Planning for Success: How a Thales Apprenticeship Bridged the Gap to Project Management

Read the inspiring journey of Isabel Chadwick, a Project Planning & Controls Apprentice at Thales who transitioned from a background of international travel to a leadership-track role in engineering support. Now serving as an Assistant Project Manager, Isabel acts as the vital link between strategic goals and daily execution while leading the Early Careers Committee and championing local charity initiatives through Thales' generous volunteering programme.

Can you give us an overview of your role?  

For the first year of my apprenticeship, I worked in the Project Management Office (PMO). Project planners/controllers work alongside project managers to manage costs, schedules and resources, maintaining a monthly drumbeat of project reporting.

What did you do before Thales? How did you find out about us? 

After I left sixth form, I was unsure of the career path I wanted to take, so I worked as a Business Support Officer until I could move to Canada on a working holiday visa. I spent the next couple of years living abroad in America, Germany and Australia as well as Canada.

After this period, I started applying to apprenticeships and found Thales through an online apprenticeship site. Like most people, I hadn’t heard of it previously, but gained a good impression through research and the application process. I have now been with Thales for a year and a half, and have moved from a project controller role to an assistant project manager role. I am developing all the time, and know I will progress further in the future through the support of the people around me.

Why is your current role important? How do you add benefit to your team?

My current role as an assistant project manager is important because I serve as a bridge between the project’s strategic goals and its day-to-day execution. I add benefit to my team through my attention to detail, effective communication and proactive support.

Have you volunteered before?

When I joined Thales, I was very impressed at the quantity of volunteering hours available to early careers – 80 hours per year in your first two years. I have definitely made the most of them, organising opportunities in my first year for my peers and I, and forming new relationships with local charities. Notably, ten of my colleagues and I ran the Great Manchester Run for The Wellspring in May 2024, sponsored by the Thales Community Investment Fund.

I have also been part of the Early Careers Committee, first as a Social Impact Rep and now as Chair. This opportunity has escalated my development in many ways, and I am incredibly grateful for it.

What do you enjoy most about working at Thales? 

The most important aspect of a job for me is the people I work with. I genuinely enjoy my role at Thales because of the supportive and collaborative colleagues I interact with every day. They are always willing to lend a hand when needed, and it's inspiring to work alongside so many talented individuals from whom I can continuously learn.