Dilani Selvanathan – Alumni Profile

21 June 2022

You studied a degree apprenticeship at Queen Mary in BSc Digital and Technology Solutions (Software Engineer) which allowed you to study part-time whilst working for the BBC as a Software Engineer Degree Apprentice. Why did you choose this route as opposed to a traditional undergraduate degree route? 

During my A-Levels I did a BTEC in Engineering and I really liked the practical nature of it. I was drawn to a degree apprenticeship as I knew I would gain hands-on experience whilst actually implementing the theory I was learning at university, in real life. There were many other benefits such as working for a well-known company like the BBC, attending a Russell Group university, having my degree paid for, and numerous opportunities for professional development such as workplace training. On a personal level, I also knew my family wouldn’t be able to support me through full-time university, so the degree apprenticeship route was perfect for me.  

I recently won the Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices provided by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and this means I have a year-long reign, a big following, and access to lots of opportunities and volunteering requests.

How did you first discover that degree apprenticeships existed and what was the application process like? 

In year 12 I attended an insight course relating to computer science and I visited the BBC where I heard the experiences of female software engineers, one of whom was doing a degree apprentice. At the time the degree apprenticeship scheme was relatively new, and it was so interesting to hear her story and the exciting projects she had worked on. She helped me realize that apprenticeships are not for lowly performing students, which was a misconception I had been led to believe by friends, family and teachers. The application process was similar to a job application and involved an online or phone interview and then an in-person interview.

How did you find the experience of working part-time alongside your studies? 

It was difficult initially as I was plunged into a work environment for the first time after full-time education. You also have less time to immerse yourself in the social side of university life as your spare time is filled with university work and independently researching things at work that you haven’t encountered before so that you can contribute to your team and get the most out of your apprenticeship. For example, I had to watch a lot of coding tutorials at home which ate into my family time. However, having a planner helped me establish a routine and balance work and university deadlines. It can be hard to balance everything, but if you are organized, hardworking and you like a challenge, then a degree apprenticeship is right for you, and you will find a way to juggle everything. For example, I managed to take part in various student societies at Queen Mary alongside my studies, such as the Tamil Soc society, the Robotics Committee and the Aerospace society. 

What did you most enjoy about the theoretical side of your degree apprenticeship? 

The lecturers were really supportive, and I was assigned a personal tutor who I met with fortnightly and spoke openly about my experience of the course. My personal tutor was a lecturer on one of my modules and after reading some of my work, he referred me to a special needs advisor who then diagnosed me with dyslexia. This was life changing as no one had picked up on it before and Queen Mary gave me so much extra support, extra time with my deadlines, and put me in touch with student finance who helped me get a lot of resources which enabled me to complete my studies and obtain the grade I wanted. 

Having dyslexia, I am a very visual learner and I appreciated that the academics were creative in their teaching approaches; instead of reading theory from a screen, they brought it to life in interactive ways. I also liked how easy it was to speak openly to lecturers and ask them any questions that I had. As apprentices we had tutorials alongside our lectures where students in the year above would help us work through any questions or problems – it was so nice to mix with students and not just fellow apprentices. 

What was it like to work for the BBC as an apprentice, what were some of the skills and experience you gained?

Before joining the BBC, I was very anxious and nervous; I expected everyone to be wearing suits, but everyone was laid back, friendly and the environment was really diverse. With the apprenticeship scheme, you are typically placed in one team throughout the duration of the four years, however, I was fortunate enough to switch between three different teams who all had different approaches to projects. This meant that I was able to adapt quickly and build resilience to fast-paced work environments. I was also able to refine my technical, communication and teamwork skills. There were lots of opportunities for personal and professional development within the BBC, such as team building exercises, and I embraced all of this wholeheartedly. 

You are currently a Junior Research and Development Engineer at HEROTECH8, a robotics startup. What are some of your daily responsibilities and how is your degree relevant to this role?

Initially I joined HEROTECH8 as a software engineer so my degree apprenticeship couldn’t have been more relevant, however, I have now moved into a research and development role as my company knew I wanted more hands-on experience in robotics. In my current role, I am given a variety of projects and in the first instance, I need to carry out research to see what needs to be done to complete these projects. If it is a software project, I need to identify what tools and technologies are required and if it is a hardware project, I need to identify the materials and testing required. Once my research and approach has been approved by my client or manager, I then move onto the development stage where I produce a prototype of the product. Testing comes next where you effectively break your product to ensure clients don’t encounter any problems. This is followed by demo day, where I show a client what their product would look like if they were to do it on a larger scale. If the client is happy, the project is handed over to a team of specialists. 

My role involves figuring things out for myself and training myself in new areas such as electronics, hardware, materials and design. This is beneficial to my company as different teams can use my prototypes as starting points for bigger projects which saves time. 

Where did your passion for robotics begin and what are your future career aspirations? 

I went to a University Technical College (UTC), an engineering specialised school, for sixth form and for my BTEC in Engineering, we had to create a prototype to solve a problem that was personal to us. I created a drone with a claw hook which could be used to grab things. The idea behind this was that in rural and underdeveloped countries, it is very hard to deliver medical supplies in emergencies because some areas don’t have roads. My drone was designed to deliver medical supplies quickly, regardless of the environment. Every aspect of this project, from the electronics to the hardware, to the design and the 3D printing, made me realize that robotics is what I want to do in life. When I finished my A-Levels there weren’t any degree apprenticeships in robotics, so the route I chose ultimately helped me land my current role in a robotics company. 

In terms of the future, I want to combine my passion for robotics and space and work in the space industry. This year or next I am thinking of doing a master’s degree in space engineering to help me get closer to my dream of working for NASA, SpaceX or the UK Space Agency. I want to create technology that can advance human civilisation in outer space and I want to learn more about what is out there in the universe. 

Outside of your role at HEROTECH8, you juggle many different roles which fall under the broad umbrella of ‘STEM ambassador’. Can you touch on some of these roles?

During my free time I try and strengthen my personal and professional development. I recently won the Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprentices provided by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and this means I have a year-long reign, a big following, and access to lots of opportunities and volunteering requests. I am part of different committees within the IET such as the Young Professionals Committee. As part of this committee, I am the apprentice representative worldwide, so I try to promote the IET apprentice membership globally and to create a network where apprentices can come together to share their experiences, resources and raise awareness of different events. As a WISE role model, I go to events and talk about my experience to inspire other women in STEM and as a Stemette volunteer, I do things like Instagram lives, presentations, CV workshops, and I also deliver sessions, carry out practice interviews and mentor girls, young women, and non-binary individuals. 

I also won the STEM Technician of the Year award and I chose to donate my prize money to John Chilton School, a special needs school. I recently volunteered at the school and done a slime activity with the students as I wanted to let them know that despite having a disability, it is still possible to have a career in the STEM industry. 

You have won many awards in your career to date, including the Paul Fletcher Award for your dedication to promoting STEM and IET Young Women Apprentice Engineer of the Year. You have also been featured as a role model for Harper Collins Books. You are clearly an inspiration within the STEM industry. What is it about the STEM industry that excites you and why are you so passionate about encouraging more people to break into this industry?

The STEM industry excites me as it is an industry that is constantly evolving and there are hundreds of jobs created annually to cope with this demand, so there are always plenty of opportunities to grow and develop. STEM also has so many real-world applications; it has the power to save and advance people’s lives and to ultimately build the future. 

I won the STEM Technician of the Year award and I chose to donate my prize money to John Chilton School, a special needs school. I recently volunteered at the school as I wanted to let them know that despite having a disability, it is still possible to have a career in the STEM industry.

I feel passionate about encouraging younger generations and women to pursue a career in STEM because from a young age and from multiple directions I was taught that engineering was strictly for men. It was only as I got older that I was exposed to women working in STEM through various insight days and guest speakers at school and I wish I would have encountered these women from an earlier age. I want to make the industry accessible for all and to make an impact as early as possible on the children who will continue the work we are doing now. 

Lastly, is there any advice you would like to give our readers?

Say yes to any opportunity that comes your way. It is worth taking the risk because you only live once, and it is unlikely you will be offered the same opportunity twice. If something doesn’t work out, you will always be able to fall back on what you were doing before.

• Find out more about studying a Degree Apprenticeship at Queen Mary.
• Join the Queen Mary Network.

If you would like to get in touch with Dilani or engage her in your work, please contact the Alumni Engagement team at alumni@qmul.ac.uk.