Roxanne Pollard — a mechanical design engineer at Gloucestershire-based engineering company Renishaw (www.renishaw.com) — has been awarded the TATA prize, which is given to the highest-achieving part-time student at the University of Wales.

Ms Pollard joined Renishaw in 2010 as a technical apprentice in Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, completing an HNC and an HND before starting her degree course.

She went on to complete a Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of South Wales while working at Renishaw four days a week.

Throughout her studies, she helped to develop new metal additive-manufacturing (AM) machines to streamline the AM process and improve the end results.

Ms Pollard said: “When I was at school, I thought university was the way forward.

Before starting at Renishaw, I completed my A Levels and even had a place at university but I decided that an apprenticeship would suit me better, as I wanted to ‘get stuck in’ and gain practical experience.

"During my time at Renishaw, I have not only completed a full honours degree but also worked on cutting-edge projects. This has built my confidence and improved my practical skills.”

Chris Pockett, head of communications at Renishaw, said: “There is a misconception that apprenticeships are simply an alternative to university.

"However, around 70% of Renishaw’s apprentices go on to achieve full honours degrees, developing their academic abilities at the same time as gaining practical hands-on experience.”

Ms Pollard won several awards for her A level project — an innovative bicycle safety helmet — and she represented the UK at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles.

She has since become a Freeman of the London Livery with the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers and was Apprentice of the Year at the Gloucestershire Women in Business Awards in 2014.