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alumnus returns to placement company as a Graduate Industrial Engineer

alumnus returns to placement company as a Graduate Industrial Engineer

Published: 14 Mar 2023

Matt Price

Brunel provided the opportunity for me to go on an industrial placement during my course, which gave me a wealth of experience and aided in my continued employment with the company.

Matt, Undergraduate, Alumni

Graduate Industrial Engineer, Leonardo

Mechanical Engineering with Aeronautics BEng - 2017

From UK

Tell us about your career journey since you graduated…

I returned to the company where I completed my Industrial Placement during my university studies. Having been enrolled on the Graduate Scheme I have taken part in transnational activities involving graduates from the company's Italian sites as well as the other UK sites. I have also had a wealth of exposure to working closely with senior engineers from all sorts of disciplines.

What does an average day at work involve for you?

As an Industrial Engineer it is my job to aid in the development of new products and support their transition into production as well as supporting existing production lines. Leonardo work closely with the UK MOD to produce airborne systems that protect both the pilot and the aircraft from threats they may encounter.

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

So far there have been several highlights in my career. Travelling to RAF Coningsby to repair equipment in the Typhoon Maintenance Centre and seeing the Typhoons practicing manoeuvres has been the biggest highlight so far. Travelling to HMS Scotia in Scotland and practicing abandoning ship in a swimming pool in full wet gear was also a lot of fun.

How would you say Brunel helped you to get where you are today?

Brunel provided the opportunity for me to go on an Industrial Placement which gave me a wealth of experience and aided in my continued employment with the company. The Professional Development Centre helped me with my CV when applying for placements and helped me with the assessment centres and interviews.

Why did you choose to study at Brunel and why would you recommend Brunel to others?

Brunel was suggested to me by a teacher during Sixth Form who talked about the ‘Made in Brunel’ exhibition that is held every year. When I discovered that Brunel was also a leading university for engineering I aspired to go there. It is that fact that would lead me to recommend Brunel to others.

What is your best memory of studying here?

Of all the lectures over my four years at Brunel, the flight mechanics lectures, taught by Dr Alvin Gatto, were always a favourite. In addition, the free language courses offered by Brunel to students allowed me to take up Italian which is currently aiding me in my career working with Italian colleagues.

If you could give one piece of advice to new students, what would that be?

The pieces of advice I would give are; to make the most of every opportunity and learn from those opportunities as best you can. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because that’s often when you learn the most and study hard because you never know when you might need it.

What would be your top tip or advice for new graduates as they begin their career journey?

Soak up as much information as possible, no matter how insignificant it seems; that information may help you later. Take risks because now is the time to make mistakes and to learn from them. Be professional in the way you work because you never know who is looking out for you.

#IamBrunel