Jess Herbert was inspired by the BLOODHOUND Project to become an engineer and at the end of 2016 she was named runner-up in the 2016 EEF Future Manufacturing Awards in the South-West, following the successful completion of her apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce. She’s also one of our valuable team of BLOODHOUND Ambassadors. This is her story.
Becoming a BLOODHOUND Ambassador was, for me, one of the easiest decisions I have ever made. How else are you able to get involved with one of the most exciting engineering challenges on the planet, spread the passion and enjoyment of engineering and inspire the next generation of STEM students all at the same time?
Why BLOODHOUND?
The BLOODHOUND Project was, and still is, what made me fall in love with engineering – it took me from an aspiring marine biologist who knew far too much about sharks and dolphins to someone who took apart calculators and radios just because I wanted to see how they worked, and then became a technical engineering apprentice with Rolls-Royce in 2013.
Without the support and enthusiasm of the team and the excitement of the Project I would never have been able to do even half of what I have achieved over the past four years and as an Ambassador it was my opportunity to give back to the Project and help to spread the bug for engineering further.
“I want to say a huge thank you to the BLOODHOUND team; firstly for giving me the inspiration to become an engineer – something I would never have considered until I was introduced to the project – and secondly for all of the support, encouragement and help over the past three years of my apprenticeship. I am 100% sure I would never have achieved even half of what I have done without BLOODHOUND and hope that as an Ambassador I can help to spread the inspiration and passion for engineering that the project has given me. Having just received my professional registration with the IMechE, I’m looking forward to the future challenges of my first full-time role at Rolls-Royce and will of course be following the Project all the way”
Why be an Ambassador?
It’s not often you’re given the opportunity to shape the future or inspire the next generation, and there’s nothing more gratifying as an Ambassador than hearing that you have helped or inspired someone to get into engineering!
As an Ambassador I have attended a number of events, from the 1K Club through to the Bath & West Show and Royal International Air Tattoo, spreading the story of BLOODHOUND and showing people how engineering isn’t all oily overalls and blocks of metal.
I’ve also done a number of talks and presentations to schools at careers events, telling my story and showing what projects like BLOODHOUND can do for people like me. I even featured in an article for the Telegraph Online and as a case study for the Apprenticeship Levy. The experiences I undertook as part of my apprenticeship were all possible for me because of the Ambassadors that first inspired me in back in 2008, and every great achievement of my career to date has been made possible because of BLOODHOUND.
Being an Ambassador, to me, is being able to work with a whole network of like-minded people to showcase and spread the passion for engineering across the country. It’s being able to let people’s imagination run wild and challenge the impossible, and it’s watching the excitement grow as a group of students race their rocket car for the first time. Most importantly, it’s knowing that you have contributed to the BLOODHOUND experience and, perhaps, have in some way inspired the next generation of amazing engineers.
Find out more
If you are inspired by Jess’s story and would like to find out more about becoming an Ambassador, visit the Ambassador’s pages on our website.
