Published: Mon 9 Feb 2026
Engineering the future of apprenticeships: UK apprentice challenges misconceptions after winning national prize
Southampton engineer Rachel Donaghey who won the Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices at the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards, is looking to change the long‑standing misconceptions about apprenticeships and highlight the value of skills-based engineering pathways.
Southampton engineer Rachel Donaghey who won the Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices at the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards, is looking to change the long‑standing misconceptions about apprenticeships and highlight the value of skills-based engineering pathways.
Rachel, now a Service Introduction Manager at National Air Traffic Services, plays a critical role in UK aviation by managing the safe introduction of new systems and equipment in a 24/7 operational environment.
Her rapid career progression, including a promotion just four months after completing the NATS Graduate Scheme, starts from a foundation she built during her Professional Safety Management apprenticeship, which she says gave her the confidence, soft skills and industry experience that set her apart.
Growing up, Rachel heard the same stereotypes that many young people still face:
“People assume apprenticeships are for electricians or bricklayers or are not a real qualification,” she says. “No one tells you that you can do a master’s-level apprenticeship in engineering. When I finished university, I had no work experience beyond retail. My apprenticeship changed that.”
Rachel believes apprenticeships should be seen as equal to university pathways, not a second choice.
“Young people aren’t always told the full picture,” she explains. “Apprenticeships give you experience, industry networks, qualifications, and financial stability. You’re earning and learning. If I had to choose again, I would pick my apprenticeship every time.”
Alongside her work, Rachel is a passionate advocate for neurodiversity in engineering. She openly speaks about her dyslexia and actively works to challenge perceptions in aviation. As a volunteer with the Equal Skies Charter, she helps drive sector-wide improvements in accessibility and inclusion. She also contributed to the planning of Destination Equal Skies, an annual industry conference focused on sharing best practice in equity, diversity and inclusion.
Rachel hopes her story will encourage more young people to consider apprenticeships as a first‑choice pathway into engineering, particularly as misconceptions remain widespread.
Many students are still told that apprenticeships are “less academic” or only lead to trade roles, even though modern engineering apprenticeships can run to master’s level and offer direct access to complex, high‑responsibility work.
New research highlights the strength of these alternative routes. Analysis from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) shows that young degree apprentices earn an average salary of £36,785 just one year after completion, higher than even degree‑holders who graduated ten years earlier, demonstrating the strong early‑career earning potential apprenticeships provide.
For Rachel, this evidence reinforces what her own career has shown: apprenticeships deliver real‑world experience, industry‑ready skills and financial stability at a time when young people are increasingly concerned about rising living costs.
She believes more students would choose apprenticeships if they were given the full picture, and she hopes her visibility as an IET award winner will help shift perceptions.
The IET has current Apprenticeship opportunities and how to apply.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About the IET
- We inspire, inform and influence the global engineering community to engineer a better world.
- We are a diverse home for engineering and technology intelligence throughout the world. This breadth and depth means we are uniquely placed to help the sector progress society.
- We want to build the profile of engineering and technology to change outdated perceptions and tackle the skills gap. This includes encouraging more women to become engineers and growing the number of engineering apprentices.
- Interview opportunities are available with our spokespeople from a range of engineering and technology disciplines including cyber-security, energy, engineering skills, innovation, manufacturing, technology, transport and diversity in engineering.
- For more information, visit www.theiet.org.
- Follow the IET on LinkedIn and Instagram via @TheIET / @InstitutionofEngineeringandTechnology.
Media enquiries to:
Megan Stearn
Senior Communications Executive
E: meganstearn@theiet.org