Maria joined the Reliance Precision Apprenticeship Scheme after achieving A-levels in English Literature, Psychology and Product Design. Whilst not typical subjects for someone wanting a career in engineering, Maria credits her creativity and inquisitiveness of wanting to know how things work as drawing her towards the industry. Maria was also a member of the Air Cadets which gave her exposure to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities from a young age.
Researching apprenticeship opportunities locally, Maria came across Reliance on social media and asked if she could visit the organisation to understand more about the work they did. She decided to apply because liked how diverse the company was in terms of industries and products it made. She also felt there was potential for different career directions in the future.
Maria began her first year in the Apprentice Training Facility learning how to use the various machines, before progressing to a business-wide rotation in Year 2. Her third and fourth year were spent in the Standard Products and Integrated Solutions department as an Apprentice Technical Engineer. In this role she was involved in various long-term product development projects and provided support to the team responsible for the technical aspects of Reliance’s range of standard products. She updated SolidWorks drawings and generated new product drawings, where necessary. During her third year, Maria received The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) West Yorkshire Local Network (WYLN) 2021 Award for Student Excellence. She was nominated by her tutors at Kirklees Engineering College for being an all-round stand out student. In 2024 she was nominated by her colleagues at Reliance for the Apprentice of the Year category at the West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards.
Maria completed her apprenticeship and immediately began working towards Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship in Product Design and Development which she will complete in 2026. This is a 4-year course taught at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) – a world class facility that is partnered with the University of Sheffield. She will gain a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Mechanical Manufacture. In 2025, Maria was successful in her application to become a Mechanical Design Engineer as part of the Engineering department. In this new role, she will design mission ready and process critical components and sub-systems for Reliance’s customers.
