GA Journeys: Esmée Wragg (Plexus)

Esmée Wragg is a 2nd year Graduate Apprentice on our Engineering Design and Manufacture (Electronic) programme. She is part of the Functional Test department at one of our key employer partners, Kelso-based Plexus. Discover how she has gone from a school leaver to an award-winning apprentice.

Esmée found out about the Graduate Apprenticeship scheme while still at school. She heard about the opportunities at Plexus on the radio and at careers fairs. And at the end of fifth year, she got the good news that she had been provisionally accepted on to the apprenticeship programme. In this blog Esmée shares her experience so far on her Graduate Apprenticeship journey.

Can you tell us a bit about your current role?

Currently I work within the Functional Test department and work alongside the test engineers in my team. In team we ensure that all higher level assembly products are working to the correct standard and are fit to be shipped out to customers.

In my position I help maintain, debug and repair the test equipment for multiple customers, and work alongside the calibration team to ensure that all equipment is within calibration and fit for use. I also write guidebooks / instructions on how to carry out test procedures for our operators and occasionally train them to use the equipment. Alongside this, the team have some improvement projects that we undertake in our spare time to try and improve test processes and debug lead times.

What was it about the Graduate Apprenticeship that appealed to you most?

The most appealing thing about the apprenticeship for me was being able to work and study at the same time. I get to do a job which is hands-on and interested me whilst working toward a degree in the same timescale as a traditional degree. Plus, I could earn money and have gained four years of work experience alongside it.

I felt I had got everything I could out of school by the end of fifth year, so the option of still being able to progress to a degree as well as be working a full-time job was like winning the jackpot for me!

How have you coped with balancing work and studies?

I feel I have coped well with balancing my study and work life. It is difficult at times and not for the faint hearted but I have managed. It can be challenging at busy times in the workplace to fully focus on my studies but I am given a day off a week to study as well as my on campus day. My colleagues are very understanding and accommodating of the fact that I need to study and give me extra study time when I feel I need it.

What is your proudest and achievement and how has it helped you in the workplace?

My proudest achievement to date is winning my company's Apprentice Of The Year award in December 2024. This impacted my working environment as I became less worried that I was not contributing enough or should be doing more to help the team and as a result I am now more confident in the tasks I carry out but still ask for help when it is required.

Has the Graduate Apprenticeship enabled you to take on additional responsibilities?

My apprenticeship has really helped my confidence and this helped open up opportunities in the workplace. For example, I have joined the Women in Network committee where I have met lots of new people from different departments and sites. I am currently preparing to run a workshop with a few other members of the WiN committee about body image. If I had not taken the apprenticeship route I would not have had an employer who could offer me this opportunity and help me spread information and become part of a group with my co-workers.

What support has your employer and the Uni given you in your GA journey?

Plexus has been supportive of the Graduate Apprenticeship programme by giving apprentices a day of study on top of our university day as well as supporting me though my work-based mentor. My mentor works in the same test team as me and helps me find projects within the workplace that relate to my university work as well as giving me time to do my university work.

The university has also supported me and my class mates through being flexible when we have an especially heavy workload and putting on extra labs and sessions for us so that we can get as much as possible from our day at university.

What is your dream career in the future?

My future career goal is to move to America and work within the space industry. Preferably I would like to work at NASA but Space-X or other private companies would be good too.

This has been my dream since I was 8. If I had undertaken a traditional degree I would have completed a robotics degree and looked for jobs within the space industry closer to home and tried to work my way to America within the industry.

By taking the Graduate Apprenticeship route I have a few more options. As Plexus is a global company I am hoping to apply for a test position in one of their American sites (when one is available) once my degree is complete, from here I will work in the American factory for a few years until I have the skills to be able to apply for a job within the space industry.

How would you sum up your overall experience of your GA journey so far?

Overall, the Graduate Apprenticeship scheme is an amazing opportunity as I have learnt so much in just over a year working at Plexus. I got to learn all about the factory's workings and processes in the first year and then moved into a permanent department in test engineering where I learn new things every day.

I have a hands-on approach to all that I do and carry out real world tasks that are helpful and impactful to the team. The study aspect has been fascinating. The courses are really interesting and are quite hands on as well so the normal lecture set up is kept to a minimum. With the on campus day I also get the social aspect of university life meeting my class mates once a week. Remote learning is also available which can be useful in bad weather. I now have some good friends and enjoy our weekly catch up in our lunch break.

The GA scheme has been truly life changing for me as I have really opened up and come out of my shell. People have told me I was like a different person after just a week in the programme. I was so much happier than I had ever been before. I feel like a new person and I am looking forward to a future in the programme and beyond.

Inspired by Esmée's story?

If you've been inspired by Esmée's journey and would like to find out more about our Graduate Apprenticeships, visit our website.

Alternatively, contact the Graduate Apprenticeships team on ga@hw.ac.uk.