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| Six years after joining Airbus, Jenny became the first woman at her site in the UK to become a primary operator, a role that sees her verifying the work standards of 100-plus colleagues working on the long-range aircraft programme. Jenny clearly relishes the challenge offered by her job and enjoys working with colleagues to monitor and improve quality on the production line. |
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| What persuaded you to take up a career in engineering and how has Airbus supported you in developing your career? I had always wanted a job in engineering and when I left school at 16, I decided to take an apprenticeship. Airbus was, and still is, the best company where I live, so I was delighted to be offered a chance to work here. I initially completed a three-year apprenticeship, and there was an additional week-long training course to reach the role I’m in today. The course was quite intense but there’s a lot of training on offer to help you with aspects of the job such as using computers or the SAP document management system. The support in Airbus is very good and I had a lot of help at every stage from people here, particularly the team leaders and managers who guided me through. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? As a primary operator, I am responsible for checking operator’s work and ensuring that they are working to the appropriate standards. If there are issues with quality on any of the panels, I will identify the fault with something known as a ‘concession’. In my job I also have responsibility for coaching other operators and developing their skills. The variety of my job is especially satisfying. It is also rewarding to know I am in a job that allows me to develop a career and progress in a large company that builds exciting products. The job always keeps me interested. Has it made any difference being a woman in what is traditionally a male-dominated industry? Engineering still is a very male-dominated area and I’m very proud to be the first female primary operator at my site. I regard that as a great achievement for me and Airbus has encouraged me to get there. But I get treated no differently from the other men in the factory, which is the way I believe it should be. What would you say to other women to encourage them to choose engineering as a profession? Times are changing and more women are moving into engineering. It’s a rewarding career and there are lots of vocational qualifications to be gained while you are working. I understand how some women may be discouraged from thinking about engineering, but I haven’t encountered any problems here at Airbus. People are treated equally and there are the same opportunities and support for men and women to progress in their careers. |
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