When I was 16, a team from Fleet Maintenance & Repair Organisation, later BAE Systems, came to my school to talk to us about apprenticeships, specifically warships. There’s something mesmerising about vast grey ships fitted with missiles and guns, so I took the application pack home.

Little did I know that that single decision would set me on a 30-year career supporting the ships of the Royal Navy.

In 1997, I began my apprenticeship as a plater/fabricator in Portsmouth. It gave me the opportunity to continue my education while learning a skilled trade on the job. Over the next three years, I worked on a wide range of platforms including CVS, Type 22/23 frigates and Type 42 destroyers, and was able to experience other parts of the business, including procurement, planning and design. It was there that something clicked: I realised I wanted to understand why things were designed the way they were, not just how to build them.

There were, of course, parts of the apprenticeship that I did not enjoy, but understanding what doesn’t motivate you is as important as discovering what does. The exposure to a large organisation and its many functions was a huge benefit, and by the time I’d completed my apprenticeship, my career path had started to take shape, and I became a design engineer.

Nevertheless, there was always a part of me that regretted not taking an academic route, but that regret became motivation. Fortunately for me, BAE Systems supports further and higher education and is filled with managers and leaders committed to nurturing and developing talent. This allowed me to build on the foundations laid during my apprenticeship while expanding my knowledge through academic study.

My journey into naval architecture began with a last-minute request to support an inclining experiment in Scotland. That week proved transformative. I found a discipline I was genuinely passionate about, and it opened the door to the career I have today. A year later, I transferred into the naval architecture team and, in parallel, began studying for a master’s degree through the MTEC programme, designed for those in employment and run by the University of Newcastle. I went on to achieve Chartered Engineer status through RINA a few years later.

Today, as a chief engineer at BAE Systems, I look around and see colleagues who have arrived here via many different routes. That variety of experience brings diversity of thought, which ultimately benefits the Royal Navy, and our wider customer base, and creates a rewarding place to work.

STEM Ambassador programme

RINA is calling on members to support its STEM Ambassador programme, connecting experienced engineers with schools and colleges to raise awareness of naval architecture among young people. Despite offering careers at the forefront of technology and sustainability, the discipline remains poorly understood by students, while the maritime industry faces a well-documented shortage of skilled engineers.

The programme is flexible, with a minimum commitment of one activity per year. Ambassadors deliver talks, workshops and mentoring, while also developing their own professional skills. Registration is straightforward via the STEM Learning platform.

Find out more

This article appeared in Members, TNA May/June 2026.