A BAE Systems apprentice has won a prestigious national engineering award.

Kaylee McIsaac, plant maintenance site and facility electrical engineer at BAE Systems, was honoured with the Large Employer Apprentice of the Year award for her commitment, innovation and skills at the prestigious Enguity Skills Awards.

The national awards ceremony took place at the Park Plaza London Riverbank and was attended by leaders from across the UK’s engineering and manufacturing industries. 

Kaylee impressed the judges with her resilience, having lost her father 18 months into the apprenticeship; her superior skills and extracurricular activities she has taken on.

The electrical engineer contributed towards the design of BAE systems’ new Academy for Skills and Knowledge, a new campus at the University of Cumbria and a vocational training centre on the site of several vacant retail spaces in Barrow.

"My apprenticeship has benefited me in so many ways,” she said. "It has helped me become a more proactive person, thinking outside the box, stepping out of my comfort zone, and always taking on new opportunities.

“I have a lot of different ambitions. A lot of people feel like this is a male-dominated industry and I have tried to break that by talking about my story since joining BAE Systems.

“It means the absolute world to win this award because it would help me show young girls in the community what females can do in a craft apprenticeship.”

The annual event was hosted by Enginuity, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to finding new ways to close U.K. engineering and manufacturing skill gaps.

Gary Miles, early careers development leader at BAE Systems, said: “Kaylee was an easy nomination because ever since I interviewed her, she has dedicated herself to getting the maximum out of her apprenticeship and giving the maximum amount back in terms of being involved in everything from recruitment videos to being the Vice Chair on the Apprenticeship Council.”