Technology Global Graduate

Tom joined the GKN Aerospace Graduate Programme after multiple internships and research projects with the company. Focused on technology, his rotations have spanned Composites, Automation, Manufacturing Engineering, and running his own digital transformation project in the Netherlands. He’s had mentoring, leadership coaching, and represented GKN Aerospace at major airshows. Passionate about digital and simulation technologies, Tom plans to start his career in this field and eventually move into more strategic or technical management roles.

What attracted you to the GKN Aerospace global graduate programme?

I’ve been in and out of GKN Aerospace for several years now. I did my master's degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Bath, which included a 12-month internship in Additive Manufacturing at GKN Aerospace in Bristol. Then, the following year I did another six-month research project at GKN Aerospace, followed by my master's thesis doing research for the company.

So, I was in and out repeatedly throughout university, and I loved the work I was doing. I knew the global graduate programme was very attractive, so it was a no-brainer to apply, and thankfully, I was accepted.

What was the application process like?

There was an online interview, followed by a one-day assessment centre, which included group exercises with other candidates, and a role play exercise to see how you performed in a high-pressure situation. Lastly, there was a one-to-one interview.

In my interview, because I'd interned in the Technology function, I said I wanted to continue in R&D. Luckily, they said they’d make it happen, so I became a guinea pig – trying out various opportunities as the first global graduate dedicated to the Technology function. As a result, I’ve had complete freedom to propose which rotations I wanted to do, and I've had the support of my manager to make it happen.

If you show that initiative here, you can really get the best out of it.

What was your experience of joining the global graduate programme?

In the summer before I started, I had an online call with the manager I was going to be reporting to. He explained a little bit about the team I was joining, what they do, and gave me some pointers for any pre-reading that might be useful.

On day one, all the UK graduates assembled for an HR induction, getting an overview of the company, and a bit of info about the global graduate programme itself. Then the following week, I started at the Global Technology Centre (GTC) in Bristol.

We also had a two-week onboarding with the entire global cohort. This involved lots of personal development, but the big benefit for me was getting to know all the other graduates on such a personal level. It’s not something I’d expected, but I'm really pleased to have had the opportunity. I’ve made some really great friends – for example, I've just come back from a holiday in Sweden where I stayed with a graduate I met through the programme.

What placements have you experienced?

I'm really excited by research and development and that's what most of my experience of the global graduate programme has been.

In some placements, such as composites or digital, I've had more knowledge and experience in that field, so I could offer my opinion in meetings, work independently, and have ownership of parts of work packages. For example, on my international placement in the Netherlands, I effectively ran my own digital transformation project at the GTC in Hoogeveen. I built it from the foundation upwards, scoped it, planned it and delivered most of it.

Other placements were more of a learning opportunity. One was heavy on robotics, and I don't have a robotics background. It's highly technical and very challenging, so I was in more of a supportive role, shadowing the teams' experts.

My final placement is in Manufacturing Engineering, and upon finishing I'm planning to join the Digital & Simulation Technology team. They research new digital tools that we can use to enhance our processes, and that's the direction I see all of our manufacturing heading. That ‘future’ aspect is what I'm really passionate about.

What support and development have you had through the global graduate programme?

I've had at least one person in each placement who has managed and supported me during that rotation, and has continued to support me afterwards. Also, the programme includes a lot of coaching in areas like implementing change and influencing others.

My mentor has helped me with personal development – I'm working towards chartered engineer status and since he's been through that process, he has been able to guide me along that path. I've also completed my APM Project Management Fundamentals qualification, and I’m a trained facilitator for our internal Lean/Continuous Improvement methodology: the “Brilliant Basics”.

I have also represented GKN Aerospace at public events such as tradeshows in Paris and Hanover, and a highlight was working at the Farnborough Air Show in 2024. I was part of a small team who were demonstrating our technologies to visitors, which was an incredible experience. I met a lot of senior management from GKN Aerospace, and spoke to government officials, military personnel, and high-level customers.

What are you looking forward to for your future career?

My first permanent job will be in Digital & Simulation. Hopefully, I will get to combine my hobby and my degree into the same role, which is really cool. I think at some point, it would be interesting to move into more of a strategic position – not necessarily working in the technical details, but thinking about the bigger picture. Either that, or a technical management position, leading packages of work, I think that would be a long-term goal for me.