At just 17 years old, Rosie Boddy made a bold decision to leave her hometown of Farnborough and relocate to Broughton in Flintshire to pursue her passion for the aircraft industry. With a strong family background in aviation—her mother works in the industry and her grandfather was an aircraft engineer for the Red Arrows—Rosie was inspired from an early age. Now, she is set to represent Wales as part of Team UK at the prestigious WorldSkills competition in Lyon, this September.
Rosie’s journey into the aircraft industry began when she accepted an Airbus apprenticeship in North Wales. The move was a significant step for a teenager, but Rosie’s determination and enthusiasm for hands-on learning made the transition smooth. She chose the apprenticeship route over traditional university education, believing it would provide the practical experience necessary for a career in engineering.
"I had always thought about university as the next step; however, I always knew I wanted something a little more hands-on that was going to give me real-life work experience, which I think is ideal for engineering," Rosie explained.
Settling into her new environment at Airbus and Coleg Cambria, Rosie quickly made a name for herself. In her first year, she was introduced to skills competitions and, despite not medaling initially, she was undeterred. Her perseverance paid off in 2022 when she returned to the WorldSkills UK finals and won the gold medal in aircraft maintenance.
This victory led to her being invited to join the UK squad, where she underwent intensive training to prepare for the WorldSkills competition in Lyon in 2024. Reflecting on her time in the squad, Rosie noted, "The training you receive by just being part of squad UK is second to none; you would not be able to get this training anywhere else."
Throughout her two years with the UK squad, Rosie competed against highly skilled individuals, participating in several milestone events that showcased her talents and ultimately earned her the spot to represent WorldSkills UK internationally.
Rosie’s career has also evolved significantly during this period. She now serves as the Technical Training Officer at Coleg Cambria, where she influences and inspires the next generation of learners and apprentices. Rosie’s transition to this role was driven by a desire for new challenges and the opportunity to mentor others.
"I wanted a bit more of a challenge and something new, and it has been really exciting and rewarding to be someone's role model and see learners develop. As an apprentice, it has never been a role I associated myself with, but going through this process, I realised how much I enjoyed helping others and seeing them learn," Rosie said.
Rosie Boddy’s journey from apprentice to educator and competitor is a testament to the transformative power of skills competitions. She will compete at WorldSkills Lyon from September 10th to 15th, joining over 1,400 learners from more than 65 countries. To follow Rosie’s progress and the competition, follow @iseinwales.
For those inspired by Rosie's story, Skills Competition Wales offers a starting point with 58 different competitions to choose from.
More information can be found at inspiringskills.gov.wales.