A 21-year-old from Pembroke Dock is encouraging more girls to follow in her footsteps and pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths (STEM).

Ellie Wilson, who is the first female apprentice at SemLogistics, will complete her four-year Higher Apprenticeship with Pembroke College in Instrumentation. Having been interested in maths and science at school, Ellie is now progressing in her career after she completed a foundation degree in Instrumentation, and will progress onto an Electrical Electronics Engineering degree in September.

Ellie wants to raise awareness of her job and the apprenticeship pathway to provide positive examples to young girls in schools and show them the sky is the limit when it comes to engineering.

She said: “I was studying for my A levels when I saw an apprenticeship in engineering come up and I knew that it was the best way for me to get into the industry and learn as much as possible on the job.

“Very few people have heard of my job and few are aware of the careers available within the industry!”

“My current position involves the installation and maintaining of all instrumentation and control systems on one of the UK’s largest petroleum products storage facility. My job is predominantly field based and an integral part of my job is health and safety as I have to test all the equipment daily to make sure everything is running as it should.

“The oil and gas sector is a big industry in Pembrokeshire and I knew I didn’t want to sit at a desk all day - I wanted to be more hands on.

“As an apprentice, I’ve learned from the best; people actually working in the industry tackling real-life obstacles. There’s only so much you can learn from a book and I think the balance between theory and practical work suits me best. I can learn the skills and technical side in college and then put it straight into practice onsite.

“Because I’ve been in work and earning for a few years now I have a great quality of life, I’ve just bought my first car and I’m able to afford nice holidays.”

After winning an Engineering Apprenticeship Award (Instrumentation) at her local college, Ellie has helped them advertise engineering courses to encourage more females into the discipline.

Ellie continued: “I want to educate girls on the options available to them. The more female engineers that share their positive experiences, the more the message will filter through schools and colleges.

“Many people are still unaware of the number of careers available or the career pathways when it comes to the engineering industry and hopefully by educating society, we can introduce more females into the sector and to attract new talent.”

Helen Rogers, HR and PR manager for SemLogistics, said: “We are extremely passionate and proud of our apprenticeship programme, which offers a real option for securing the future of our skilled workforce. Apprenticeships not only benefit young people but also give employers the chance to develop future employees with actual hands-on skills and experience while gaining a qualification at the same time.

“Many of our apprentices have progressed to degree and masters level, we are very proud that Ellie will further her career path this September. We’re working with schools, government and employers to raise awareness and encourage young girls into Engineering.”

Minister for Skills and Science, Julie James, said: “Ellie is just one example of someone who has a thriving career after securing an apprenticeship. It highlights just how valuable it is to gain practical, on the job experience and how it can provide them with all the skills and qualifications they need to have a rewarding and fruitful career.

“Apprenticeships are a key investment for employers who can train their workforce in the specialist skills they need within their organisation. Overall, apprenticeships play an important role in increasing the nation’s overall skill set and driving economic growth, making sure that Wales remains competitive on the world stage.

“Over the summer, the Welsh Government is working in conjunction with training providers across Wales to highlight 1,000 apprenticeship vacancies in organisations from various sectors within small SMEs to larger global conglomerates.

“The job roles available offer all the benefits of an apprenticeship with qualifications to match, and there is a particular focus on improving technical and professional higher level skills. The Welsh Government is rebalancing its investment towards the priority areas that deliver higher returns and the range of opportunities that will be available over the summer reflect this.

“The roles available are open to people of all ages and provide access to high quality training for individuals who want to achieve their full potential. We already have a strong record of quality apprenticeships and our goal is to build on this and offer apprenticeships in sectors that drive growth and prospects of increased earning power.”

For more information about becoming an apprentice, visit careerswales.com and follow the apprenticeship link or call 0800 028 4844. To find out how your business could benefit from recruiting an apprentice, visit Skills Gateway for Business at https://businesswales.gov.wales/skillsgateway/apprenticeships or call 03000 6 03000. Also find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/apprenticeshipscymru and on Twitter @apprenticewales The Apprenticeship Programme in Wales is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund.