Profile
Lucy Houghton
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About Me:
When I’m not at work I enjoy getting out into nature, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking and scuba diving. I also love dogs.
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My pronouns are:
She/her
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My Work:
I’m a manufacturing engineer which is basically someone who’s responsible for putting all the tools, equipment and processes in place to enable people to make the product, in my case engines.
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My role is all about making the product as quick and easy to put together as possible, ensuring that quality and safety standards are kept to.
Part of this involves automation for the boring, repetitive jobs or jobs which pose a safety risk to people. So in other words, I get paid to buy and play with robots!
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My Typical Day:
My days can be very different, sometimes I’m at my desk most of the day, other days I’m on so floor working on improving the process and equipment and some days, I get to play with robots!
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My day can vary, on average through the year I’m deal based 70% of the time, and on shop floor or visiting equipment suppliers the other 30%.
Usually I start my day checking up on emails to make sure I’m up to date, when there issues or delays I’ll then pick up the phone and call around to make sure we have a plan on how to solve the problems.
Some days I’ll head straight to shop floor because I know there’s a new product being built which I need to check is going together well, or there’s some new equipment I need to test, or problems I need to fix with current products and equipment.
I’ll typically spend a few hours each week on CAD – either modelling some new tools to be printed on our 3D printer, checking over the latest design releases of the product and making sure we’ll actually be able to make them, or working on our area layout in 2D CAD to fit in new equipment or minimise the amount of time people are wasting walking from one machine to the next.
Other times I’ll be preparing and delivering presentations or in meetings discussing how the business is getting on and what we can do to make it even better.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I’d use the money to make a “build your own engine” kit. This kit would be taken to schools for careers fairs and able students to interact with scale parts of an engine, learn how they’re put together and can also be used as a talking point for older students on the mechanics of an engine.
I’d love to take a real engine to schools but unfortunately the 500kg+ ones we make at JCB wouldn’t fit in my car, and the parts hurt too much if you drop them on your toes so a working plastic scale model would have to do.
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Education:
GCSES & A LEVELS at
Queen Elizabeth High School, Gainsborough
Degree at Sheffield Hallam University
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Qualifications:
GCSES:
Maths – A*
English language – A
English literature – A
Design & technology -A*
Biology – A*
Chemistry -B
Physics – A
Spanish – A
History – A
Business and communication systems – A*
ICT – Pass
Religious studies (short course) – C
Preparation for working life (Short course) – B
FSMQ (level 3 – free standing maths qualification) – B
A levels:
AS Physics – D
Psychology – B
Product design -A
Maths – B
Bachelor’s Degree of Engineering (BEng) in Manufacturing Engineering –
1st class with honours
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Work History:
Retail assistant:
Seasonal work over the Christmas period at the Fragrance Expert
JCB degree apprenticeship:
3-8 month Placements in Design, Quality, Electric & Electronics, Manufacturing Engineering, Environment & Sustainability, and a workshop placement to build practical skills
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Current Job:
Manufacturing Engineer at JCB Power Systems
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Employer:
JCB
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Detailed, tenacious, interested
What did you want to be after you left school?
An engineer
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Nope - goody 2 shoes here
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Marine conservation engineer
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Otis reading
What's your favourite food?
Chocolate
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Dive the world, have a dog, see my friends more often
Tell us a joke.
"I don't trust trees you know" "why not?" "Because they're shady"
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