Career Progression: Sophie H | Moog

Moog Apprentice Sophie started at Moog Aircraft Group straight after finishing school at age 16, inspired by the advertising for apprenticeships she’d seen during her time at Tewkesbury School.

As part of the Test Equipment department, Sophie ensures that each test rig is perfectly calibrated – a crucial part of Moog’s product development process.

“I’m more practical, so I wanted to leave school and do something more hands-on,” said Sophie. “And in Test Equipment, I get to do a bit of everything – from maintenance to calibration, and working with both electronics and hydraulics.”

As Sophie is currently in training, her schedule is fairly set, with structured plans and learning opportunities: “I’m currently on calibration, so I come in and get all the equipment ready before we go out on the rig. I make sure that the rig is available for us, and then we start the calibration.

“The rig tests servo valves before they go out to the customers, so they perform a number of tests to make sure that the valve that’s been made passes for the customer. In calibration, we have to make sure that the rig is up to date and gives the correct values ­– it’s a really important step in product development,” Sophie explained.

In her first year at college, Sophie was awarded ‘Most Improved Apprentice’ from a group of 100 students, and is keen to keep studying. “At the moment, I’m doing my HNC and NVQ Level 3. During my day, I’ll take photos of what I’m doing to write up for my college work.

“Moog are really supportive, and everyone’s willing to help – it’s such a friendly environment,” said Sophie. “Once I finish my apprenticeship, I’ll hopefully have a job here at Moog in the workshop, repairing or helping to make test rigs. It’s been a fantastic opportunity so far.”