November 2022
Precious’ Story
By Precious Gagu Mowo
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Precious Gagu Mowo
Budding fighter jet technician
Precious joined University College Birmingham with a specific goal: to learn the skills she would need to become an air technician with the Royal Navy.
Flying the flag for female engineers, she is now learning advanced skills including hi-tech robotics in the labs at our engineering and digital training facilities for college and degree level students at Camden House.
Precious, whose great-grandparents were both in the British Army, even got to demonstrate the equipment to show employers and key stakeholders the future of engineering to aid regional manufacturing growth during her very first term.
“For a long while, I’ve wanted to be an air technician in the Navy, working on fighter jets, helicopters and air carriers,” said Precious, who attended John Wall Catholic School in Handsworth and whose family are originally from Zimbabwe.
“I studied engineering at school and public services at college, but then decided to go for it and do a course which will provide a route to my dream career.
“I love to travel, so the Navy would be perfect for me, I could even consider going into marine engineering, which works with different types of compressors.”
Precious’ course, part of the engineering, digital and sustainable construction curriculum at University College Birmingham, is designed with employers and in such a way that students can go straight into a career as a production engineer with the likes of BMW or Siemens when they finish.
Or, uniquely, they can go from a Level 3 to higher education at the same institution, regardless of background, and on to top jobs in the field.
Precious said she chose University College Birmingham because of this, but also because of the facilities and exciting opportunities.
“The facilities here are great and I am getting to work on pneumatics and air compressors that are similar to what I will be working on in my job,” she said.
“I’m also looking forward to going to different events as part of my course, working with big companies and visiting employers at their factories.”