Rachael Johnson, Student Engineer Engineering, design and technology - student stories

Why did you choose Engineering?

I researched a lot of careers at school and engineering presented itself to me as a really interesting career that there were not enough women progressing a career within the area. And I couldn't see a reason why. It was exciting, it was challenging and I really, really wanted a job that encompassed all of those areas.

So after doing research about engineering I decided at the age of 17 to leave school and to go on a modern apprenticeship. I felt I wanted to be an engineer, but I also wanted to be somebody who could guide people.

What will you do next?

Ideally once I've finished my Bachelors in Engineering, I want to then move onto the Masters in Engineering. My aim and what it has been for quite a while, is I would love to be a Chartered Engineer.

What plans do you have for the future?

I want to be one of the leading females within engineering, within our company. I can then go and promote it to some of the younger people that are coming up the ranks within the company. I can hopefully go out to schools and try and encourage some of the younger females, before they've made their career decisions, that engineering is a viable option for them.