Leonardo creates a welcoming and supportive environment to ensure everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential
As a high-performing student, Elin was looking towards university to continue her education before being diagnosed with dyslexia just before her A-Levels. This led her to reassess the career path that was best for her
Taking your first steps
“While taking my GCSEs, my school was encouraging me to go to university, taking me to conferences in London and events at Oxbridge. My grades for were good enough and as it was seen as the right thing to do, I was ignoring the signs that a traditional way of studying may not be the best choice for me.
“It was at this time that I was diagnosed with dyslexia. The diagnosis affected me hugely—I believed the stereotype that this meant I was stupid and not able to achieve what I wanted. It really affected my mental wellbeing and I began to suffer chronic migraines resulting in my doctor writing a letter to say I could not take my A-levels.
“However, as I learned more about my condition, I discovered the support available and realised that I did not have to deal with it by myself.”
After a break, Elin completed her A-levels at Luton
College and while there, she had the opportunity to participate in work experience at international aerospace and defence company, Leonardo. The company has more than 500 people on training schemes at its seven sites across the UK.
“I felt I was having the time of my life learning about engineering and meeting new people. We were looking at design, soldering things, and the whole week inspired me.
“By then I knew that university wasn’t for me, and I worked full-time for two years; however, I still dreamt of becoming an engineer with no idea of how I was going to do it. I couldn’t go back to full-time education as I was already earning and I didn’t think it would suit my learning style. As I had enjoyed my time at Leonardo, I decided to look into the apprenticeships they offered and they almost seemed too good to be true.
“I could go to college one day a week to get professional qualifications, and then apply everything I learnt to my job, which would reinforce my knowledge and keep me engaged and motivated—and I would still be earning an income! It was the perfect solution to start my career and achieve my dream job as an