“I wanted to show that you don’t necessarily need a university degree”

Growing up, Thomas Wakefield CMgr MCMI always wanted to be an engineer. 

“Aerospace engineering in particular really excited me,” he says. “It was the whole excitement of working on planes and for the likes of Airbus or BAE Systems.”

He opted against the traditional university path, pursuing a BTEC and an NVQ Level 3 in engineering instead. In 2017, he began an apprenticeship in aerospace engineering at Teledyne CML Composites. 

“I wanted to show and prove to people the fact that you don’t necessarily always need a university degree. You can do it through practical experience,” Thomas says.

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After three years as an apprentice, Thomas was offered a job as continuous improvement coordinator, a role in which he was responsible for continuous improvement projects across multiple UK sites.

“I’ve always wanted to take a complete view of the processes involved,” he explains. “I never wanted to be confined to just one area. I thrive in roles that offer variety and new challenges.”

“It felt right…”

Thomas achieved his Engineering Technician qualification through his apprenticeship, and after a bit more experience, he achieved the status of Incorporated Engineer. “I knew straight away that I wanted to become a Chartered Engineer,” he says.

It was when he started the process of becoming a Chartered Engineer that he was told about CMI and the possibility of becoming a Chartered Manager. During his application to become a Chartered Engineer, he spoke to a professional registration advisor, who mentioned CMI. 

“It felt right to pursue the Chartered Manager accreditation first, especially since my role involved managing various projects and leading teams. It aligned perfectly with the management aspect of my work,” Thomas says.