Five Minutes With… Lois Harris Sep 6, 2019| Gente de BisleyPremios People come first at Bisley and we understand that employees are what makes a company great. As a result, we’ve started a new series called ‘Five Minutes With…’ to share the stories of our Bisley colleagues and allow you to get to know us a little better. Lois Harris is a Product Development Engineer here at Bisley. She recently won Engineering Apprentice of the Year Award, so we sat down with her to find out more about why she thinks the apprenticeship route is the one to take… What does your role involve? I currently work in the Design Team and my role involves product development on various product ranges, including BLF, SystemFile and BOB. I am also known as the ‘lock guru’ and provide technical support on the various locking solutions to the Sales Teams, Design Engineers and final assembly. What do you enjoy the most about your role? I enjoy being able to work and learn about the wide range of products that Bisley manufacture. I also love problem solving and thinking about how a product can be improved or simplified, whether that be to benefit our manufacturing processes or the customer. You recently won Engineering Apprentice of the Year Award, congratulations! How did that feel? Thank you! I was really shocked to find out that my college tutor had nominated me for this award again, so winning was unexpected to say the least. It was great to have won the award and be recognised for my hard work. I was also proud to represent Newport and District Group Training Association and Bisley because I think they’ve offered a great Engineering apprenticeship opportunity – not only for me, but for all the other apprentices as well. What advice would you give to someone who is leaving school and considering whether to apply for an apprenticeship? A-levels at college and a degree from university is not the only way to progress. So often in school, you are made to feel like this is your only choice, but it’s not for everyone, and not necessary for all industries. In engineering for example, employers are really eager to find people with practical experience. Following the apprenticeship route, I have gained my formal qualifications and developed practical skills and techniques needed for my job. My advice would be to apply for as many apprenticeships as you can - they can be hard to come by, but get your applications out there and gain experience from doing interviews. Where do you see your career developing? Do you have any aspirations? I am due to start my degree course in September, which is BEng Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, which I am really looking forward to. I enjoy my current role and I’m learning so much through my apprenticeship, so I would like to continue as far as possible - maybe I’ll even do a Masters one day! What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Outside of work, I enjoy playing netball and just generally being active. I play netball for Blackwood Netball Club, and I have also recently started running; completing four 10k races this year. I also enjoy camping and travelling, and I hope to visit Canada and New Zealand in the future.
