Paul, MDP Graduate, Manufacturing Project Engineer (UK)

Paul - UK GraduateI graduated from the University of Sheffield in BEng Aerospace Engineering and joined the MDP program in September 2010. I’m currently working at AETC’s Nozzle Guide Vane facility in South Leicester, UK.

The transition from university to a real manufacturing facility has been a great experience so far.  I was given tours by various members of staff and got a fast immersion into the operation.  In fact, South Leicester was a perfect starting point for me within PCC.  My father is a competition pilot, and I grew up around airfields. Now I get to see the intricate process of manufacturing nozzle guide vanes for jet engines, as well as for industrial gas turbines (which are essentially the same as aerospace engines but bigger!).

 Guidance and support from the managing director of the facility and other senior staff have been massively beneficial to my professional development. I’ve been given the independence to tackle real issues at the facility on my own, and, after three months, I have already proposed several cost-saving improvements, one of which is predicted to save more than £15,000 ($22,000) in electrode usage in the EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) process, which erodes complex shapes into parts.  

Despite being in my first rotation, I was thrown right in at the deep end and had to learn quickly how to communicate my progress and ideas effectively with senior staff.. In a sense, my job is like a private investigator, capturing evidence and solving problems, with numerous epiphanies along the way that have advanced my projects and have given me new and valuable perspectives. Not only is the job technically challenging, but it is also highly stimulating. A person with the tenacity and determination to succeed will flourish in this high-profile programme. It is both demanding and rewarding. PCC is a company that makes its name from continuous improvement, and this Management Development Program is a testament to that.