Theo Lorentzos

Country of origin: Greece

Placement: Rolls-Royce plc

I did two six-month attachments which provided me with the opportunity to experience two very different areas of the company.

I worked within the civil aerospace sector, working on engines that power planes such as the Airbus 380, where I was able to lead a team in designing a process of delivering a package of parts from the Integrated Logistics Centre (where they are delivered from our suppliers) to the Engine floor (where the engines are assembled). The process reduced work time by approximately 20% and will be adapted further.

The second six-month attachment was working in the Inventory Team, which was less hands-on than the previous attachment and more computer-based, nevertheless equipping me with alternative knowledge and allowing me to enhance my computer skills. Typical tasks included sorting out expensive surplus parts (one was as small as a tennis ball but cost £20,000+!) and either scrapping them or preferably allocating them to an alternative engine project, hence saving the company money.

The internship was a fantastic experience, and although Rolls-Royce is very much an engineering company, they take people from business backgrounds.