Millie’s Journey from Apprentice to Engineering Lecturer

During National Careers Week, we are shining the spotlight on a handful of our staff who will share their experiences of working in FE, and their passion for the sector.

Electrical Engineering lecturer Millie Mohring has shared her journey from being an apprentice to becoming a lecturer at the College’s Technology Hub.

Here’s Millie’s story in her words –

Engineers see the world differently; they see the world like a big system, how things work and not how things are. That was one of the first sentences that was said to me in my engineering class and it has stuck with me and will continue to do so throughout my career as a female in engineering.

As I was due to leave college, I was still unsure of what I wanted to do all I knew was that I had a love for physics, which had come from completing a science course in college. However, I didn’t know where I wanted to take this. Did I go to university and study physics further? Did I go to university to study engineering? Or do I take an apprenticeship? Let’s just say I was feeling pretty stumped. Luckily, I had a very supportive mum and dad, who helped me conclude what I wanted to do. They sat there night on night listening to me talk and talk before I finally decided that I wanted to apply my love of physics to an electrical/electronic engineering apprenticeship. One decision changes everything in your life, and that decision to take an engineering apprenticeship changed mine.

I first thought about teaching when I was completing my HNC. During this time, I trained apprentices and worked with people on work experience. Seeing them walk through the doors of the company having little or no knowledge of electrical engineering and watching them both grow as a person; growing in confidence every day, and developing as an engineer, is very fulfilling. The transition from industry to FE has been a massive step, after all, you are stepping into a completely different working environment. Even though I am a lecturer, every day is a school day, constantly learning new things and developing my skills and knowledge in both teaching and engineering.

Even though I haven’t been in FE for long there have been some major highlights since starting work at Stoke-on-Trent College. Seeing learners who have been close to either failing their course or leaving their course, being supported and then walking way with qualifications knowing that I have been part of that makes me smile daily. There is nothing like a learner coming to you and thanking you for the support and guidance that they have been receiving especially when they have reached their goal.

Engineering is a very male-dominated environment and to see the lack of women in Engineering is quite saddening. This is one of the reasons why I am extremely passionate about getting involved in promoting females in engineering and trying to show that engineering isn’t just getting dirty and hands-on, this is one of the things that I want to express to women as I believe it is one of the reasons as to why women don’t consider engineering as a career path. As an educational institute, we are dedicated to ensuring that an inclusive environment is present and where every student is given an equal opportunity and isn’t subjected to gender bias. I fully believe that having a female engineering teacher in the classroom has a massive impact on females in engineering. I fully believe having at least one female lecturer in engineering makes young women believe that anything is possible, even in a male-dominated industry.

NASA is the world’s leader in airspace engineering and it is where some of the most famous females in engineers started their careers. Ranging from Kitty O’Brien Joyner, who was the first female engineer at NASA, to Mary Jackson. There are also other areas of engineering where women have become famous for being the first in their field; one of which is Edith Clarke who was the first electrical lecturer in the USA. These are just a few of the many famous women in engineering, whose achievements had to be a battle to get to where they wanted to be.

I am extremely proud to be a part of the females in the engineering community and no matter what I will always strive to challenge and support learners through the engineering courses. However, females in engineering aren’t all about trying to get gender equality, it is about making sure that all females within the engineering community can reach their potential without being held back, without being subjected to roadblocks that we tend to face, finding ways where we can excel and be free to express our passion for engineering in our working or learning environment, without being afraid to do so.