Jodie Manning has taken full advantage of the breadth and opportunity offered by her apprenticeship at Airbus, building experience across multiple aircraft programmes and business areas. 

Throughout her apprenticeship, she has completed placements in Design, Manufacturing Engineering and Quality, gaining exposure to lineside, compliance and project-based teams.

Her development has also been shaped by experience across different Airbus sites, including a month spent supporting wing engineering on the Final Assembly Line in Toulouse. 

This placement provided insight into end-to-end aircraft production and strengthened her understanding of how engineering decisions translate into manufacturing outcomes.

Engineering in Practice

Jodie is currently working within the Plant Engineering Team in Broughton, where she is contributing to improvement modifications to wing structure design. 

Alongside this, she has supported work to address production disruption and capability issues to increase production rate capability. She has led investigations into the root causes of design issues and presented technical overviews to senior stakeholders.

Alongside her practical experience, Jodie has completed a degree in Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering with Swansea University, balancing academic study with increasing responsibility in the workplace.

Championing Apprenticeships and Continuous Learning

She has also played an active role in promoting Airbus and apprenticeships more widely, supporting STEM outreach and meeting with MPs to discuss apprenticeships within the engineering sector. 

In addition, she has helped manage and deliver outreach strategies and events, representing Airbus and encouraging young people to consider careers in engineering.

Throughout her apprenticeship, Jodie has developed confidence and capability, supported by regular feedback from managers across the site. Balancing multiple tasks and deadlines has strengthened her time management, while handling challenges independently has further developed her problem-solving skills.

For Airbus, Jodie’s apprenticeship has delivered huge value. As her manager notes, “Jodie’s drive for new learning has revitalised the internal mentoring culture, encouraging senior staff to sharpen their own skills to keep pace with the apprentices’ progress.”

This has helped create a supportive and sustainable mentorship cycle, strengthening collaboration and ensuring the continuous transfer of knowledge across the team.

Jodie’s experience demonstrates how ambition, responsibility and a commitment to continuous learning can deliver lasting benefits for both the individual and the business.