Inspiring Women across Defence and the Civil Service

Hello, I’m Megan and I joined the Ministry of Defence in January 2019 having finished my A-Levels the previous summer. I joined as part of a cohort of 5 apprentices, all looking to embark on a new career in the Civil Service.

The past 2 and a half years have gone by in a flash, but they have also been the most varied and exciting of my life so far. I have worked within 3 roles, across 2 delivery teams, in order to complete the apprenticeship, which over 32 months,18 of which have been restricted due to COVID, has been no mean feat.

However, for me I found the biggest challenge to be adapting to working life and the demographic of the MOD. I came straight from school where I was learning about Philosophy, to working in Defence Digital in a matter of months. I had no technical or military background to speak of and was well and truly thrown in at the deep end. So, overcoming this gap in my experience was a big hurdle for me. I think what really did assist me in this was identifying other women in roles of leadership within Defence Digital and joining the Women’s Network.

I chose an apprenticeship as an alternative route to University; it was without a doubt the best choice I could’ve made for me and my future. I urge any of you reading this who know young people due to finish school soon to talk to them about apprenticeships and what they can offer, as it truly is a career changing experience.