My course gave me an understanding of the principles of engineering

Josie sat in a cockpit.
Josie Colclough
Repair Design Engineer, Airbus
Aerospace Engineering MEng with a Year in Industry
2016
After graduating in 2016, Josie undertook the Airbus Graduate Scheme, and was awarded Airbus Graduate of the Year in 2018.

What are your main responsibilities?

Managing daily in-service queries from airlines regarding damage to wing structure identified as outside of allowable limits. Designing repairs to metallic and composite components on the wing structure across all aircraft programs and within challenging timeframes.

Briefly outline any previous roles:

I recently completed the Airbus Graduate Scheme which involved working in:

  • airworthiness
  • in-service repairs
  • static stress
  • production repairs
  • inerting systems
  • landing gear senior management
  • a secondment at Air New Zealand.

Why did you choose to study Aerospace Engineering at Sheffield?

The course was because I wanted to work with aircraft after flying a lot with the RAF at school.

I chose Sheffield because I fell in love with the city on the open day, it was high in the league tables and as an interdisciplinary degree course, it offered more than other universities.

How did your course prepare you for your current role?

It gave me an understanding of the principles of engineering to build upon. The specifics are defined by the job role but the degree establishes an ability to understand, analyse and apply.

What is your greatest achievement to date?

I was awarded Airbus Graduate of the Year 2018!

What advice would you give to a student interested in studying Aerospace Engineering at Sheffield?

Work hard and take every opportunity given to you. You can always decide you don’t like something once you’ve tried it, but generally you don’t get the opportunity to try something more than once.

What advice would you give to a student interested in pursuing a similar career?

Work hard. Make sure you do things to develop your competences and behaviours, not just technical skills. Engineering is such a vast field, take the time to find what you like.

Three students sat at a table looking at a shared laptop screen

International postgraduate taught scholarships

We offer a generous package of financial support for international postgraduate taught students, including scholarships worth £10,000 towards the original tuition fee.

Applications are open for existing offer holders for a postgraduate taught programme starting in September 2025.