Rolls Royce : My Experience of being a STEM Ambassador at...

Wednesday, 22 April 2020

My Experience of being a STEM Ambassador at Rolls-Royce

Charlie Stanley, Project Management Degree Apprentice, explains why he loves being a Rolls-Royce STEM Ambassador

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My name is Charlie Stanley. I am a Project Management Degree Apprentice and I joined the company in 2018. I joined Rolls-Royce after completing my A-Levels at a local school where I was an attendee of multiple STEM events. I have a vivid memory of the first STEM event I attended, which was hosted by Rolls Royce when I was in Year 6. It was this that sparked my passion for STEM and Rolls-Royce. The event was a lesson on the simplistic science of forces on an aircraft, and paper-airplanes were used to demonstrate the effects of drag and thrust on an aircraft.

This experience helped me develop a fascination for aerospace and the memory lasts with me until today. Whilst in Sixth Form, I was an attendee of many STEM careers fairs and presentations, as I was very eager to find out more about apprenticeships. Hearing other apprentices describe their experiences inspired me to pursue the career I have. Because of this, when the opportunity for becoming a STEM ambassador arose, I immediately applied and completed all the necessary training in order to inspire students in the same way that I had been previously.

My first experience of a STEM activity was through the Sheffield University Technical College: hosting tours for students at Rolls-Royce's site and attending career events. Showing students around Rolls-Royce and seeing their eyes light-up when they see our engines, test beds and other facilities is truly humbling and gives me an undeniable sense of pride in the company I work for, and what I represent. Seeing this excitement and passion from the students for what we do showcases to me that being a STEM ambassador really matters.

After completing this, I decided to continue my STEM journey and successfully applied for the role of Team Leader for the Derby Grammar STEM Outreach Project. Through the utilisation of project management academia learned from my university studies, I was able to demonstrate relevant skills within the STEM network. Leading this project with likeminded colleagues has given me experience of running projects in a completely different environment to what I am used to. Again, seeing the passion of both the students and teachers for Rolls-Royce's STEM project really showcased the importance of the STEM programme and how appreciative the community is for the work we do.

Through my experiences within the STEM community, I have been inspired to undertake new challenges during my time at Rolls Royce; such as public speaking and customer interactions.

I truly believe that if we can reach our 25 million people interaction goal, we will see a vast, positive development in both the company's diversity and innovative culture.

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