, from the future of aerodynamics to military involvement, input delays and emergency safety, students impressed the visitors with their knowledge and understanding.
Hayley Ridewood, Personal Tutor for Engineering, commented: “Our engineering students welcomed the arrival of Collins Aerospace to Woodlands. Many of them asked questions and were inspired by Collins Engineers’ overview of their personal journeys that led them to their success. Questions from students were well structured and linked to the engineering methods that Collins described. Furthermore, the examples that Collins gave complemented the engineering skills that the students are currently being taught. It was great to be part of this on-site STEM careers talk from a team of staff who were professional, knowledgeable, and engaging.”
The Engineers shared their career journeys and what students can expect from the industry in the future
Collins Aerospace hope to visit students again in the future and work with them on a range of aerospace engineering activities. The College is grateful to Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, Christian Easley, Electronics Technician, Rachel Healan, Mechanical Engineer, James Shane and Senior Specialist Electronics Engineer, Jaspreet Mann for lending students time out of their busy schedules. The College looks forward to welcoming them again.
Work Placement Coordinator, Sarah Rodan who organised the visit and formed the connection with Collin Aerospace, comments: “We welcome this partnership, and the Work Experience team is dedicated to inspiring students with visits from leading professionals not just in Engineering but all fields that our students hope to carve out their careers in.”
