Engineering Undergraduate

Ram Bhadresa

Engineering

Placement (10 Months+)

AgustaWestland

What made you apply to AgustaWestland?

As a third year undergraduate studying for an MEng in Aerospace Engineering at Queen Mary University of London, I decided to complete a year in industry at a prestigious Aerospace company to gain practical, hands on experience for my final year of university and beyond. I chose AgustaWestland because it is unique amongst Aerospace companies in the UK as the Yeovil site is involved in all stages of the product life cycle from conceptual design through to flight testing.

What were the highlights of your job?

I initially spent six months working in Lynx Structural Engineering where I was involved in stressing aircraft components using Finite Element software and hand calculations. During my second three month placement in Flight Test and Aircraft Performance, I gained an appreciation for helicopter performance analysis methods and assisted with flight tests on the AW159/Wildcat and AW101 helicopters. Finally in Production Support Engineering where my main responsibility was to issue repair instructions for damaged aircraft panels for EH101 Merlin aircraft.

What did you enjoy most about your placement / internship?

I enjoyed the varied nature of work within each department which required knowledge of a broad spectrum of engineering disciplines ie structural engineering, aerodynamics and aircraft stability and control. The opportunity to work on the whole product range in such a short time frame is one of the main advantages of the undergraduate programme and the Yeovil site is involved in all stages of the product life cycle from conceptual design through to flight testing.

How has this placement / internship affected your career prospects?

I wanted to use this industrial experience as a first step to gaining Chartership with the Royal Aeronautical Society. As a result of the mentoring and resources provided by AgustaWestland, I have a framework on which I can build following completion of my studies. This has been excellent for my professional development and, when combined with the opportunities in the workplace, the year has been both extremely enjoyable and worthwhile.

What advice would you give to someone planning their placement / internship

Apply to organisations you are genuinely interested in working for and tailor your application accordingly. You need to be able to demonstrate during the application process a genuine desire to work for the organisation to whom you are applying, above and beyond the university course you are studying. Think about what else you have to offer and talk about it. Your motivation needs to be more than just securing a placement. Stand out from the crowd.