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Internship at Lincad – Gemma Bland

Gemma Intern

Five questions with Gemma Bland, an engineer undergraduate at The University of Surrey, who has joined Lincad for a 12 month internship.

Q: What is Lincad’s connection with The University of Surrey ?

Lincad partnered with The University of Surrey’s engineering faculty a number of years ago for its in-house internship scheme.  I have completed two years of my electronic engineering degree and am now in my third year work placement.  I have an interest in software engineering and particularly the defence sector. Lincad specialises in the manufacture of defence batteries, chargers and power management systems, so I felt it was a good fit.

Q: How long is your Lincad internship and what will it involve?

The internship is for 12 months within the Lincad engineering department.  I will be working on real software engineering projects within the Lincad engineering team.  This is what is so exciting for me – I am actually doing real work and learning every day.

Q: Were you always interested in STEM subjects?

Yes, at school I excelled in STEM subjects and knew from an early age that I wanted to be an engineer. After my A-levels I accepted my place at The University of Surrey.

Q: Would you say that you are a firm advocate for greater diversity in engineering and want to encourage more women into careers?

More women should look to follow engineering careers. I encourage more young women to consider engineering careers. I truly believe that the schools need to do engineering career talks earlier in the curriculum. In my school we had various engineering career advice talks around our A-levels and by that time most students already have an idea of what career path they want to follow.

Q: What advice would you give young women looking to pursue a career in engineering?

I would suggest they look at a work placement because this way they can experience engineering first-hand and perhaps get exposure to the variety of engineering opportunities. There are many forums on the internet containing lots of information about engineering careers. Women should feel confident to apply for any engineering job they wish to pursue.

Please click here to view/download the full PDF interview.